Title: Quality in management accounting: approach by activities in large companies

Authors: Maria João Cardoso Vieira Machado; Paula Cristina Rodrigues Alves

Addresses: Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Business Research Unit (BRU-IUL), Avenida Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal ' Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Avenida Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal

Abstract: This study intends to contribute to the knowledge about the approach by activities, a management accounting method that promotes the quality of information. As specific objectives, we have identified the following: to analyse the knowledge rate regarding the approach by activities, and identify whether there is a link between it and the financial officers' characteristics; to analyse the utilisation rate of the approach by activities, and the factors conditioning it; to analyse whether there is a link between a company's features, and the use of the approach by activities. The data collection method used was the application of a survey to the financial officers of the largest Portuguese companies, which yielded 61 valid responses. The results found allowed us to conclude the following: the time driven activity-based costing is very little known and used in Portugal; there is a link between the knowledge of the approach by activities and the financial officers' gender, age and educational background; there is a link between the use of the approach by activities and two company features: the legal form and the capital holding.

Keywords: time driven activity-based costing; TDABC; quality; management accounting; Portugal; large companies.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPQM.2017.084463

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2017 Vol.21 No.3, pp.392 - 409

Received: 26 Jan 2016
Accepted: 08 Apr 2016
Published online: 07 Jun 2017 *

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