The type of formal performance measures appropriate for firms emphasizing low price strategies will focus mainly on controlling costs. Thus, traditional accounting techniques, such as budgetary performance measures and variance analysis, may be particularly suitable for these companies ( Johnson & Kaplan, 1987 and Drucker, 1990).
One of the most widely-promoted developments in management accounting is activity-based techniques. These techniques provide potentially powerful mechanisms to help managers understand how their firm’s activities affect costs. Activity-based techniques provide information that may be useful in either controlling or reconfiguring existing business processes better than those of competitors; or if this is not possible, help managers to choose new ways of achieving cost advantage ( Cooper, 1995).
Also, activity-based techniques facilitate evaluating the costs and benefits associated with developing close business relationships with suppliers (Shank & Govindarajan, 1992). This may lead to outsourcing and a better understanding of the cost advantages of specific linkages with suppliers. Thus, activity-based techniques can enhance the cost effectiveness of companies and assist in implementing effective low price strategies.
In summary, the following hypothesis relates to low price strategies.