سیستم های برنامه ریزی منابع سازمانی و مشوق های عملکرد مالی و غیر مالی : تاثیر مشترک بر عملکرد شرکت

Some accounting information systems research suggests that the implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems improves corporate performance [Hayes DC, Hunton JE, Reck JL. Market reaction to ERPS implementation announcements. J Inf Syst 2001;15(1): 3–18; Hunton JE, Lippincott B, Reck J. Enterprise resource planning systems: Comparing firm performance of adopters and nonadopters. Int J Account Inf Syst 2003;4:165–184], while a seemingly disparate line of managerial accounting research indicates that the inclusion of non-financial performance incentives (NFPI) in executive compensation contracts also enhances performance [Said AA, HassabElnaby HR, Wier, B. An empirical investigation of the performance consequences of non-financial measures. J Manage Account Res 2003;15:193–223]. Two theoretical perspectives tie together these research streams. Cybernetic control theory explains how ERP systems offer the means by which managers can effectively use non-financial performance indicators, and agency theory describes how NFPI provide the motive and opportunity for managers to attend to key non-financial performance indicators. The research hypothesis tested herein asserts that the joint adoption of ERP and use of NFPI will yield greater corporate performance than either ERP or NFPI alone. In the current study, performance is reflected by return on assets (ROA) and stock returns (SR). Study results support the hypothesis, as archival data indicate that firms with both NFPI and ERP obtain significantly higher short-term and long-term ROA and SR than either ERP-only or NFPI-only firms. Research findings offer valuable insight into the theoretical and practical implications of jointly adopting the ERP and NFPI strategies.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems integrate business processes and information technologies into a synchronized suite of procedures, applications and metrics that span intra- and inter-firm boundaries. ERP systems are expected to improve firm performance primarily due to redesigned business processes, integrated managerial functions, accelerated reporting cycles and expanded information capabilities (O'Leary, 2000). Regarding the latter, ERP systems not only provide decision makers with traditional financial metrics, but are capable of capturing and delivering non-financial performance indicators (NFPI) as well (Dechow and Mouritsen, 2005). Economic theory suggests that the inclusion of NFPI in managerial compensation contracts should enhance corporate performance, relative to financial measures only, because the combined performance indicators better align managers' actions with investors′ objectives (e.g., Banker and Datar, 1989 and Ittner et al., 1997). The purpose of the current study is to examine the extent to which the joint use of ERP and NFPI improves firm performance over either strategy alone. Research findings on the performance effects of ERP systems are equivocal, yet some studies find positive outcomes; for instance, one study suggests significantly higher stock returns (SR) upon the announcement of ERP implementations (Hayes et al., 2001) and another study indicates significantly greater long-term return on assets (ROA) for ERP adopters relative to non-adopters (Hunton et al., 2003). Regarding the use of NFPI in compensation contracts, a recent empirical study indicates that the adoption, as compared to non-adoption, of NFPI improves short-term and long-term SR, and long-term ROA (Said et al., 2003). The current study complements and extends these two lines of research by examining the extent to which the joint adoption of ERP and NFPI enhances corporate performance, as reflected by ROA and SR.

The purpose of the current study is to examine whether the joint adoption of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system and inclusion of non-financial performance indicators (NFPI) in executive compensation contracts significantly enhances corporate performance, as compared to either strategy alone. An ERP strategy is designed to tightly integrate and smoothly synchronize business processes and information technologies into a unified whole, thereby providing decision makers ready access to an encompassing set of financial and non-financial performance indicators where and when needed. Cybernetic control theory would assert that the potential effectiveness of ERP systems depends on their ability to capture, process, disseminate and analyze key performance indicators on a timely basis. We suggest that ERP systems meet these theoretical criteria by providing the technological means for rapidly capturing, processing, disseminating and analyzing non-financial information across the enterprise (e.g., O'Leary, 2000 and Poston and Grabski, 2001). Economic theory would suggest that the incorporation of NFPI in compensation contracts offers the motive for enhancing overall corporate performance, as evaluating managers on financial and non-financial results better aligns the principals' goals with the agents' actions (e.g., Banker and Datar, 1989 and Ittner et al., 1997); and affords the opportunity to actualize coordinated courses of action throughout the firm (Dechow and Mouritsen, 2005). Thus, from a theoretical standpoint, the joint adoption of ERP and NFPI should result in better corporate performance, relative to either strategy in isolation, as the means, opportunity and motive for improving organizational outcomes are better synchronized.