Is the limited diffusion of management accounting innovations really a paradox? A meta-analysis of the relationship between product diversity and the adoption of Activity-Based Costing

• Published in: Comptabilité Contrôle Audit Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. I - XXXI
• Main Authors: Alcouffe, Simon, Maurice, Jonathan, Galy, Nadine, Gate, Loïc
• Format: Trade Publication Article Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Association Francophone de Comptabilite 01.04.2019; Association francophone de comptabilité ; Vuibert [1995-....]
• Subjects: Activity based costing; Business administration; Costs; Humanities and Social Sciences; Innovations; Knowledge; Management accounting; Meta-analysis; Research design; innovation; méta-analyse; Activity-Based Costing; product diversity; paradoxe; meta-analysis; paradox; méthode ABC; diversité des produits
• ISSN: 1262-2788; 2313-514X
• DOI: 10.3917/cca.251.0133

This article addresses the paradox of the seemingly limited diffusion of management accounting innovations. The relationship between product diversity and the adoption of Activity-Based Costing (ABC) is used as an illustrative example. Twenty-four studies were the subject of a meta-analysis. Overall, the results show a significant and positive relationship between product diversity and ABC adoption. However, product variety is the only type of diversity to be both significantly and positively associated with ABC adoption. The discussion of these results makes it possible to at least partially resolve the paradox of innovations in management accounting by proposing a new way of measuring their diffusion. Finally, we propose several original avenues for future research in management accounting innovations.