It was hypothesized that quality systems and team-based structures would provide higher benefits to the more successful companies emphasizing product differentiation strategies but not for high performing, low price strategies. This was supported by the low benefits reported for the higher performing C3 compared with C5. Notably, C5 gained higher benefits from quality systems and team-based structures than C3. It may be that in C5, quality systems were implemented to minimize waste thereby decreasing costs (Crosby, 1979). Similarly, firms introducing quality systems may have developed team-based structures, primarily to encourage employees to identify with cost reduction efforts (Ledford, 1993). However, without high benefits from improving existing processes and manufacturing systems innovations, these initiatives may be inadequate in improving performance.
Hypothesis 2 suggested that only traditional accounting techniques and activity-based techniques would be beneficial to enhancing organizational performance in low price strategies. The data support the expectation that activity-based techniques would be associated with higher performance. However, C3 also derived greater benefits than C5 from the management accounting practices, benchmarking and strategic planning techniques. As with product differentiation strategies, there was little difference in benefits gained from traditional accounting techniques for C3 and C5. It is apparent that traditional accounting techniques were not important in differentiating between high and low performers in either of the strategic orientations.
The results indicate that benchmarking and strategic planning techniques are just as important in distinguishing between higher performance in low price strategies as in product differentiation strategies. For companies emphasizing low price, it seems that benchmarking may be important in ensuring that they focus on best practices in cost reduction methods. Also, it appears that the task of implementing management techniques and management accounting practices in mutually supportive ways, is sufficiently complex to require effective strategic planning techniques.
It was not expected that contemporary performance measures would be important in high performing firms emphasizing low price strategies. This is supported by the low scores for balanced performance measures and employee-based measures for the high performing C3. However, C5 derived relatively higher benefits from balanced performance measures and employee-based measures, compared with C3. This may be explained by the role of these practices in supporting the development of team-based structures in C5. Despite these benefits, the relatively lower performance of C5 compared to C3, may be due, in part, to lower benefits obtained from strategic planning techniques. As indicated above this may suggest the lack of a holistic approach to implementing management techniques. It is also possible that C5 includes some firms that were at early stages in developing techniques to support low price strategies. As they gain experience, the implementation of management techniques and management accounting practices may provide improved benefits.
The remaining cluster, cluster 6, was the lowest performer, and compared with the other clusters in this study had a low emphasis on all strategic priorities. Except for manufacturing systems innovations, they did not derive high benefits from any of the management techniques or management accounting practices, compared with other clusters. While manufacturing systems innovations may represent an improved approach to managing operations, unless benefits are derived from other complimentary techniques, it is unlikely to provide competitive advantage.
The results of the cluster analysis provide support for the proposed associations in Hypothesis 2. However, this hypothesis was clearly too limited in the factors implicated in developing effective low price strategies. In particular, integrating systems, benchmarking and strategic planning techniques were also important to the higher performing cluster.
7.3. Summary
In this study we chose to examine the relationships identified in Hypotheses 1 and 2 using cluster analysis. This allowed all variables to be included in the analysis and demonstrated the effect on organizational performance of the fit between strategic priorities, management techniques and management accounting practices.8
While conclusions from the analysis must be tentative because of the small numbers of cases in several clusters, the method demonstrated the potential to include a variety of variables within a contingency analysis.
It was hypothesized that quality systems and team-based structures would provide higher benefits to the more successful companies emphasizing product differentiation strategies but not for high performing, low price strategies. This was supported by the low benefits reported for the higher performing C3 compared with C5. Notably, C5 gained higher benefits from quality systems and team-based structures than C3. It may be that in C5, quality systems were implemented to minimize waste thereby decreasing costs (Crosby, 1979). Similarly, firms introducing quality systems may have developed team-based structures, primarily to encourage employees to identify with cost reduction efforts (Ledford, 1993). However, without high benefits from improving existing processes and manufacturing systems innovations, these initiatives may be inadequate in improving performance.Hypothesis 2 suggested that only traditional accounting techniques and activity-based techniques would be beneficial to enhancing organizational performance in low price strategies. The data support the expectation that activity-based techniques would be associated with higher performance. However, C3 also derived greater benefits than C5 from the management accounting practices, benchmarking and strategic planning techniques. As with product differentiation strategies, there was little difference in benefits gained from traditional accounting techniques for C3 and C5. It is apparent that traditional accounting techniques were not important in differentiating between high and low performers in either of the strategic orientations.The results indicate that benchmarking and strategic planning techniques are just as important in distinguishing between higher performance in low price strategies as in product differentiation strategies. For companies emphasizing low price, it seems that benchmarking may be important in ensuring that they focus on best practices in cost reduction methods. Also, it appears that the task of implementing management techniques and management accounting practices in mutually supportive ways, is sufficiently complex to require effective strategic planning techniques.It was not expected that contemporary performance measures would be important in high performing firms emphasizing low price strategies. This is supported by the low scores for balanced performance measures and employee-based measures for the high performing C3. However, C5 derived relatively higher benefits from balanced performance measures and employee-based measures, compared with C3. This may be explained by the role of these practices in supporting the development of team-based structures in C5. Despite these benefits, the relatively lower performance of C5 compared to C3, may be due, in part, to lower benefits obtained from strategic planning techniques. As indicated above this may suggest the lack of a holistic approach to implementing management techniques. It is also possible that C5 includes some firms that were at early stages in developing techniques to support low price strategies. As they gain experience, the implementation of management techniques and management accounting practices may provide improved benefits.The remaining cluster, cluster 6, was the lowest performer, and compared with the other clusters in this study had a low emphasis on all strategic priorities. Except for manufacturing systems innovations, they did not derive high benefits from any of the management techniques or management accounting practices, compared with other clusters. While manufacturing systems innovations may represent an improved approach to managing operations, unless benefits are derived from other complimentary techniques, it is unlikely to provide competitive advantage.The results of the cluster analysis provide support for the proposed associations in Hypothesis 2. However, this hypothesis was clearly too limited in the factors implicated in developing effective low price strategies. In particular, integrating systems, benchmarking and strategic planning techniques were also important to the higher performing cluster.7.3. SummaryIn this study we chose to examine the relationships identified in Hypotheses 1 and 2 using cluster analysis. This allowed all variables to be included in the analysis and demonstrated the effect on organizational performance of the fit between strategic priorities, management techniques and management accounting practices.8While conclusions from the analysis must be tentative because of the small numbers of cases in several clusters, the method demonstrated the potential to include a variety of variables within a contingency analysis.
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