The research within the management control systems-field and more specifically performance management has been rather shallow and not much has happened the last decades besides the balanced scorecard. The researchers see a lack of studies focusing on the effects of an integrated performance management system and also how it affects the different hierarchical levels and the tasks to perform.We decided to perform an essay with case study-characteristics by looking at both the strategic and tactical level at Volvo Group, or more specifically Group Trucks. We performed three different interviews, one at the group level and two at the division level. The aim was to see what effect an integrated performance management system had on the tactical level (i.e. the divisions).Our findings and corresponding analysis suggested that Volvo was a rather centralized company in order to get the performance management system to work by enabling a ?weekly control?.

För att skapa mer verkliga siffror och aktualitet i beslutsunderlag har lean accounting som ekonomistyrningsmetod uppkommit. Metoden sägs bättre komplettera de förändringar som skett mot mer processorientering inom företag. Syftet med denna uppsats är att beskriva de skillnader och likheter som förekommer mellan traditionell ekonomistyrning och lean accounting. Även hur lean accounting kan utgöra ett mer komplett styrsystem i processorienterade företag i dess strävan mot lönsamhet, diskuteras. Detta görs för att identifiera de brister som sägs uppkomma då traditionella ekonomistyrningsmetoder används i processorienterade företag.

Title: Co-operative, prevent or complement? - An essay on the relationships between control systems. Authors: Kim Eriksson and Victoria KarlssonPurpose: The essay aims to describe the relations between control systems and how they related to each other, based on an operationalization of the control systems. Research question: What are the control systems relations to each other? With regards whether control systems co-operative, prevents and/or complement each other.Theoretical framework: The essays theoretical framework is based on Malmi and Browns (2008) description of five different control systems and control mechanisms associated with each control system.   Research methodology: The method was based on three different data collection methods. These methods were observations, documentation, and semi-structured interviews.Conclusions: It is concluded that the control systems has comprehensive relations. Control systems have more, than one, relation to each other..

The secondary control must be part of the production plan, since the capacity will bedeployed in advance, just as the primary control. The activation of the new frequencycontrol should be preformed in Vattenfall's operations centers (DC) to minimizecommunication delay. Vattenfall needs to work towards a more holistic optimizationsystem. The main issue for Vattenfall Generation is not how we produce but ratherwhen, which is done with creation of bids. This is where there is the mostopportunity for improvement.

The value investing philosophy, which can be traced at least to the teaching of Graham and Dodd in the 1930?s, entails identifying and investing in potentially under valued stocks with a potential for extraordinary returns. The focus of this thesis is to identify patterns and characteristics in financial accounting data preceding creation of shareholder value. The authors of this thesis utilize a multivariate discriminant analysis in order to identify indicators of value creation and subsequent extraordinary returns in value stocks. A discriminant function is derived which successfully identifies which value stocks will eventually become growth stocks.

By identifying effects that a buyout-firm has on management control systems in its portfolio companies, the aim of this thesis is to explain how such effects differs between the companies and finally to explain why the effects differs even though the companies are owned by the same buyout-firm. The study is conducted as a qualitative case study based on interviews with representatives from the studied buyout-firm and three of its portfolio companies.By analyzing the empirical findings with frameworks and theories within management control systems and value creation, we cannot only identify effects that are common for all portfolio companies but we can also observe differences between the portfolio companies.The identified effects that are common for all portfolio companies are: increased internal reporting burden, increased perceived risk of getting laid off among managers and co-workers and replacement of the board immediately after acquisition.The effects that are observed only for two portfolio companies are: increased focus on short-term planning, higher financial targets, replacement of company management upon acquisition and moving of decision authorities to higher organizational levels. Differences are observed although the portfolio companies are owned by the same buyout-firm due to: differences in management and co-workers equity stake in the portfolio companies, differences in business complexity and differences in planned exit-horizon..

In recent years, customer profitability has become a focal point of academic discussions on business performance. However, researchers remain divided as to how evaluation of customers ought to be conducted, resulting in uncertainty of how accounting systems should be adapted to prevailing conditions. This paper aims to investigate the application of customer accounting techniques and the role they play in the organisational and commercial context in which they take place. In a case study of Billerud, a Swedish company providing materials and services for packaging solutions, the interplay between customer accounting techniques and customer relationship characteristics has been examined through the application of a theoretical framework developed by Lind and Strömsten. Particular emphasis has been put on deviations from the prescribed pattern of the framework.

Studier har visat att det finns ett samband mellan syskonplacering och locus of control, medan andra studier inte funnit något samband. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka relationen mellan syskonplacering, kön och locus of control ur ett hälsoperspektiv hos gymnasieelever i årskurs 3. I undersökningen deltog 147 gymnasielever ifrån fem skolor i Kronobergs län. Resultatet visade att kön och syskonplacering samvarierade med intern health locus of control (F= 3,01;p< 0,03; ES= 6,2) och att syskonplacering och kön tillsammans inte visade någon signifikant inverkan på extern health locus of control (F= 2,20;p=<0,09; ES= 4,6). Fyndet kan indikera att manliga mellanbarn i större utsträckning strävar efter en intern health locus of control än kvinnliga mellanbarn.Nyckelord: Syskonplacering, health locus of control, intern- och extern locus of control, kön..

Bachelor thesis in business administration with emphasis in accounting and auditing. Spring term 2011, Mälardalens Högskola.Authors:Jim Hansson, Filip Sahl and Pererik Sewerin.Advisor:Lennart Bogg.Key words:Abolition of mandatory auditing, optional audit, auditor, audit.Title:The role of audit in a credit review - impact from the creditor's perspectiveBackground:As of November 1st2010, auditing became optional for micro companies in Sweden. This leads to an opportunity for about 70 % of the joint-stock companies to choose whether or not to keep their auditors. Creditors are affected by this as they may receive a less trustworthy base to make a good credit review if many companies choose to proceed their accountings without the control of an auditor. Creditors have the option to require that companies are to be reviewed by auditors, while authorized accounting consultants may be a possible substitute as a quality control for the accountings.Purpose:The purpose of this thesis is to examine what impact optional audit has had in credit processes so far and look into alternative forms of reviews for businesses.Problem definition:? Does auditing simplify for the creditors in a credit review? ? Is there some kind of accounting that could be a substitute for the audit?Method:The study is qualitative in character through six interviews.

In today's globalized world it is essential to achieve goal congruence within a multinational corporation despite the distances between the headquarters and subsidiaries. A case study has been performed to examine how control of sales units within a Swedish multinational corporation is achieved. Otley's framework has been used in the study to provide an overall picture of the control system where the analysis is based on five areas: key objectives and goal evaluation, strategies and plans, target setting process, incentives and motivation as well as information flows. To complement this framework, theories of convergence and divergence by Busco et al. have been used as well as theories of hierarchical control and self-control by Holmström.

In 2010 mandatory audit was revoked for small and medium sized companies in Sweden. At the same time the authorization for accounting consultants was established with the aim of raising the knowledge and status of the profession. Even though The Swedish Companies Registration Office has discovered more errors in the accounting after the mandatory audit was eliminated, it especially concerns those companies who does not have neither an auditor or an accounting consultant. One of the reasons often mentioned to be audited is the auditors role when it comes to lending decisions. Our empirical studie show that the auditors most important function, being unbiased, is not what is of greatest importance for the credit institutions.Instead it was professional skills, and for small and medium enterprises (SME) it was consulting they requested the most.

Background: A great part of all projects within Swedish industry are conducted in a multiprojectenvironment, which means that several projects are performed simultaneously. The research within the field of project management is though focused on single projects. Projects are highly dependent on the context in which they are conducted, although the organization of the multiprojectenvironment is only partly explored. Furthermore is the research within the project management highly concentrated on standardization of the project work. The question is whether this implies to the basic advantages with the project-oriented organization, which is flexibility and creativity? Purpose: To describe and obtain an understanding for the multiprojectenvironment regarding management control and organization.

By the year of 2007, 97 % of all listed companies in Europe had a CSR strategy described on their website. As the concept of CSR during the last decades has increased rapidly in popularity, a need to understand how such a strategy can be implemented has followed. While working with CSR in an integrated manner shows similarities to other popular management ideas, such as Lean and TQM, companies applying to a CSR strategy has been shown to be under higher scrutiny from media and NGO:s. Through a case study this thesis examines how these special circumstances of a CSR strategy makes The Body Shop use organizational control to avoid being subject to scandals due to not fulfilling the promises made to its customers. The results show that The Body Shop's commitment to CSR creates a need for a stringent bureaucratic control system that highly restricts the freedom of action for its employees.

Swedish school has for the last decades been using quality management as a method for improvement. Quality management is an enormous work and the whole school staff needs to be involved. The management consists of several parts like planning, surveys and interviews, analysis of the replies and setting up new goals. Parents, children and teachers are nowadays accustomed with quality surveys. The last few years these quality surveys have been computerized, but they still look almost the same, using little interaction with the respondent.I have had the opportunity to work with the company KMF Ventures, which has a vision that entails a more interactive web survey.

The Swedish National Heritage Board (RAÄ) is the agency of the Swedish government responsible for heritage and historic environment issues. During the last couple of years the agency has implemented a new management control system, the balanced scorecard, originally developed for profit driven organizations. Organizations within the public sector have other objectives than profit seeking organizations, and there have been difficulties in applying the balanced scorecard model in the public sector. Therefore we find it interesting to examine the reasons behind these difficulties and believe that some answers can be found in the identification process of the balanced scorecard. Therefore we aim to perform a case study of RAÄ and explain how the identification process of the components of their balanced scorecard can affect further usage of the model as a management control tool.