Background and introduction
The design of performance measurement systems appropriate for modern
manufacturing firms is a topic of increasing concern for both academics and
practitioners (Neely, 1998). The shortcomings of existing systems, particularly
those based on traditional cost accounting principles, have been widely
documented (Dixon et al., 1990; Hall, 1983; Johnson and Kaplan, 1987; Neely et
Although such frameworks are undoubtedly valuable, their adoption is often
constrained by the fact that they are simply frameworks. They suggest some
areas in which measures of performance might be useful, but provide little
guidance on how the appropriate measures can be identified, introduced and
ultimately used to manage the business. For the balanced scorecard, or any
similar performance measurement framework to be of practical value, the
process of populating the framework has to be understood. The aim of this
paper is to present the findings of an extended research programme, which has
sought to establish, document and explain this process