Institutional perspective of change in management accounting system: A case study approach

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine the drivers of change in the management accounting system in a large manufacturing Libyan-Italian joint-venture public company (LIJV). To achieve this objective, a qualitative case study research is adopted. The research data were gathered by conducting 17 semi-structured interviews with the managers and senior staff of the case company. The data collected from the interviews were supported by documentary reviews and observations. The findings of this study indicate that changes in management accounting systems in the company are attributable to institutional factors, competitive pressures, and market forces. Specifically, isomorphic institutional pressures (i.e., coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphism forces) appeared to be the main drivers of management accounting system change. These findings are consistent with Zoubi’s (2011) findings. Additionally, our findings reveal that the primary sources of the barriers to management accounting change include: 1) the nation’s regulations and laws, 2) management misconduct and corruption in management and financial activities, and 3) company managers’ resistance. Drawing on the new institutional sociology (NIS) theory, our case findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the change process in management accounting systems by focusing on the role of market pressures, institutional pressures, and intra-organizational power. The contribution of this research is the improved utilization of NIS in explaining the change in management accounting.