Productivity in Japanese management control
systems
Compared with the West, the Japanese productivity
movement is closely allied to management accounting for
decision-making purposes. This keenness to utilize
accounting information is commendable, considering the
lack of accountants in Japan. However, as most Western
business economists would point out, accounting
information is designed mainly for accounting and
reporting purposes rather than for decision making. A
comprehensive discussion of Japanese management
accounting is given by Bromwich and Bhimani[16]. Theyshow that management accounting systems in Japanese
firms are used more for motivating employees to act in
accordance with long-term strategies than to provide
senior management with precise information. They
reiterate that cost data are not significant in determining
product prices for a large segment of Japanese
organizations because target prices are based on the
potential of the market. This analysis reflects the earlier
views of Hiromoto[17].