This research is based on the problem of allocating indirect overheads to construction projects in order to establish the performance of each project. Traditional costing (TC) systems and Activity-Based Costing (ABC) systems are both used for the allocation of overheads. Both primary and secondary data were used in this research. Primary data was collected by means of two questionnaires, one addressed to construction companies and the other to consultants. The sample of respondents was obtained from the register of contractors and construction industry companies. The researcher sent the links to the Lime survey by email to all respondents. The purpose of the literature review was to identify gaps and justify the need for this research. It considered existing findings by previous researchers. Primary data was therefore required to find answers specific to the problem of overheads allocation in the construction industry. According to the respondents, the use of TC systems produces distorted project cost results while ABC produces more accurate results when used in the construction industry. However, contractors had not adopted the ABC system but used TC systems despite their producing distorted project costs. It is recommended that both TC and ABC systems be used in the construction industry since they complement each other. Contractors may have to adopt the ABC system to enhance their decision-making while continuing to use the TC systems for external reporting. / Management Accounting / M. Com. (Accounting)

M. Tech. (Cost and Management Accounting), Vaal University of Technology / This study was undertaken to assess the extent to which transfer pricing was effectively used by multinational manufacturing companies operating in the Southern Gauteng region of South Africa. The target participants of the study traded their products across international borders and as such made use of transfer pricing in one way or the other to achieve strategic objectives. Scant research has been undertaken to analyse the degree to which transfer pricing can be used to effectively influence managerial performance. On the other hand there is a wealth of knowledge on the relationship between transfer pricing and taxation. In-depth review of literature showed that even though multinationals formulated their transfer pricing policies to target financial and managerial objectives, self-interest and outside influences tended to hinder the equitable realization of both types of objectives. The study therefore set out to establish whether this is true of Multinational corporations (MNCs) in Southern Gauteng and in the process answer questions about the procedure for formulating transfer pricing policies by these MNCs, the relationship, if any, between transfer pricing and profitability and the use of transfer pricing for performance enhancement and assessment. The study made use of a mixed methods research methodology to collect and analyze data from 45 MNCs operating in the target geographical area. Of the 45 companies, 15 cooperated fully with the study. Data was collected via the use of questionnaires and follow-up face-to-face and/or telephonic interviews. Collected data was analysed using statistical methods including the Chi Square Test, standard deviation, frequency tables and the Kruskal-Wallis H test. The results from the questionnaire and interviews show that there is no universally appropriate Transfer Pricing Policies(TPP) which applies equally to all organizations in all circumstances. Firms are affected by different environmental factors while striving for tax-compliance and value creation. The fear of falling on the wrong side of tax laws is a major driving force behind transfer pricing policies of MNCs. As such other objectives that are managerial in nature become secondary and tend to be neglected if/when they conflict with the primary objective.

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: For wood manufacturers around the world, the single biggest cost factor is known to be its raw material. Thus maximum utilisation, specifically volume recovery of this raw material, is of key importance for the industry. The wood products industry consists of several interrelated manufacturing steps for converting trees into logs and logs into finished lumber. At most primary and secondary wood processors the different manufacturing steps are optimised in isolation or based on operator experience. This can lead to suboptimal decisions and a substantial waste of raw material. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal machine settings for two interrelated operations, namely the sawing and ripping operations which have traditionally been optimised individually. A model, having two decision variables, was developed which aims to satisfy market demand at a minimal cost. The first decision was how to saw the log supply into different thicknesses by choosing specific sawing patterns. The second was to decide on a rip saw’s settings, namely part priority values, which determines how the products from the primary sawing operation are ripped into products of a certain thickness and width. The techniques used to determine the machine settings included static simulation with the SIMSAW software to represent the sawing operation and mixed integer programming to model the ripping operation. A metaheuristic, namely the Population Based Incremental Learning algorithm, was the link between the two operations and determined the optimal settings for the combined process. The model’s objective function was formulated to minimise the cost of production. This cost included the raw material waste cost and the over or under production cost. The over production cost was estimated to include the stock keeping costs. The under production cost was estimated as the buy-in cost of purchasing the under supplied products from another wood supplier. The model performed well against current decision software available in South Africa, namely the Sawmill Production Planning System package, which combines simulation (SIMSAW) and mixed integer programming techniques to maximise profit. The model added further value in modelling and determining the ripping priority settings in addition to the primary sawing patterns. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die grootste enkele koste vir houtprodukvervaardigers wêreldwyd is dié van hulle roumateriaal. Die maksimale gebruik van rou materiaal, of volume herwinning, is dus van primêre belang vir hierdie industrie. Die vervaardigingsproses in die houtprodukte-industrie bestaan uit ‘n verskeidenheid interafhanklike stappe om bome na stompe te verwerk en stompe na eindprodukte. By meeste primêre -en sekondêre houtvervaardigers word die verskillende vervaardigingsstappe in isolasie ge-optimeer. Hierdie praktyk lei tot sub-optimale besluite en ‘n vermorsing van roumateriale. Die doelwit van hierdie studie was om die optimale masjienverstellings vir twee interafhanklike prosesse, die primêre -en kloofsaag prosesse, te bepaal. Tradisioneel word hierdie twee prosesse individueel optimeer. ‘n Model met twee besluitnemingsveranderlikes is ontwikkel wat poog om die markaanvraag te bevredig teen ‘n minimum koste. Die eerste besluit was watter saagpatroon gekies moet word om die stompe in die regte dikte produkte te saag. Die tweede besluit was wat die kloofsaagstellings, ook bekend as prioriteitswaardes, moet wees sodat die regte wydte produkte gesaag word. Die tegnieke wat gebruik is sluit statiese simulasie met SIMSAW sagteware in om die primêre saagproses te modelleer en gemengde heelgetalprogammering (“mixed integer programming”) om die kloofsaagproses te modelleer. ‘n Metaheuristiek genaamd die “Population Based Incremental Learning” algoritme,was die skakel tussen die twee operasies om die optimale masjienstellings vir die proses te bepaal. Die model se doelfunksie was geformuleer om die koste van produksie te minimeer. Hierdie koste sluit die roumateriaal afvalkoste en die kostes van oor -en onderproduksie in. Die oorproduksiekoste was ‘n skatting van die voorraadkostes. Die onderproduksiekoste was ‘n skatting van die koste om voorraad van ‘n ander verskaffer aan te koop. Die model het goed opgeweeg teen die beskikbare besluitnemingssagteware in Suid Afrika, die “Sawmill Production Planning System”, wat ‘n kombinasie van SIMSAW en ‘n gemengde heelgetalprogrammeringstegniek is. Die model het verder waarde toegevoeg deur die kloofsaag se prioriteitswaardes te modelleer saam met die primêre saagpatrone.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Globalization has shifted to a level where market competition is tougher. Therefore, multinational companies focus on cutting cost along the company’s supply chain with heavy scrutiny on procurement. Developing countries have become very attractive from which to strategically procure commodities because of low cost labour, especially from the People’s Republic of China. The business complexity, ethics and current market situation in China are often too modestly emphasized. Yet, these elements have a significant impact on the sourcing decision because it indirectly influences the total landed cost of a commodity but is not taken into account. Therefore, the total landed cost on which sourcing decisions are made, does not reflect the actual total landed cost of a commodity. In many cases multinational companies sourcing from China do not realise the impact of the hidden cost involved and do not reach the expected cost savings as calculated. The purpose of this study is to explore why more attention must be paid to hidden cost when automotive commodities are procured from China. This, as well as the research methodology used in order to obtain the data, is explained in chapter one. Chapter two of this thesis illustrates the change in a company’s supply chain and discusses this in a global sourcing context. The sourcing commodity, which is the point of focus in this study, is automotive commodities sourced from China and is discussed in chapter three. Based on China’s increased presence in global sourcing of automotive commodities, chapter four focuses on China’s integration into the global supply chain. The influential factors that have an impact (hidden cost) on the actual landed cost of commodities sourced from China are described in chapter five and identified as guanxi, indirect business logistic obstacles, quality of goods and supply, management, the labour market and training, and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). In chapter six the influential factors, as described in chapter five, are analysed through a case study of Daimler Chrysler China Limited. Chapter seven is a comparative study of Japan’s miracle economy from 1960-1980 and the current economic trends in China to determine whether it will be feasible to procure automotive commodities from China in the future with regards to the economic indicators. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Globalisering het verskuif na ʼn vlak waar mark kompetisie meer gekonsentreerd is. Daarom fokus multinasionale maatskappye ernstig daarop om kostes langs die aanvoerketting van die maatskappy te verminder deur te konsentreer op die aanskaffingsproses. Ontwikkelende lande het uiters aanloklik geword as bestemming in die strategiese aanskaffingsproses van goedere weens lae arbeidskoste, veral vanaf Sjina. Tans word die besigheidskompleksiteit, etiek en die markkondisie in Sjina meestal onderbeklemtoon. Daarenteen het die faktore ‘n gewigtige impak op die aanskaffingsbesluit omdat dit die totale koste by aankoms indirek beïnvloed. Gevolglik reflekteer die totale koste by aankoms, waarop aanskaffigsbesluite gegrond word, nie die werklike koste van aankoms van goedere nie. In menige gevalle behaal multinasionale maatskappye nie die verwagte kostebesparing soos bereken vir goedere wat vanaf Sjina aangeskaf word nie omdat die multinasionale maatskappye onbewus is van die impak wat die versteekte koste op die totale koste by aankoms het. Die doel van hierdie studie is ‘n ondersoek na die redes waarom daar meer beklemtoning moet wees op versteekte koste wanneer goedere uit Sjina aangeskaf word. Dit, sowel as die navorsingmetodes wat gebruik is om die inligting vir die studie in te win en akkuraat deur te gee, word verduidelik in hoofstuk een. Hoofstuk twee bespreek die verandering in 'n maatskappy se aanvoerketting in ʼn globale aanskaffingskonteks. Hoofstuk drie fokus op redes vir Sjina se toenemende verteenwoordige rol in die globale aanskaffing van goedere en op die aanskaffing van motorvoertuigparte uit Sjina. Met betrekking tot die globale aanskaffing van goedere word die integrasie van Sjina in die globale aanskaffingsketting in hoofstuk vier bespreek. Die beïnvloedende faktore wat 'n impak (versteekte koste) op die werklike koste by aankoms van die motorvoertuigparte wat aangeskaf word vanaf Sjina het, word bespreek in hoofstuk vyf en geïdentifiseer as guanxi, indirekte besigheidslogistiek hindernisse, die kwaliteit van goedere en die aanskaffing daarvan, bestuur in Sjina, die Sjinese arbeidsmark en opleiding in die werksplek, en intellektuele eiendomsreg. In hoofstuk ses word die beïnvloedende faktore (soos bespreek in hoofstuk vyf) geanaliseer deur ʼn gevalle studie van Daimler Chrysler Sjina Beperk. Hoofstuk sewe is ʼn vergelykende studie tussen Japan se wonder ekonomie van 1960-1980 en die huidige ekonomiese tendens in Sjina om te bepaal hetsy dit moontlik sal wees om motorvoertuigparte aan te skaf vanaf Sjina in die toekoms met betrekking tot die ekonomiese indikatore.

This research is based on the problem of allocating indirect overheads to construction projects in order to establish the performance of each project. Traditional costing (TC) systems and Activity-Based Costing (ABC) systems are both used for the allocation of overheads. Both primary and secondary data were used in this research. Primary data was collected by means of two questionnaires, one addressed to construction companies and the other to consultants. The sample of respondents was obtained from the register of contractors and construction industry companies. The researcher sent the links to the Lime survey by email to all respondents. The purpose of the literature review was to identify gaps and justify the need for this research. It considered existing findings by previous researchers. Primary data was therefore required to find answers specific to the problem of overheads allocation in the construction industry. According to the respondents, the use of TC systems produces distorted project cost results while ABC produces more accurate results when used in the construction industry. However, contractors had not adopted the ABC system but used TC systems despite their producing distorted project costs. It is recommended that both TC and ABC systems be used in the construction industry since they complement each other. Contractors may have to adopt the ABC system to enhance their decision-making while continuing to use the TC systems for external reporting. / Management Accounting / M. Com. (Accounting)

El sector pesquero que comprende las actividades de extracción y transformación de recursos hidrobiológicos tanto para el consumo humano directo (enlatado, fresco o congelado) e industrial (harina y aceite de pescado), es un elemento estratégico para la economía del Perú, principalmente por ser una importante fuente generadora de divisas después de la minería. Es por ello, que la Administración Tributaria en los últimos años ha venido incrementando las fiscalizaciones tributarias debido al alto nivel de impuestos recaudados en el sector. / Trabajo de investigación