Internal Management Reports Research Articles

How to enhance circular supply chains? Aligning R-imperatives, uncertainty management and sustainability

PurposeOperationalizing R-imperatives in firms is seen as vital to bolstering circularity through reduce, reuse and recycle and building circular supply chains (CSCs). However, this process introduces various uncertainties to firms within CSCs. This is a gap that still requires an in-depth analysis, particularly to answer the question of how firms align the operationalization of R-imperatives with uncertainty management to improve sustainability performance and accelerate the transition toward CSCs.Design/methodology/approachThis paper fills this gap through a multiple-case study, whereby nine firms from varying structures, regions and manufacturing industries were examined. Qualitative content analysis was employed to examine the collected primary (27 semi-structured interviews) and secondary data (internal management reports, publicly available corporate reports and website content).FindingsThe findings support the evidence that the operationalization of R-imperatives is not a straightforward process. Within-firm and SC uncertainties largely emerged and made the building of CSCs complex. Consequently, strategies aimed at reducing uncertainty were paramount to managing uncertainties and enhancing sustainability performance. For instance, implementing durable or modular designs helped firms easily reuse, repair and recycle products. In turn, firms achieved material efficiency and contributed to extending the life cycle of products.Practical implicationsThis paper explains how firms can align R-imperatives operationalization with uncertainty management to improve sustainability performance and enhance CSCs. Accordingly, firms should complement R-imperatives operationalization with proactive uncertainty management and an assessment of all environmental, economic and social sustainability dimensions.Originality/valueThis paper fills a critical gap in circular supply chain management literature by unveiling its linkage with uncertainty management and sustainability performance. Empirical insights from nine firms within CSCs are provided to guide scholars and managers interested in implementing R-imperatives.

СОВЕРШЕНСТВОВАНИЕ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ ВНУТРЕННЕЙ УПРАВЛЕНЧЕСКОЙ ОТЧЕТНОСТИ О МЕЛИОРАТИВНЫХ РАБОТАХ

In modern conditions, the objective necessity for the functioning of agro-industrial complex enterprises is the maintenance of management accounting and the formation of internal management reporting. The latter contains information that is used by the organization’s management to make informed operational and strategic management decisions. However, when developing the format for internal reporting, problems arise with determining the set of indicators necessary to assess the effectiveness of the financial and economic activities of the enterprise. The purpose of the research is to substantiate theoretical provisions and develop practical recommendations for improving the formation of internal reporting on reclamation work. The use of the approach proposed in the work makes it possible to create a system of accounting and analytical information for solving organizational, economic and production problems arising in the process of functioning of agricultural enterprises. Within the framework of the study, the following internal management reports were proposed: “Main directions and estimated volume of capital investments in reclamation work”, “Sources of financing for reclamation work”, “Assessment of the economic efficiency of reclamation work” and “Indicators characterizing the production and technological process of reclamation work”. The use of the proposed forms makes it possible to preliminarily assess the need for financing, the volume of the proposed reclamation work and production on the reclaimed land; compare the actual level of indicators with the planned, assess the degree of implementation of the plan and characterize the measures to achieve the set goals; to assess the commercial efficiency of reclamation investment projects from the point of view of an agricultural producer as the only participant in the project, and also to characterize the production technological process for the implementation of reclamation works

Going Too Far Is as Bad as Not Going Far Enough: An Inverted U-Shaped Relationship between Internal Controls and Operational Efficiency

ABSTRACTIn this study, we explore the inverted U-shaped association between internal control quality and firm operational efficiency. Although effective internal controls can facilitate and improve operational efficiency, excessive internal controls can negatively affect operational efficiency by (1) influencing management energy, attention, risk-taking, and innovation motivations, (2) hindering employees' creativity, enthusiasm, and trust. Our findings support the inverted U-shaped association. We further explore and prove the two channels through which internal controls affect firm operational efficiency: the “information channel” (the quality of internal management reports), and the “application channel” (the enforcement of internal controls). Additionally, we show that the inverted U-shaped association only exists in non-state-owned firms. We do not find significant association between internal control quality and operational efficiency in state-owned firms. Overall, this study suggests that firms should not only establish an optimal level of internal controls, but also enforce the internal controls effectively to achieve their intended goals.

Accounting and analytical support of internal management reporting on reclamation works

In modern conditions, the objective need for the functioning of an agricultural organization is to maintain management accounting and the formation of internal management reporting. The internal management reporting contains information that is used by the management of the organization in making informed operational and strategic management decisions. However, in developing the format of internal reporting there are problems with the definition of a set of indicators necessary to assess the effectiveness of financial and economic activities of the enterprise. The purpose of the article is to justify the theoretical provisions and development of practical recommendations for the development of accounting and analytical support for the formation of internal reporting on reclamation work. Objectives of the study: to study the theoretical aspects, methodological tools, to determine the stages of formation of internal management reporting, to develop forms of management reports containing basic indicators to assess the effectiveness of reclamation activities. When writing this article, such methods as analysis of scientific and theoretical sources, system approach, method of comparative analysis, generalization were used. The approach suggested by the authors to the formation of internal management reports allows to form a system of accounting and analytical information, which allows to solve organizational, economic and production problems arising in the process of managing the enterprise. The system of indicators, contained in the developed formats of management reporting, is a tool that characterizes the effectiveness of management.

Tourism Demand Analysis of the Federal Protected Areas of Brazil

The purpose of this paper was to estimate the visitation potential within the Brazilian Federal system of Protected Areas, based on an expanded Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) framework (physical, social, and managerial attributes). In addition, this paper seeks to develop a series of models to estimate the number of visitors based on classes of recreational use. Data were collected from different sources: (1) primary data were collected online, surveying managers of 71 National Parks and 67 National Forests; (2) data were gathered from secondary sources (a government agency’s (ICMBio) internal management reports and other mediums, such as databases and websites). Selected variables, data collection methods, and analyses were adapted from previous research. The study employed Pearson’s correlation and stepwise linear regression to analyze how indicators from the physical, social, and managerial attributes were related to the number of visitors. Models were created to estimate the potential number of visitors. Results indicated that tourism demand was correlated to physical, social, and managerial attributes (internal and external) accordingly to the expanded ROS model. Besides, while internal characteristics and management objectives were the most important variables, external factors independent of protected areas governance were also influential. Using a conservative approach, analyses indicated that by increasing internal investments in the federal system, there would have been 13.4 million visitors to protected areas in 2015, instead of the observed 8.1 million visitors. This would represent an increase of 62% in recreation opportunities, augmenting revenues for the protected areas agency, and business and employment opportunities for local communities. Overall, results exemplified the relative importance of different protected areas attributes and their need in developing protected areas. In addition, outdoor recreation needs to be planned within a larger context of a touristic destination. Accordingly, outreach initiatives by managers at the local and regional levels are recommended. The findings of this study can assist in developing a more efficient visitor management system in Brazil. This has the potential to increase visitation and revenues, as well as subsequently provide resources to engage in environmental conservation and economic development. Subscribe to JPRA

Major factors affecting contemporary Japanese business environment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors influencing contemporary Japanese business environment mainly in the field of strategic management and, therefore, having influence on corporate performance and its measurement in selected manufacturing companies located in Japan in respect to their key business perspectives focused on people, processes and systems, innovations, finance, social responsibility and ecology, and that in relation to ongoing economic crises and a fundamental transformation of mature societies (in particular in USA, Japan and Western Europe). Design/methodology/approach – The research involved assembling key academic and other literature on the subject of trends in strategic management and performance measurement in Japan as well as semi-structured interviews with managers within manufacturing companies located in Japan that deal with performance measurement, finance, strategic management, etc. and a review of various internal management reports. Findings – The resea...

A managerial perspective of dynamic capabilities in emerging markets: The case of the Russian steel industry

The paper critiques current thinking in the area of dynamic capabilities, exploring and challenging previous research on Dynamic Capabilities (DC) utilizing an application and empirical research within the Russian steel industry. Multiple sources of evidence arising from an in-depth study over a period of three years are deployed including semi-structured interviews with senior managers, as well as internal management reports, and other documentary evidence. The research concludes that practitioners need not choose between either routine-building on the one hand, or radical renewal on the other, but must recognize that dynamisms typically derive from the establishment of respective internal processes, followed by rapid-decision making. This paper focuses on the higher education area in a small Central European country. Its purpose is to explore the concept of culture, the concept of knowledge management (KM) as well as the correlations among their dimensions at the university level. Since we assume that it is educational personnel who is involved in KM processes, our research covered the teaching staff. Our questionnaire is based on a similar research carried out by Wilkens et al. (2004). The literature is reviewed and the empirical analysis is performed in order to examine and to explain the relationship between organisational culture and knowledge management. The findings presented in the paper can be important for further development of the higher education sector in Central and Eastern European countries as well as for other profit oriented industries.

Managing for performance in New Zealand's public service – a loosely coupled framework?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the institutional factors that impact on the integration of the formal model of performance management in New Zealand's public service and the model, or models, in use within different agencies and at different levels within those agencies.Design/methodology/approachThe research involved semi‐structured interviews with managers within three agencies of New Zealand's central government as well as a review of their external accountability documents and internal management reports. These data were then interpreted in the context of new institutional sociology. In particular, the institutional carriers identified by Scott (2001) Scott were used to map the characteristics within each agency that support more or less integration, and common use, of performance measures.FindingsIt is concluded that an integrated framework of performance objectives, that drops down from the Government's priorities, to Ministers' purchase of goods and services, to managers' objectives at each layer of the agency, does not always exist. Institutional arrangements that emphasise regulative controls are more likely to result in the decoupling of nationally defined frameworks from those used locally by operational managers. Conversely, institutional arrangements that emphasise culturally and cognitively based controls are more likely to support tight coupling of performance management frameworks and practices.Originality/valueWhile much has been written about public sector management and what has been referred to as “the New Zealand model”, this has largely been concerned with the management of the public sector as a whole. This research provides an empirical insight on management practices within individual public sector agencies.

Internal control and management guidance

We examine the relation between internal control quality and the accuracy of management guidance. Consistent with managers in firms with ineffective internal controls relying on erroneous internal management reports when forming guidance, we document less accurate guidance among firms reporting ineffective internal controls. This relation extends to a change analysis, and the impact of ineffective internal controls on forecast accuracy is three times larger when the weakness relates to revenues or cost of goods sold—inputs particularly relevant to forecasting earnings. We conclude that internal control quality has an economically significant effect on internal management reports and thus decisions based on these figures.

Accounting reference desktop

SECTION I: OVERVIEW OF ACCOUNTING AND ITS ROLE IN THE ORGANIZATION. Introduction. The Role of Accounting. The Corporate Structure. SECTION II: ACCOUNTING RULES AND REGULATIONS. Standard Setting Organizations. Accounting Standards. The Securities and Exchange Commission. SECTION III: ACCOUNTING REPORTS. The Balance Sheet and Statement of Stockholders' Equity. The Income Statement. The Statement of Cash Flows. Footnotes. Internal Management Reports. Foreign Currency Translation. SECTION IV: ELEMENTS OF THE BALANCE SHEET AND INCOME STATEMENT. Cash and Investments. Inventory. Accounts Receivable. Fixed Assets. Current Liabilities. Debt. Equity. Revenue. Research and Development. SECTION V: ACCOUNTING MANAGEMENT. Best Practices. Budgeting. Closing the Books. Control Systems. Cost Accounting. Financial Analysis. Management Information Systems. Records Management. SECTION VI: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. Customer Credit. Financing. Cash Management. Risk Management. SECTION VII: OTHER ACCOUNTING TOPICS. Mergers and Acquisitions. Taxation. Appendix A: The Chart of Accounts Appendix B: Journal Entries. Appendix C: Interest Rate Tables. Appendix D: Ratios. Appendix E: Dictionary of Accounting Terms.

Credit Risk Rating at Large U.S. Banks

Large banks use internally developed credit rating systems to differentiate the riskiness of their commercial loans. Internal ratings are an essential ingredient of effective credit risk management for such banks, whose commercial borrowers may number in the tens of thousands. This article describes these rating systems, how their design varies across institutions, and how they are used in risk management. The article also outlines conceptual and practical difficulties currently faced by banks in achieving accurate and consistent ratings and describes ways in which some institutions have attempted to deal with these difficulties. This article is based on a detailed review of policy documents and internal management reports from the fifty largest U.S. bank holding companies and interviews by the authors at a selection of these institutions.