Impact of Strategic Initiatives in Management Accounting on Corporate Financial Performance: Evidence from Amman Stock Exchange

This article aims at investigating the link between the practice of Activity Based Costing (ABC), Just-in-Time (JIT), and Total Quality Management (TQM) as strategic initiatives and the improvement in corporate financial performance of 56 industrial shareholding companies in Jordan. Ordinary Least Squares Regression analysis is used to test the association between the awareness level of the importance of using the initiatives and the level of adopting these initiatives. It is also used to identify the improvement in ROA as a mean of financial performance which is associated with the initiatives. Analysis shows that 26.8% of the companies under consideration use at least one of the strategic initiatives. In addition, the awareness level of the importance of using the strategic initiatives is found to be significantly high among the financial managers, but such awareness is not reflected in the implementation of these initiatives. Furthermore, strong evidence emerges that the use of strategic initiatives leads to improvement in financial performance of the companies under consideration.ABC, JIT, TQM, strategic initiatives, improvement in financial performance

Accounting Education and Accountancy Profession in Jordan: The Current Status and the Processes of Improvement

The main aims in the current research paper are to identify the problems that are obstructing the development of accounting education and the accounting profession in Jordan and to identify strategies and techniques that can be effective in improving accounting education and the accounting profession in Jordan.  The accounting educational system in Jordanian universities should emphasize on how to better serve students and ensure that they will be competitive in the future work force. Accounting education should seek to adapt to the trend of professional accounting development. A questionnaire had been designed and distributed to (73) accounting instructors in Jordan. The population of this study consists of all accounting instructors employed in the both public and private Universities in Jordan. 73 questionnaires were distributed and 56 were returned giving a response rate of 77%. The results of this study revealed that the important factors for the improvement of accounting education and the accounting profession in Jordan include inadequate use of computers applications in accounting during teaching process and inadequate salaries of accounting instructors. Poor university infrastructure resulting in the creation of ineffective class groups. Similarly, this research tested a list of strategies and techniques that have been recommended for the improvement of accounting education and the accounting profession in developing countries. The research discovered that many of the strategies could be effective in improving accounting education and the accounting profession in Jordan. However, there are other strategies that would not be effective. Some of these include the development of accounting textbooks in domestic languages, setting local auditing and accounting standards and, localising professional accounting examinations. In this research paper, attempts were made to identify problems that are hindering the enhancement of accounting education and the accounting profession in Jordan. An analysis of strategies that can be employed to improve accounting education and the accounting profession in Jordan was also carried out, with a view to determine those strategies that can provide effective accounting education in specific developing country. Keywords: Accounting Education, Accounting Profession, Jorda

The accounting measurement and disclosure requirements in Islamic banks : the case of Murabahah and Mudarabah

This research has three main purposes. First, it discusses the differences between the conventional and the Islamic perspectives of accounting in terms of the accounting definition, objectives, principles, rules, measurements and disclosure requirements. Second, it discusses and formulates the accounting measurements and the disclosure requirements, which should be applied in Islamic banks for Murabahah and Mudarabah operations.Third, to provide insight into the current practice of these measures and requirements, the study reports the results of a survey which aims at identifying the gap between the suggested measures and requirements and the current practice of the Dubai Islamic Bank and the Jordan Islamic Bank. The analysis reveals that there are differences between the conventional and the Islamic perspectives of accounting. It also indicates the need for specific accounting measures for Murabahah and Mudarabah operations as well as the need to disclose more information about these operations and their accounting measurement methods in an Islamic bank's annual reports as well as in other disclosures.Finally, the direction for future research on Islamic banks operations and their accounting measurement problems are presente

among Jordanian

Goodwill impairment after business combinatio

Attitudes toward learning accounting by computers: The impact on perceived skills

Accountancy has been significantly affected by information technology. Accounting education curricula, however, still largely ignore the use of computers as tools in the learning process, mainly because of budgetary and timetable constraints. This study investigates the impact of learning accounting by computers on students ' perceived skills. The aim of our study was to determine the effectiveness of teaching undergraduate accounting students courses in using computer in accounting, Four hundred and sixty-three accounting students were included in the study, a multiple choice question survey was performed after finishing a course offered to teach students computer skills in accounting. The results showed that such course has an impact on attitudes towards the perceived skills from using computers for accounting purposes. After the course, no gender differences with respect to attitudes towards the perceived skills were found, but males report shows slightly more computer experience than females

The implementation of activity-based costing and the financial performance of the Jordanian industrial shareholding companies

The purpose of this study is to investigate the improvement in financial performance associated with the use of activity-based costing (ABC). Data were obtained through a cross-sectional mail survey of financial managers who furnished information regarding company financial performance, the extent of ABC usage, and the enabling conditions that have been identified in the literature as affecting ABC efficacy. Data were obtained from the Jordanian shareholding companies as of the end of 2009. Regression analysis is used to test the association between the awareness level of using ABC and the level of adopting ABC. It is also used to identify the improvement in ROA as a mean of financial performance which associated with ABC initiatives. Results show that the awareness level of using ABC is high among the financial managers, but ABC implementation is not high; also it is found that there is a positive association between ABC and improvement in ROA.performance improvement; financial performance; ABC success factors; structural equation modelling; Jordan; activity-based costing.

The diffusion of activity-based costing in Jordanian industrial companies

Purpose – This paper seeks to focus on the diffusion of activity-based costing (ABC) in Jordan. A conceptual framework from general diffusion theory is adopted to describe the diffusion process within the Jordanian industrial sector. The main objective of the study is to determine the motivations for the implementation or non-implementation of ABC. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with financial managers and heads of costing departments of companies within the Jordanian industrial sector. Both face-to-face and telephone interviews were used to achieve the research objective. Findings – It was found that the rate of implementation of ABC in the Jordanian industrial sector follows the classical S-shape. It is also suggested that the supply side of the diffusion process, most notably the role played by consultants, was an influence on many companies. This was not, however, a sufficient condition for companies to implement ABC. Originality/value – Most previous studies focus on the implementation of ABC in Western developed countries. The results of this study make a contribution to existing knowledge in the area of the implementation of ABC, especially in Eastern developing countries such as Jordan. In addition, this research adds further evidence to the value of studying management accounting, and more specifically changes in management accounting practice. It describes the developments undertaken in the implementation of a new system and how a new system becomes accepted in practice.Activity based costs, Developing countries, Diffusion, Industry, Jordan, Semi-structured interviews