This paper investigates the rationale of using standard costing in modern manufacturing organisations. Researchers argue that standard costing does not easily fit in with the modern idea of continuous improvement. The benefits and limitations of standard costing and other modern alternative approaches in Eastern Cape manufacturing organisations are examined. Furthermore the factors affecting the accuracy of standards are investigated. Lastly, it is concluded that standard costing is used in Eastern Cape manufacturing organisations and those organisations using standard costing have considered the benefits and limitations.

Thesis. 1978. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Alfred P. Sloan School of Management. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND DEWEY. / Bibliography: leaves 73-74. / M.S.

This thesis is a theoretical analysis of optimal pricing by firms when consumer demands are uncertain. The purpose is to extend the familiar literature on single-product nonlinear pricing in two directions: to cases where the firm is regulated and to the case where the firm produces several products. Chapter 1 embeds these problems into the general setting of models of asymmetric information and, as well as covering existing work on the pricing decisions of firms facing adverse selection, discusses other areas including repeated contracts, auctions, signalling and the uses of what is known as the 'first-order approach'. Chapter 2 analyzes nonlinear pricing by a regulated single-product firm. As an alternative to requiring the firm to offer a given linear tariff two different types of regulation which allow nonlinear pricing are considered, namely, average revenue regulation and optional tariff regulation. Chapter 3 introduces the topic of multiproduct pricing when consumers have differing tastes for the various goods. The important simplifying assumption is that consumers wish to buy either one unit of a good or none at all. There are three main results: if consumers' taste parameters are continuously distributed then the firm will not offer all goods to all consumers; in the symmetric two-good case it is shown that (subject to a kind of 'hazard rate' condition) the firm will offer the bundle of two goods at a discount compared with the charge for the two goods separately; and the pricing strategy when the number of goods becomes large is solved approximately. Chapter 4 relaxes the assumption of unit demands and uses differential methods to analyze the multiproduct nonlinear pricing problem. In the symmetric case when taste parameters are continuously distributed the firm will choose to exclude some low-demand consumers from the market. It is shown that when parameters are independently distributed the firm will wish to introduce a degree of cross-dependence into its tariff. Sufficient conditions for a tariff to be optimal are derived and any tariff which satisfies these conditions necessarily will induce 'pure bundling', so that once a consumer decides to participate in the market at all she will choose to buy all goods. A class of cases is solved explicitly using these sufficient conditions. Since other solutions may be hard to solve analytically, a procedure for numerically generating solutions for the two-good case is described and two more solutions are described.

Manufacturing is one of the important sectors needed to improve the economies of Namibia and South Africa. However, the manufacturing sectors of both countries are not performing as planned. Management accounting is one of the requirements needed for a successful organisation. With the aim of reducing costs, improving decision making, profits and customer satisfaction, the main role of management accounting in manufacturing companies of Namibia and the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa is to control cost, forecast and budget, make decisions, report internally, improve profits and manage working capital. This study used an online survey to examine the factors that affect the effectiveness of management accounting in executing this role. The findings of the study revealed that management accounting is affected by the external environment, developments in technology and customer satisfaction. It also found that organisational structure, relationships with stakeholders and management accounting reporting were internal factors affecting management accounting. Specific skills like numerical and analytical skills were also identified as important to the role of management accounting. Based on contingency and role theories, this research aims to find those factors which can be controlled to improve the effectiveness of management accounting systems in manufacturing organisations, and as a result improve the success of those organisations on which these systems are contingent.

by Wong Man Kit. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1991. / Bibliography: leaves 77-78. / abstract --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iii / table of contents --- p.iv / list of tables --- p.vi / Chapter / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Objectives of the Study --- p.1 / Information Technology --- p.1 / Accounting Systems --- p.3 / Definition and Scope --- p.3 / purposes --- p.5 / Manufacturing Industries in Hong Kong --- p.6 / Size and Development --- p.6 / Types of Industry --- p.7 / Outlook --- p.9 / Literature Review --- p.9 / Chapter II. --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.14 / Introduction --- p.14 / Mail Questionnai re --- p.14 / Population --- p.14 / Sampling --- p.16 / Questionnai re desi --- p.16 / Profile of Respondents --- p.17 / Field Interview --- p.18 / Chapter III. --- survey findings --- p.20 / Level of Usage of Information Technology products --- p.21 / "Usage of Computer Hardware, General Software, and Storage Media" --- p.21 / Accounting Software and Type of Computer --- p.22 / Data Processing Technique --- p.22 / Impact of Information Technology on Financial Accounting System --- p.23 / Source Data Capture --- p.23 / Controls --- p.23 / Periodic Financial Reports --- p.25 / Trade Payables and Receivable --- p.25 / Inventory Control System --- p.26 / Impact of Information Technology on Management Accounting System --- p.27 / Purpose of Computerized Costing System --- p.27 / Overhead Absorption Base --- p.28 / Standard Costing System --- p.28 / Operating Budget --- p.29 / Capital Expenditure Budgeting --- p.29 / Cash Flow Forecast --- p.30 / Conclusion --- p.30 / Chapter IV. --- INTERVIEW FINDINGS / An Manufacturing Division of a Hong Kong Listed Company --- p.31 / A Subsidiary of a US Listed Company --- p.33 / A Private Limited Company --- p.35 / Conclusion --- p.36 / Chapter V. --- CONCLUSION / Limitation --- p.38 / Summary --- p.38 / Contribution --- p.40 / APPENDIX I --- p.44 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.77