Management control systems and generational differences: An exploratory case study of a professional services firm

Brown, DA; Petroulas, E; Sundin, HJ

Management control systems and generational differences: An exploratory case study of a professional services firm

Brown, DA Petroulas, E Sundin, HJ

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Publisher:: AFAANZ
Publication Type:: Conference Proceeding
Citation:: 2008 AFAANZ/IAAER Conference website papers, 2008, pp. 1 - 36
Issue Date:: 2008-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Brown, DA	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Petroulas, E	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Sundin, HJ	en_US
dc.contributor.editor	Hay, D	en_US
dc.contributor.editor	Moroney, R	en_US
dc.date	2008-07-06	en_US
dc.date.issued	2008-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	2008 AFAANZ/IAAER Conference website papers, 2008, pp. 1 - 36	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/11430
dc.description.abstract	This research investigates how generational culture is reflected in the design and use of Management Control Systems (MCS) within a Professional Services Firm. Literature suggests that each generation has its own characteristics or culture. This culture gives rise to preferences within each generation that potentially impact how they interface in organizations and impact the design, use and effectiveness of MCS. This issue is come to the fore in the current tight labour market and especially in accounting firms. The paper adopts an exploratory case study approach of a Big 4 Accounting Firm. The research demonstrates that generational culture has been an influential factor in the case firms MCS design. In doing so it provides insights as to how organisations can design their MCS in order to satisfy the preferences of different generations. Furthermore, the research shows that the firm aligned the MCS design to the preferences of Generation Y and explains why this was done. This improved retention rates in a tight labour market. However, it also raises concerns that this design may be at the detriment to the firm through changes in firm culture, creation of conflict between generations, and a problems with the performance of Generation Y.	en_US
dc.publisher	AFAANZ	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	2008 AFAANZ/IAAER Conference website papers	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand Conference	en_US
dc.title	Management control systems and generational differences: An exploratory case study of a professional services firm	en_US
dc.type	Conference Proceeding
utslib.location	Sydney, Australia	en_US
utslib.location.activity	Sydney, Australia	en_US
utslib.for	150303 Corporate Governance and Stakeholder Engagement	en_US
utslib.for	150105 Management Accounting	en_US
dc.location.activity	Sydney, Australia	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business/Accounting Discipline
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.consider-herdc	false	en_US
pubs.place-of-publication	Sydney, Australia	en_US
pubs.start-date	2008-07-06	en_US

Abstract:

This research investigates how generational culture is reflected in the design and use of Management Control Systems (MCS) within a Professional Services Firm. Literature suggests that each generation has its own characteristics or culture. This culture gives rise to preferences within each generation that potentially impact how they interface in organizations and impact the design, use and effectiveness of MCS. This issue is come to the fore in the current tight labour market and especially in accounting firms. The paper adopts an exploratory case study approach of a Big 4 Accounting Firm. The research demonstrates that generational culture has been an influential factor in the case firms MCS design. In doing so it provides insights as to how organisations can design their MCS in order to satisfy the preferences of different generations. Furthermore, the research shows that the firm aligned the MCS design to the preferences of Generation Y and explains why this was done. This improved retention rates in a tight labour market. However, it also raises concerns that this design may be at the detriment to the firm through changes in firm culture, creation of conflict between generations, and a problems with the performance of Generation Y.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/11430