Adaptation of management accounting techniques and performance appraisal indicators in small and medium-sized enterprises

Management accounting emphasizes the use of accounting information for managers in organizations to prepare them for informed business decisions. The main purpose of this study is to identify the most appropriate management accounting techniques and performance appraisal indicators for use in small and medium-sized industrial units. In this regard, using content analysis method, a comprehensive set of management accounting techniques and performance indicators, compiled and through expertise and fuzzy screening process, the most important techniques and indicators that are more consistent with the nature of small and medium-sized enterprises were selected and finally, using fuzzy cognitive mapping technique, the causal relationships between them were investigated. The results showed that from the perspective of the financial experts of the present study, actual costing technique, customer profitability analysis and balanced scorecard as a subset of each of the costing, profitability analysis and strategic dimensions of management accounting are the most important management accounting techniques which are known for use in small and medium industrial units. Also, operating profit margin index, new product development and employee productivity measure have the highest degree of importance among performance indicators. In addition, the results showed that the actual costing technique and new product development index have the most impact on other management accounting techniques and other performance appraisal criteria, respectively.