The constellation of the customer base has implications for the company’s future survivability. Within the business-to-business markets, the customer relationships are characterized by technical and organizational interfaces. Understanding the customer relationships and using customer accounting can provide information about how to prioritize among the customers in order to improve short-term and long-term profitability. The framework by Lind and Strömsten (2006) where different customer accounting techniques are related to a typology over customer relationships is evaluated and further elaborated on in this thesis. The empirical findings both confirm the reasoning behind the framework and cause development potential. The relation of customer accounting techniques to different types of customer relationships is mainly confirmed by the study. Regarding the customer typology, the empirical findings bring forth proposed improvements; a grading of the technical and organizational interfaces of the customer relationship types is suggested.

As mudanças turbulentas no ambiente de negócios e a tendência de novas tecnologias para o gerenciamento da base de clientes sinalizam o caminho aos administradores para a gestão e maximização do valor da base de clientes da empresa. No contexto do aparelhamento aos gestores, os sistemas de controles gerenciais focados nos clientes servem como facilitadores do alcance dos objetivos organizacionais. A forma como são desenhados e a forma como são utilizados podem contribuir diretamente no desempenho do sistema e indiretamente para o desempenho organizacional. Assim, o presente estudo buscou, sob a perspectiva da teoria da contingência, compreender, no ambiente empresarial brasileiro, a influência de fatores contingenciais externos e internos no desenho e uso de sistemas de controle gerenciais focados nos clientes e se ambos, na prática, podem contribuir para a melhoria do desempenho desses sistemas nas organizações. Os dados de uma amostra formada por 83 empresas brasileiras foram coletados através de uma pesquisa tipo survey(levantamento). Para a análise dos dados foi adotada a técnica de Modelagem de Equações Estruturais com o método de estimação PartialLeast Square (PLS). Os resultados comprovaram todas as hipóteses de pesquisa. Conclui-se que as características do ambiente participam sobremaneira nas decisões que envolvem a configuração dos fatores contingenciais internos e estes no desenho de Sistemas de Controle Gerencial (SCG) focados nos clientes. O desenho dos SCG focados nos clientes representa, entre as hipóteses de pesquisa estudadas, aquele que se revelou mais forte em termos de associação com o uso intensivo desses mesmos sistemas.O desenho e o uso de SCG focados nos clientes, considerados na forma de artefatos, representados pela Análise da lucratividade do cliente, Valor vitalício do cliente e Valor econômico do cliente podem, inclusive, contribuir para o desempenho econômico da organização. Os resultados da pesquisa estão sujeitos a algumas limitações: i- os respondentes são, na sua maioria, representantes da área de Controladoria. ii- a amostra, constituída por 83 empresas, foi intencional, portanto, os resultados não podem ser generalizados para a população.Estas limitações remetem a novas oportunidades de pesquisa, tais como: i- verificar a possibilidade de estabelecer um arranjo (fit) entre fatores contingenciais, desenho, uso de SCG focados nos clientes e desempenho; iirealizar este modelo de pesquisa com outro público alvo; iii- verificar o impacto de variáveis como \"satisfação do cliente\"; \"lealdade do cliente\" e \"retenção do cliente\" no desempenho econômico da organização. / The changes in the turbulent business environment and the trend of new customer valuation technologies are evidences that challenge the management team to manage and maximize the value of the company customer basis. In the context of managerial tools, the customer oriented management control systems trigger a process that enables the management to reach the company targets and goals. The way they are designed and the way in which they are used can directly contribute to the system performance and indirectly for the economic organizational performance. Therefore, this study sought, based on the contingency theory to understand, in the Brazilian business market, the influence of the environment and internal contextual contingency factors over the design and use of the customers oriented management control systems and if both, in practice, can contribute to the improvement of the model and the own performance of the organization. The data of a sample made up of 83 Brazilian companies have been collected by means of a survey. For the data analysis was adopted the SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) technique and PLS (Partial Least Squares) as a method for estimation. The outcomes have proved all of the hypotheses of this research. It is therefore concluded that the characteristics of the environment are rightly taking part on the decisions that involve the configuration of these internal contextual contingency factors and these on the design of customer oriented management control systems. The design of the customer oriented MCS (Management Control Systems) represents, among all the hypotheses that were studied, the one which has shown itself to be stronger in terms of association with the intensive use of these systems. The design and use of customer oriented MCS which are considered in this study to be in the form of certain artifacts were represented by the Customer Profitability Analysis; Customer Life time Value; and Customer Equity and in its set can even contribute to the overall performance to the firm. The results of the research are subject to certain restrictions: i- the-respondents are in its majority, representatives of the Controllership area. ii- the sample, consisting of 83 companies was intentional, therefore, the results may not be widespread for the population. These constraints address to new opportunities of research, such as: i- to verify the possibility of establishing a fitting-out between internal contextual factors, design, use of customer oriented MCS and performance; ii- have to carry out this model of research with the other public target; iii- to see the impact of variables such as \"satisfaction of the customer\"; \"loyalty of the customer\" and \"retention of the customer\" on the economic performance of the organization.

This thesis reports on a study that examined customer accounting (CA) in Australian companies. The broad aims of the thesis are to develop an understanding of the organisational role played by CA practice and the role accounting plays in providing information about a firm's customer base. Three empirical phases have been undertaken in the study. The first phase involved exploratory interviews with accountants and marketers from a number of Australian firms. The second phase comprised an in-depth case study that involved the development of a segmental customer profitability analysis in a major Australian telecommunications company. The third empirical phase involved the administration of a survey questionnaire to chief accountants and marketing managers from a number of large Australian companies. A number of significant findings are reported and include: (1) A level of CA practice has been observed that is reasonably in line with what was anticipated based on the minimal previous academic interest in this area. (2) There appears to be a potential for further CA development in Australian companies. (3) The interview findings identified 'short-term tactical decisions' and 'focus attention on maximising customer value' as the two most important organisational roles CA may play. (4) CA systems were found to provide important information for marketing resource allocation decisions, customer retention decisions, customer service management decisions and customer pricing decisions. (5) The main barriers to CA implementation identified during the segmental CPA case study and exploratory interviews concerned information technology and data acquisition problems. This finding was supported by the results of the survey questionnaire phase of the study where in addition to these two barriers, 'other competing organisational priorities' was rated highly as an impediment to CA system development. (6) Some support was found for the proposed relationships between CA and the contingent factors of company size, customisation, and organisational structure. (7) Limited support was found for the proposed positive association between CA systems and competition intensity and marketing orientation. (8) No support was found for the proposed relationships between perceived environmental uncertainty, organisational strategy, organisational performance and CA systems. (9) Customisation was the only contingent factor found to have a significant impact upon the potential of CA to aid management.

As mudanças turbulentas no ambiente de negócios e a tendência de novas tecnologias para o gerenciamento da base de clientes sinalizam o caminho aos administradores para a gestão e maximização do valor da base de clientes da empresa. No contexto do aparelhamento aos gestores, os sistemas de controles gerenciais focados nos clientes servem como facilitadores do alcance dos objetivos organizacionais. A forma como são desenhados e a forma como são utilizados podem contribuir diretamente no desempenho do sistema e indiretamente para o desempenho organizacional. Assim, o presente estudo buscou, sob a perspectiva da teoria da contingência, compreender, no ambiente empresarial brasileiro, a influência de fatores contingenciais externos e internos no desenho e uso de sistemas de controle gerenciais focados nos clientes e se ambos, na prática, podem contribuir para a melhoria do desempenho desses sistemas nas organizações. Os dados de uma amostra formada por 83 empresas brasileiras foram coletados através de uma pesquisa tipo survey(levantamento). Para a análise dos dados foi adotada a técnica de Modelagem de Equações Estruturais com o método de estimação PartialLeast Square (PLS). Os resultados comprovaram todas as hipóteses de pesquisa. Conclui-se que as características do ambiente participam sobremaneira nas decisões que envolvem a configuração dos fatores contingenciais internos e estes no desenho de Sistemas de Controle Gerencial (SCG) focados nos clientes. O desenho dos SCG focados nos clientes representa, entre as hipóteses de pesquisa estudadas, aquele que se revelou mais forte em termos de associação com o uso intensivo desses mesmos sistemas.O desenho e o uso de SCG focados nos clientes, considerados na forma de artefatos, representados pela Análise da lucratividade do cliente, Valor vitalício do cliente e Valor econômico do cliente podem, inclusive, contribuir para o desempenho econômico da organização. Os resultados da pesquisa estão sujeitos a algumas limitações: i- os respondentes são, na sua maioria, representantes da área de Controladoria. ii- a amostra, constituída por 83 empresas, foi intencional, portanto, os resultados não podem ser generalizados para a população.Estas limitações remetem a novas oportunidades de pesquisa, tais como: i- verificar a possibilidade de estabelecer um arranjo (fit) entre fatores contingenciais, desenho, uso de SCG focados nos clientes e desempenho; iirealizar este modelo de pesquisa com outro público alvo; iii- verificar o impacto de variáveis como \"satisfação do cliente\"; \"lealdade do cliente\" e \"retenção do cliente\" no desempenho econômico da organização. / The changes in the turbulent business environment and the trend of new customer valuation technologies are evidences that challenge the management team to manage and maximize the value of the company customer basis. In the context of managerial tools, the customer oriented management control systems trigger a process that enables the management to reach the company targets and goals. The way they are designed and the way in which they are used can directly contribute to the system performance and indirectly for the economic organizational performance. Therefore, this study sought, based on the contingency theory to understand, in the Brazilian business market, the influence of the environment and internal contextual contingency factors over the design and use of the customers oriented management control systems and if both, in practice, can contribute to the improvement of the model and the own performance of the organization. The data of a sample made up of 83 Brazilian companies have been collected by means of a survey. For the data analysis was adopted the SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) technique and PLS (Partial Least Squares) as a method for estimation. The outcomes have proved all of the hypotheses of this research. It is therefore concluded that the characteristics of the environment are rightly taking part on the decisions that involve the configuration of these internal contextual contingency factors and these on the design of customer oriented management control systems. The design of the customer oriented MCS (Management Control Systems) represents, among all the hypotheses that were studied, the one which has shown itself to be stronger in terms of association with the intensive use of these systems. The design and use of customer oriented MCS which are considered in this study to be in the form of certain artifacts were represented by the Customer Profitability Analysis; Customer Life time Value; and Customer Equity and in its set can even contribute to the overall performance to the firm. The results of the research are subject to certain restrictions: i- the-respondents are in its majority, representatives of the Controllership area. ii- the sample, consisting of 83 companies was intentional, therefore, the results may not be widespread for the population. These constraints address to new opportunities of research, such as: i- to verify the possibility of establishing a fitting-out between internal contextual factors, design, use of customer oriented MCS and performance; ii- have to carry out this model of research with the other public target; iii- to see the impact of variables such as \"satisfaction of the customer\"; \"loyalty of the customer\" and \"retention of the customer\" on the economic performance of the organization.