Management theory Flashcards

1
Q

What is the structuration theory?

A

The interaction of an agent with the structure within an organisation.
Agents can shape social forces like value

Assumes individuals have free choice

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2
Q

What is the actor-network theory?

A

Actors are a part of social networks
Actors can be humans/tools/techniques
(Doesn’t tell you how/why networks are formed)

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3
Q

How can the structuration theory be applied to MA?

A

Considering individual decision makers using MA info in an organisation with its own culture/values

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4
Q

How can actor-network theory be applied to MA?

A

By considering the relationship between MA tools

E.g. Balance scorecards and people/systems designed to implement in within an organisation

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5
Q

What is contingency theory?

A

There is no single best way to manage and organisation

The optimal course of action depends on a unique blend of internal and external factors

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6
Q

How can contingency theory be applied to MA?

A

By considering the options when faced with a decision using MA info, and what factors are likely to lead to a successful decision

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7
Q

What are the issues in MA research? 4

A
  • practices/processes are messy and complicated
  • too many borrowed theories, not enough development
  • no suggestions of way to improve practice
  • domination of quantitative methods
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8
Q

What is the beyond budgeting approach?

A

A generic term for a set of practices intended to replace budgeting.
Includes:
-rolling forecasts
-using financial and non financial measures for control
-benchmarking outside the organisation
-more info allowing for communication and rapid responses to changing market conditions

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9
Q

What are the criticisms of the budgeting process? 5

A
  • top down approach:lack of ownership
  • lack of accountability or involvement of operating management
  • need for a better process
  • budget preparation is time consuming and costly
  • some dysfunctional consequences of incentive schemes
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10
Q

What improvements are needed to the budgeting process? 4

A
  • more alignment with the strategy
  • more meaningful reporting
  • more flexible use of budgets
  • use a more bottom up process
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11
Q

What are the main points of the behavioural aspects of performance evaluation?

A
  • performance measurement is important and gets more difficult as the business gets larger
  • management needs to evaluate financial and non financial performance
  • management needs to evaluate individual managers’ performance
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12
Q

What is goal congruence?

A

Alignment between organisational goals and manager’s goals will help motivate managers to act in the best interest of the business

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13
Q

What is mcgregors theory x and theory y?

A

Theory x:authoritarian leadership style. Persuade, reward and punish employees
Theory y: more democratic and participative leadership style. Management is about maximising employees’ potential and goal congruence

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14
Q

What are the 3 ways organisations can link budgets to performance evaluation? (Hop wood)

A
  • budget constrained:budget information is the main basis in which performance is evaluated (reward and punishment directly linked to budgetary performance)
  • profit conscious style:managers performance evaluated in his ability to increase the effectiveness of his unit in relation to long term organisational goals
  • non accounting style:budget performance performs a relatively unimportant role in performance evaluation. Could lead to a lack of efficiency
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15
Q

What are the factors affecting performance evaluation?6

A
  • Psychological:performance measures can counteract role ambiguity. Reduce or exacerbate role conflict
  • participation and explanation:having a voice in setting budgets is important (but has to be balanced)
  • fairness and trust:measures, traders and budgets need to be seen as fair (consistency and objectivity)
  • turbulence:the performance evaluation system need to be sufficiently flexible
  • alignment with strategy:performance evaluation Starnes will only be useful if they measure what’s important to the firm
  • gaming the system:easier in a pure budgetary system
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16
Q

What are the best practices in performance evaluation? 6

A
  • balance of financial and non financial measures
  • encourage manager participation
  • explain differences in suggestions by managers and final budget
  • measures and targets should be aligned with overall strategy of firm
  • system should be flexible enough to adapt to changes
  • target should be flexible yet achievable
17
Q

What is managing profitability? 4

A
  • Extracting and evaluating info about profitability of products/services
  • highlights attention to areas where improvements can be made
  • allowing better management of current and ongoing operations
  • no single technique
18
Q

What is activity based budgeting?

A
  • aim is for the budget to authorise only the supply of resources that are needed to perform activities required to meet budgeted production
  • more precise than traditional budgeting
19
Q

What is activity based management?

A

Using an ABC approach to cost management but only using first 3 stages (don’t have to use for product costing)

Can be expensive and time consuming to implement.

20
Q

What is the aim of activity based management?

A

To ensure that customer needs are met while reducing cost of business to do this

Activities consume costs (use resources). If you reduce them You reduce costs

21
Q

In activity based management, how are activities categorised?

A

Value added:customers think this activity adds value to the product/service
Non value added:opportunity for cost reduction without affecting the final product

Kaplan thinks this is too simplistic (lots of activities somewhere in the middle) suggest a 5 point scale-highly efficient to highly inefficient

22
Q

What are the main points about ABM and the value chain? 2

A
  • Some activities may cut across departments

- customer feedback can be used to find out which activities customers value

23
Q

What are the factors for a successful activity based approach? 5

A
  • don’t have too many activities
  • engage users
  • focus on critical needs first
  • needs too management support
  • larger organisation size
24
Q

What do management accounting researchers do?

A

Investigate topics linked to changes in business over 20 years