The research is aimed at furthering knowledge in the research fields of management accounting, operations management, performance measurement, and management strategy. The research theme of developing a holistic management philosophy based upon the theory of constraints led the research across the various fields of knowledge. Traditional views within some aspects of the literature were challenged and an exploration into the gaps within existing knowledge was made. The research questions were derived from the literature and tested via an action research methodology, which looked at both academic rigour and practical relevance. The methodology was applied to a SME which had successfully adopted the theory of constraints and was experiencing difficulties in translating short-run optimisation into strategic direction. Through the participation of the research team the research questions were tested with the results providing an incremental step towards a greater understanding of the research fields. / The dissatisfaction with the accounting treatment of manufacturing costs resulted in research activity into alternative costing and decision making models. Ultimately the goal of management accounting is to provide information from which to make tactical and strategic decisions. The initial stage of research is aimed at providing an alternative system from which to make operational decisions. The alternative system presented is heavily set within the theory of constraints, with good evidence exemplifying the superiority of such a system for tactical decision making such as outsourcing, pricing and investing. The superiority of this system is hamstrung when the scope of the decision making extends beyond the short-term horizon. To extend the management philosophy beyond this limitation the introduction of an agile strategy was adopted. / Agility was put forward as a solution to achieving and sustaining a competitive advantage within a new manufacturing paradigm of mass customisation. The characteristics of responsiveness and speed epitomise the market demand for customised products at mass produced lead times and prices. The gap in the operations management literature lies in the lack of research regarding the attainment of agility. While the characteristics and benefits of agility are well documented in the literature, the creation of a set of guidelines to achieve agility has eluded researchers and has been the subject of calls for future research. What is argued is that through the merger of several management theories and techniques, agility can be achieved. More succinctly, the key resources of the business, as identified via the resource-based view of the firm, are maintained through the adoption of the theory of constraints’ five step process. This ensures that key resources are supported by the business and maintained to a level sufficient enough to possess agile characteristics. / The catalyst in creating this holistic management framework is the performance measurement system based on the balanced scorecard. The financial measures were replaced with throughput measures, the strategic focus was driven by agility and the population of the measures was derived via a resource-based view perspective. Through the combination of an agile strategy and a performance measurement system the research theme of developing a holistic management philosophy based upon the theory of constraints was achieved. Although the research limitation of one research site may limit the generalisability of the findings, the merger of various management philosophies, techniques, and tools has not previously been undertaken. Furthermore, such an endeavour to lay down the platform for achieving agility by extending the scope of the theory of constraints has not been explored. This unique approach across several well-researched fields of knowledge presents a contribution to knowledge. / Thesis (PhDBusinessandManagement)--University of South Australia, 2007.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/267077 |
| Creators | Ifandoudas, Panayiotis. |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | copyright under review |
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