Nieuwe Ronde, Nieuwe Kansen: Ontwikkeling in Management Accounting & Control

Abstract:     
In this inaugural address I take a bird's eye view on the recent developments in the disciplines of management accounting and management control during the past two decades. Three stages are distinguished and clarified: the accounting stage, operational excellence and, finally, the customer intimacy phase. Subsequently I concentrate on the issue of customer value management. The point of departure for this elaboration is the calculation of customer value. Starting from a very simple formula I try to penetrate into the underlying world of antecedent and interrelated variables which have a proven impact on customer value. After a short survey of the empirical knowledge gathered until this moment I wind up with a conceptual framework for future research. Concerning the issue of the impact of customer intimacy on the design of management control systems my conclusion is that the central question to be answered is the question concerning the prevailing image of man. Is it possible to adhere to the traditional image ('all man are equal') in stimulating organizations towards more innovative behaviour? Which comes down to target setting, defining and measuring performance. Or is it necessary to introduce a different image of man in which diversity and uniqueness is emphasized ('all man are unique') stressing self-control as a means for achieving congruence. Or is a middle ground called for?

Number of Pages in PDF File: 62

Keywords: Accounting, Control, Management, Customer Value Management, Accounting Stage, Operational Excellence, Customer Intimacy Phase

JEL Classification: M40, M46

working papers series