3. Hypothesis development
Section:
Within our research framework cost accounting systems structure is defined in terms of the level of detailed information existence, the dimension of cost disaggregation according to behaviour, the scope of variances calculation and the frequency of cost information provision.
Level of detailed information existence
The level of detail of cost information refers to the extent to which information is presented in various forms depending on the criterion of analysis selected such as the customer level or the cost centre level. The higher the level of detail the greater the extent to which the information necessary for making a specific decision is available. This means that the availability of detailed information saves managers' valuable time that would otherwise be spent on formatting cost data each time they had to make a decision. It is, thus, expected that the higher the level of detail the greater the extent to which information is sufficient and has the appropriate level of analysis for decision‐making purposes. Moreover, it is expected that highly detailed information provides a clearer and more realistic view of the costs associated with cost objects and contributes to a better understanding of the way these cost objects affect performance. Also, it is expected that the higher the level of detail the greater the degree to which costs are analysed for different purposes and the more appropriate and useful the information for decision making is.
Cost disaggregation according to behaviour
The second dimension of cost accounting systems structure, that is its ability to disaggregate costs according to behaviour, reflects the extent to which the systems classify and associate costs in relation to activity alterations (i.e. fixed – variable costs), cost objects (i.e. direct – indirect costs) and managers' actions (i.e. controllable – non‐controllable costs). It is expected that better knowledge of cost behaviour provides a more realistic depiction of the impact of managers' actions on costs, allows a more accurate calculation of the costs associated with activities or products and assists managers to better understand cost objects contribution to performance. Furthermore, it is expected that a system which allows better understanding of cost structure, provides information at an appropriate level of analysis for decision‐making purposes, satisfies users' information queries and, it is, therefore, more intensively used when decisions are made.
Scope of variances calculation
The third characteristic of cost accounting systems structure studied is the extent to which variances are calculated. Variance analysis allows a close monitoring of the degree to which budgeted cost and revenue targets are realized. Comparing budgeted to actual results forces managers to evaluate whether their estimations are close to reality, analyse the reasons that explain the deviations from budgets and modify estimations whenever needed. It is assumed that by undertaking an extensive variance analysis, the budgets are modified in such a way that they better reflect reality on a frequent basis. As a consequence, the cost estimations are more accurate and reliable and, ultimately, more effective decisions are made. It is, thus, expected that information derived from a cost accounting system that calculates variances to a significant extent, better meets users' needs and it is, thus, more extensively used for decision‐making purposes.
Frequency of cost information provision
The fourth characteristic of cost accounting systems structure is the frequency of cost information provision. This dimension has to do with the degree at which information is provided on a regular basis and it is available upon request. Also, frequency is indicative of the degree to which information quantifies the consequences of recent actions. It is hypothesized that when the information that is available to users is frequent and it is provided in a timely manner, it reflects a more up‐to‐date and reliable estimation of costs. This, in turn, safeguards that the system provides faster feedback on recently made decisions. Under these conditions, the attribute of frequency helps managers to identify potential problems as well as opportunities in time and make more well‐informed and effective decisions. Therefore, the frequency of information provision is related to its relevance in performing managerial tasks, its suitability for user needs satisfaction and its usefulness for decision making.
The above arguments lead to the following research hypotheses:
H1. The existence of detailed information, the system's ability to disaggregate costs according to behaviour, the extent to which variances are calculated and the frequency at which information is provided to users will be positively associated with cost accounting information relevance.
H2. The existence of detailed information, the system's ability to disaggregate costs according to behaviour, the extent to which variances are calculated and the frequency at which information is provided to users will be positively associated with cost accounting information accuracy.
H3. The frequency at which information is provided to users will be positively associated with cost accounting information timeliness.
H4. The frequency at which information is provided to users will be positively associated with the extent to which cost accounting information is up‐to‐date.
H5. The existence of detailed information, the system's ability to disaggregate costs according to behaviour, the extent to which variances are calculated and the frequency at which information is provided to users will be positively associated with the extent to which cost accounting information meets users' needs (compatibility).
H6. The existence of detailed information, the system's ability to disaggregate costs according to behaviour and the extent to which variances are calculated will be positively associated with the extent to which cost accounting information has the appropriate level of analysis (thoroughness).
H7. The existence of detailed information, the system's ability to disaggregate costs according to behaviour, the extent to which variances are calculated and the frequency at which information is provided to users will be positively associated with cost accounting information reliability.
H8. The existence of detailed information, the system's ability to disaggregate costs according to behaviour, the extent to which variances are calculated and the frequency at which information is provided to users will be positively associated with cost accounting information exploitation for decision making (usefulness).
Table I presents both the expected relations as well as the expected signs of these relations among cost accounting systems structure characteristics and information quality properties.