The Direction Of Future Management Accounting Research In The Asia Pacific Region

Abstract

The direction of development of management accounting research is line with the shift of paradigm of
management accounting in practice supported by development of information technology. The direction
will lead to the new strategy that moves to contemporary management accounting.
Today, competition among companies in many industries is turning global. To be competitive,
businesses must adopt new ways of thinking about business to improve the old management practices.
Since 1990s, contemporary management accounting concept has moved from traditional management
accounting concept with focuses on technical issues, so that become behavior centered. This is to say that
global competition requires companies to use bottom-up information that empowers the work force to
control processes for customer satisfaction. To stimulate competitiveness, management information must
follow the bottom-up empowerment cycle. It must come from customers and processes that must be
gathered and used primarily by people in the work force who face customers and run the processes.
This paper explains how the paradigm shifts from conventional accounting management to
contemporary accounting management in practice and research. Therefore, It recommend that the
direction of management accounting research in Asia Pacific region on the future should cover all studies
included in contemporary accounting management area, that holds the idea that contemporary
management practice does not only focus on profit but also social and environmental factors for
sustainability