IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jproda/v46y2016i1d10.1007_s11123-016-0475-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Benchmarking for routines and organizational knowledge: a managerial accounting approach with performance feedback

Author

Listed:
  • Mircea Epure

    (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona GSE and Barcelona School of Management)

Abstract

This study proposes a managerial accounting research design that bridges a gap between firm productivity based on frontier techniques and strategic management. In doing so, it operationalizes the theoretical frameworks based on the endogenous components of across-firms heterogeneous resources and routines, which are fundamental for firm performance. The design focuses on industry-level benchmarking to analyze changes in performance and organizational knowledge investments, and proposes some indicators for firm-level strategic benchmarking. An analysis of a 12-year panel of the U.S. technology hardware and equipment industry illustrates the usefulness of the proposals. Findings reveal wider gaps between better and worse performers following economic distress. Increasing intangibles stocks is positively associated with changes in frontier benchmarking, while enhancing R&D spending is linked to frontier shifts. The discussion develops managerial interpretations suitable for control and reward systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Mircea Epure, 2016. "Benchmarking for routines and organizational knowledge: a managerial accounting approach with performance feedback," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 46(1), pages 87-107, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jproda:v:46:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1007_s11123-016-0475-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11123-016-0475-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11123-016-0475-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11123-016-0475-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Teppo Felin & Nicolai J. Foss & Koen H. Heimeriks & Tammy L. Madsen, 2012. "Microfoundations of Routines and Capabilities: Individuals, Processes, and Structure," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(8), pages 1351-1374, December.
    2. Antle, Rick & Bogetoft, Peter & Stark, Andrew W., 2001. "Information systems, incentives and the timing of investments," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 20(4-5), pages 267-294.
    3. Per Andersen & Niels Christian Petersen, 1993. "A Procedure for Ranking Efficient Units in Data Envelopment Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(10), pages 1261-1264, October.
    4. Langfield-Smith, Kim, 1997. "Management control systems and strategy: A critical review," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 207-232, February.
    5. Zoltán J. Ács & Pontus Braunerhjelm & David B. Audretsch & Bo Carlsson, 2015. "The knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship," Chapters, in: Global Entrepreneurship, Institutions and Incentives, chapter 7, pages 129-144, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Nicholas S. Argyres & Teppo Felin & Nicolai Foss & Todd Zenger, 2012. "Organizational Economics of Capability and Heterogeneity," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(5), pages 1213-1226, October.
    7. Otto Toivanen & Paul Stoneman & Derek Bosworth, 2002. "Innovation and the Market Value of UK Firms, 1989–1995," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 64(1), pages 39-61, February.
    8. Ittner, Christopher D. & Larcker, David F., 1997. "Quality strategy, strategic control systems, and organizational performance," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 22(3-4), pages 293-314.
    9. Zvi Griliches, 1998. "R&D and Productivity: The Econometric Evidence," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number gril98-1.
    10. Jose Zofio & Jesus Pastor & Juan Aparicio, 2013. "The directional profit efficiency measure: on why profit inefficiency is either technical or allocative," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 257-266, December.
    11. Bok Baik & Joon Chae & Sunhwa Choi & David B. Farber, 2013. "Changes in Operational Efficiency and Firm Performance: A Frontier Analysis Approach," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(3), pages 996-1026, September.
    12. Ray,Subhash C., 2012. "Data Envelopment Analysis," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107405264, October.
    13. Robert G. Chambers & Rulon D. Pope, 1996. "Aggregate Productivity Measures," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 78(5), pages 1360-1365.
    14. Berger, Allen N. & Humphrey, David B., 1997. "Efficiency of financial institutions: International survey and directions for future research," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 98(2), pages 175-212, April.
    15. Argote, L. & Epple, D., 1990. "Learning Curves In Manufacturing," GSIA Working Papers 89-90-02, Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business.
    16. Jerker Denrell & Christina Fang & Sidney G. Winter, 2003. "The economics of strategic opportunity," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(10), pages 977-990, October.
    17. Linda Argote & Ella Miron-Spektor, 2011. "Organizational Learning: From Experience to Knowledge," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(5), pages 1123-1137, October.
    18. Jean‐Philippe Boussemart & Walter Briec & Kristiaan Kerstens & Jean‐Christophe Poutineau, 2003. "Luenberger and Malmquist Productivity Indices: Theoretical Comparisons and Empirical Illustration," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(4), pages 391-405, October.
    19. W. Briec, 1997. "A Graph-Type Extension of Farrell Technical Efficiency Measure," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 95-110, March.
    20. Epure, Mircea & Kerstens, Kristiaan & Prior, Diego, 2011. "Technology-based total factor productivity and benchmarking: New proposals and an application," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 608-619, December.
    21. Anne Marie Knott & David J. Bryce & Hart E. Posen, 2003. "On the Strategic Accumulation of Intangible Assets," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(2), pages 192-207, April.
    22. Cohen, Wesley M & Klepper, Steven, 1996. "A Reprise of Size and R&D," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 106(437), pages 925-951, July.
    23. David J. Teece, 2007. "Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(13), pages 1319-1350, December.
    24. Romer, Paul M, 1990. "Endogenous Technological Change," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages 71-102, October.
    25. Christoph Zott, 2003. "Dynamic capabilities and the emergence of intraindustry differential firm performance: insights from a simulation study," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 97-125, February.
    26. Wade D. Cook & Joe Zhu, 2007. "Data Irregularities And Structural Complexities In Dea," Springer Books, in: Joe Zhu & Wade D. Cook (ed.), Modeling Data Irregularities and Structural Complexities in Data Envelopment Analysis, chapter 0, pages 1-11, Springer.
    27. O'Mahony, Mary & Vecchi, Michela, 2009. "R&D, knowledge spillovers and company productivity performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 35-44, February.
    28. Maurizio Zollo & Sidney G. Winter, 2002. "Deliberate Learning and the Evolution of Dynamic Capabilities," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(3), pages 339-351, June.
    29. Bert Balk, 2003. "The Residual: On Monitoring and Benchmarking Firms, Industries, and Economies with Respect to Productivity," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 5-47, July.
    30. Noel Capon & John U. Farley & Scott Hoenig, 1990. "Determinants of Financial Performance: A Meta-Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(10), pages 1143-1159, October.
    31. Cinzia Daraio & Léopold Simar, 2016. "Efficiency and benchmarking with directional distances: a data-driven approach," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 67(7), pages 928-944, July.
    32. R. G. Chambers & Y. Chung & R. Färe, 1998. "Profit, Directional Distance Functions, and Nerlovian Efficiency," Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 98(2), pages 351-364, August.
    33. Luenberger, David G., 1992. "Benefit functions and duality," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 461-481.
    34. Aparicio, Juan & Pastor, Jesus T. & Zofio, Jose L., 2013. "On the inconsistency of the Malmquist–Luenberger index," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 229(3), pages 738-742.
    35. Chambers, Robert G. & Fare, Rolf & Grosskopf, Shawna, 1996. "Productivity Growth in APEC Countries," Working Papers 197843, University of Maryland, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    36. Peter Demerjian & Baruch Lev & Sarah McVay, 2012. "Quantifying Managerial Ability: A New Measure and Validity Tests," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 58(7), pages 1229-1248, July.
    37. Peter Abell & Teppo Felin & Nicolai Foss, 2008. "Building micro-foundations for the routines, capabilities, and performance links," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(6), pages 489-502.
    38. Wilson, Paul W, 1993. "Detecting Outliers in Deterministic Nonparametric Frontier Models with Multiple Outputs," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 11(3), pages 319-323, July.
    39. John E. Ettlie, 1998. "R&D and Global Manufacturing Performance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(1), pages 1-11, January.
    40. David J. Teece & Gary Pisano & Amy Shuen, 1997. "Dynamic capabilities and strategic management," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 509-533, August.
    41. Paul S. Adler & Kim B. Clark, 1991. "Behind the Learning Curve: A Sketch of the Learning Process," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 37(3), pages 267-281, March.
    42. Kathleen M. Eisenhardt & Jeffrey A. Martin, 2000. "Dynamic capabilities: what are they?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(10‐11), pages 1105-1121, October.
    43. Kiran Verma, 1993. "Managerial Efficiency: A Study of Management Buyouts," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(1), pages 179-204, September.
    44. Gary P. Pisano & Richard M.J. Bohmer & Amy C. Edmondson, 2001. "Organizational Differences in Rates of Learning: Evidence from the Adoption of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(6), pages 752-768, June.
    45. Rajiv Banker & Hsihui Chang & Ram Natarajan, 2007. "Estimating DEA technical and allocative inefficiency using aggregate cost or revenue data," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 115-121, April.
    46. Teppo Felin & Teppo Felin, 2012. "Cosmologies of Capability, Markets and Wisdom of Crowds: Introduction and Comparative Agenda," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(5-6), pages 283-294, July.
    47. E. Grifell-Tatjé & C. A. K. Lovell, 1999. "Profits and Productivity," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 45(9), pages 1177-1193, September.
    48. Peter Bogetoft & Henrik Ballebye Olesen, 2003. "Incentives, Information Systems, and Competition," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 85(1), pages 234-247.
    49. Felin, Teppo & Foss, Nicolai J., 2011. "The endogenous origins of experience, routines, and organizational capabilities: the poverty of stimulus," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(2), pages 231-256, June.
    50. Anne Marie Knott, 2003. "Persistent heterogeneity and sustainable innovation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(8), pages 687-705, August.
    51. Anne Marie Knott & Hart E. Posen, 2009. "Firm R&D Behavior and Evolving Technology in Established Industries," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(2), pages 352-367, April.
    52. Peter Bogetoft & Lars Otto, 2011. "Benchmarking with DEA, SFA, and R," International Series in Operations Research and Management Science, Springer, number 978-1-4419-7961-2, April.
    53. Richard Blundell & Rachel Griffith & John van Reenen, 1999. "Market Share, Market Value and Innovation in a Panel of British Manufacturing Firms," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 66(3), pages 529-554.
    54. Sidney G. Winter, 2003. "Understanding dynamic capabilities," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(10), pages 991-995, October.
    55. Griliches, Zvi, 1998. "R&D and Productivity," National Bureau of Economic Research Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226308869.
    56. Shantanu Dutta & Om Narasimhan & Surendra Rajiv, 1999. "Success in High-Technology Markets: Is Marketing Capability Critical?," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(4), pages 547-568.
    57. Agrell, Per J. & Bogetoft, Peter & Tind, Jorgen, 2002. "Incentive plans for productive efficiency, innovation and learning," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(1), pages 1-11, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Schubert, Torben & Jäger, Angela & Türkeli, Serdar & Visentin, Fabiana, 2020. "Addressing the productivity paradox with big data: A literature review and adaptation of the CDM econometric model," MERIT Working Papers 2020-050, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    2. Mircea Epure, 2022. "Corporate social responsibility as a signaling technology," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 907-930, April.
    3. Ang, Frederic & Kerstens, Pieter Jan, 2017. "Decomposing the Luenberger–Hicks–Moorsteen Total Factor Productivity indicator: An application to U.S. agriculture," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 260(1), pages 359-375.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wang, Chun-Hsien & Lu, Yung-Hsiang & Huang, Chin-Wei & Lee, Jun-Yen, 2013. "R&D, productivity, and market value: An empirical study from high-technology firms," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 143-155.
    2. Briec, Walter & Dumas, Audrey & Kerstens, Kristiaan & Stenger, Agathe, 2022. "Generalised commensurability properties of efficiency measures: Implications for productivity indicators," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 303(3), pages 1481-1492.
    3. Megan Lawrence, 2018. "Taking Stock of the Ability to Change: The Effect of Prior Experience," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(3), pages 489-506, June.
    4. Quan Anh Nguyen & Gillian Sullivan Mort, 0. "Conceptualising organisational-level and microfoundational capabilities: an integrated view of born-globals’ internationalisation," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-23.
    5. Schriber, Svante & Löwstedt, Jan, 2015. "Tangible resources and the development of organizational capabilities," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 54-68.
    6. Mircea Epure & Diego Prior & Christian Serarols, 2016. "Assessing Technology-Based Spin-offs from University Support Units," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(3), pages 411-428, March.
    7. Quan Anh Nguyen & Gillian Sullivan Mort, 2021. "Conceptualising organisational-level and microfoundational capabilities: an integrated view of born-globals’ internationalisation," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1781-1803, December.
    8. Hélène Laurell & Leona Achtenhagen & Svante Andersson, 2017. "The changing role of network ties and critical capabilities in an international new venture’s early development," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 113-140, March.
    9. von den Driesch, Till & Eva Susanne da Costa, Maika & Christina Flatten, Tessa & Brettel, Malte, 2015. "How CEO experience, personality, and network affect firms' dynamic capabilities," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 245-256.
    10. Verreynne, Martie-Louise & Hine, Damian & Coote, Len & Parker, Rachel, 2016. "Building a scale for dynamic learning capabilities: The role of resources, learning, competitive intent and routine patterning," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 4287-4303.
    11. Hafeez, Salima & Rana, Asif Mehmood & Chaudhry, Rashid Mehmood & Khan, Muhammad Aslam & Ahmad, H.Mushtaq & Rehman, Kashif Ur, 2011. "Perspectives of entrepreneurial orientation with the quality of life," MPRA Paper 53860, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. W. Briec & K. Kerstens, 2009. "Infeasibility and Directional Distance Functions with Application to the Determinateness of the Luenberger Productivity Indicator," Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 141(1), pages 55-73, April.
    13. Cleverton Rodrigues Fernandes & André Gustavo Carvalho Machado, 2019. "Technology Transfer Capability: development dynamics in higher education institutions," Brazilian Business Review, Fucape Business School, vol. 16(1), pages 1-15, January.
    14. Giovanni Gavetti, 2012. "PERSPECTIVE—Toward a Behavioral Theory of Strategy," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(1), pages 267-285, February.
    15. Giovanni. Gavetti & Daniel A. Levinthal, 2004. "50th Anniversay Article: The Strategy Field from the Perspective of Management Science: Divergent Strands and Possible Integration," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(10), pages 1309-1318, October.
    16. Epure, Mircea & Kerstens, Kristiaan & Prior, Diego, 2011. "Bank productivity and performance groups: A decomposition approach based upon the Luenberger productivity indicator," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 211(3), pages 630-641, June.
    17. Xiaoming He & Yaqun Yi & Zelong Wei, 2019. "New product development capabilities in China: the moderating role of TMT cooperative behavior," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(2), pages 73-97, April.
    18. Juo, Jia-Ching & Fu, Tsu-Tan & Yu, Ming-Miin & Lin, Yu-Hui, 2016. "Non-radial profit performance: An application to Taiwanese banks," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 111-121.
    19. Pinho, José Carlos & Prange, Christiane, 2016. "The effect of social networks and dynamic internationalization capabilities on international performance," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 391-403.
    20. Nicolaï Foss & Nils Stieglitz, 2012. "Modern Resource-based Theory(ies)," Chapters, in: Michael Dietrich & Jackie Krafft (ed.), Handbook on the Economics and Theory of the Firm, chapter 20, Edward Elgar Publishing.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Benchmarking; Resources; Management accounting; Organizational investments; Frontier analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M1 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • D2 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jproda:v:46:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1007_s11123-016-0475-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.