Conclusion
This paper examined the effect of environmental cost allocation on production
cost and the outcome for environmental management decisions.
The paper draws from a case study conducted in the Wonder Beauty
Care Company in Nigeria. Using a revised overhead cost allocation, a
contrast in overhead allocation between the traditional cost allocation
method and environmental cost allocation is established. This difference
is achieved by separating the waste water disposal cost and allocating it
directly to the Weavon department which is identified to be solely responsible
for waste water cost. After this separation, the other products
are released from the waste water cost. This release of unrelated costs
caused a reduction in their allocated overheads. In contrast, the overhead
cost of the Weavon department increased. The paper evaluated the
effect of this difference on production cost, and findings show that the
production cost of the Weavon department is better reflected in the revised
waste cost allocation, whereas the production cost is grossly understated
in the traditional method. A paired sample t-test of difference is
used to ascertain if the difference in the overhead cost of the Weavon department
resulting from the two methods is reasonable. Findings show a
reasonable difference in overhead costs under the traditional and revised
cost allocation. This implies that the traditional overhead allocation of
direct environmental costs is inappropriate and therefore demands attention.
This also points to the extent of cost information distortion inherent
in the traditional overhead allocation method. The management
of wbc took vital environmental management decisions. It decided to
make a change in the costing system in order to enhance accurate tracking
of environmental costs by keeping waste water costs separate from
overhead, and to account for all environmental related costs separately.
Management also decided to decentralise all environmental investments
and expenses in order to encourage environmental initiatives and innoVolume
7 · Number 4 · Winter 2009
18 Collins C. Ngwakwe
vation. This finding indicates that environmental cost allocation would
enhance the supply of pertinent cost information needed for environmental
management decisions. The practical implication is that management
is motivated to make environmental related decisions if the relevant
environmental cost is made to reflect in the production cost of the
polluting product; but wrong environmental cost allocation obscures relevant
cost information and stifles environmental management decisions
needed for corporate sustainability. There is therefore the need for firms
to fine-tune their environmental cost allocation system. The paper opens
an avenue for further research to examine the impact of costing systems
on environmental investment and corporate sustainability.