Contemporary Issues in Management Accounting

The following reports are based on academic research into innovative and topical areas of management accounting practice commissioned by CIMA. They highlight the key findings from the research and their relevance to the accounting and finance community.

Our latest published reports

Supply Chain Performance Measurement: Practices for an alignment with SDGs

This collaborative study by the Università Politecnica delle Marche and Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies delves into the integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and associated targets within supply chains. Employing a multiple case study approach, the research explores methods for measuring and assessing the impact of these initiatives on SDGs. The report offers valuable insights to companies, practitioners, and management accountants, shedding light on the opportunities and challenges related to SDG integration within supply chains.
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Advancing the Circular Economy in Sri Lanka’s Manufacturing Sector: The role of management accounting

This study, led by a scholar from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka investigates the implementation of circular economy practices and circular economy business models (CEBM) in five local manufacturing firms within the tea, newspaper and food and beverage sectors.

The research found that for CEBM’s, management accounting serves as an important tool for management control and support, stewardship, performance measurement and decision-making but there is also a need to develop additional accounting tools to support CEBM implementation.

The report also sets out the implications for various stakeholder groups, including practitioners, policymakers and regulators, and recommendations for each group to consider and implement.
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Corporate sustainability performance management in the context of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

This study, conducted by a research team from two German Universities Investigates corporate sustainability performance management practices at five multinational German corporations - BASF, Deutsche Post DHL, Evonik Industries, Merck, and Vaude. It also proposes a maturity model of corporate sustainability performance management and management accounting’s involvement comprising four levels (1) external reporting, (2) strategic thinking, (3) company-wide integration and (4) business partnering.
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Integrating the SDGs into capital investment decisions.

The research conducted by a group of scholars from the Institute of Management, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies and Dipartimento di Management, Università Politecnica delle Marche found that there is a requirement to encourage thinking about the influence of capital investments on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This can be achieved by utilizing a framework that accounts for direct, indirect, and uncertain effects, as well as the 5 dimensions of impact management.
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Predictive Analytics: Should there be a “human in the loop”?

This research set within a large US-based automotive parts retailer provides important insights on the usage of predictive analytics in the business world. It shows that as businesses strive to navigate an increasingly complex landscape, the integration of human expertise and predictive analytics emerges as a key strategy for achieving superior outcomes.
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Calculating Sustainability: Can accounting save the world?

The research, conducted by a group of scholars from Alliance Manchester Business School, Manchester University and SDA Bocconi School of Management, Bocconi University, proposes a new Sustainable Value Table (SVT) to reconcile the financial and non-financial dimensions (specifically the Sustainable Development Goals) of business performance and corporate reporting.
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Making the circular economy a reality for SME’s.

As the Circular Economy (CE) gains momentum worldwide, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are still grappling with achieving sustainable value creation and competitiveness. This research by a group of scholars at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Universidad de Alcala, Universidad de Sabana and Universidad de Navarra introduces a Circular MooD Model, a novel virtual tool that enables Management Accountants and more generally the finance function to assess the implementation level of CE in Latin American SMEs.
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Pricing trends for management accountants

This report summarizes changes in pricing theory and the impact of those changes on the role of the management accountant and is based on research undertaken by Professor David Dugdale from Bristol University in the writing of his textbook Strategic Pricing and Management Accounting. It particularly focusses on value-based pricing and highlights a number of opportunities for management accountants to work as business partners with marketing managers.
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Purpose to Impact: How accounting and reporting practices pave the path to Sustainable Value Creation

This study led by Professor Cristiano Busco from LUISS University outlines a holistic Purpose to Impact framework to successfully pursue Sustainable Value Creation in the current uncertain times. It explores how finance professionals, utilizing the principles and practices of integrated thinking, can support enlightened leaders in steering their organisations to sustainable success.
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Building and enhancing organisational resilience: Before and after COVID-19

This project, led by a University of Roehampton scholar, seeks to investigate the effect of the pandemic on businesses awareness of organisational resilience. The study is highly relevant at a time businesses are faced with emerging, novel risks and disruptions, such as climate change and associated events. It aims to help management accountants to prepare for forthcoming threats, whether anticipated or unforeseen.
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Management Accounting for Climate-related Financial Disclosures

In 2017, the Task Force for Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) released recommendations to address the need for reliable corporate disclosure of climate-related information. This research, from RMIT and University of Tasmania, explores how management accountants can contribute to the development of appropriate climate-related scenarios and to better integrate their management accounting expertise into organisational climate change strategy.
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The effect of dynamic capabilities on performance and digital business strategy

This research, conducted by a team from Maastricht University, investigated the effect of dynamic capabilities (the ability to adapt internal and external competencies in response to rapidly changing environments) on the implementation of an organisation's digital business strategy and on business unit performance within a large German automotive manufacturing company.
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Seven steps to technological innovation: The case of the Australian and Italian wine industry.

This research, conducted by scholars from the university of South Australia, investigates the drivers, barriers and benefits of technological innovation (including block-chain, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and Industry 4.0 applications) and the role of management accountants in managing innovation projects within the Australian and Italian wine industry
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From digitisation to digital transformation

This research undertaken by a team from Essec Business School investigates the work, challenges and roles of French and German management accountants in the digital age. It found that management accountants are strongly engaged in the digitisation of their companies and play an important role in the digital transformation through their involvement in data quality and IT system harmonization.
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Employee Trust: determinants and consequences of employee perceptions of organisational trustworthiness.

Inspiring trust has been long acknowledged as the key to successful management but relatively little is known about how employees form trust perceptions. A study, by researchers at Maastricht and Tulane Universities and conducted within privately owned North American pharmacy by reveals that perceptions of the organisation’s benevolence, integrity and ability influence trust perceptions.
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The impact of predictive forecasting on corporate control.

Forecasting is essential for managers to steer businesses in dynamic environments and to manage relations with external stakeholders. A study of two large multi-national companies conducted by a team from Monash University explored to how predictive analytics-based forecasts were used at a corporate level and how they contribute to managing organisations.
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