A Capability Approach to Real Estate Valuation and Value Enhancement

There are numerous financial metrics available in the academic and commercial world to estimate real estate value. Appraisers often use such metrics when advising on the purchase or sale of real estate at a point in time. The first part of this paper proposes a new metric, based on the capability approach, to make an ex-post single period valuation. Further, appraisers often give advice to their clients on actions to take in order to enhance the value of their real estate. This area of value enhancement has received scant attention in the academic literature. In practice, this advice is often based ad-hoc, anecdotal recommendations. The second part of the paper develops seven real estate strengths that can be targeted and provides an ex-ante approach to building real estate value. The valuation model presented in this paper is a pragmatic approach to enhancing both the values of tangible and intangible capabilities of a property by utilizing Expense Leveraged Value Indexes (ELVI).

From ‘Traditional’ Budgeting to ‘Better’ Budgeting: Navigating through ‘Stability’ and ‘Change’

Faced with criticisms on traditional budgeting, contemporary organisations have moved towards better budgeting and beyond budgeting practices. Drawing evidence from Citrus Lanka, a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturing firm in Sri Lanka, this paper explores amid limitations of traditional budgeting, how and why the firm moved to better budgeting rather than embracing beyond budgeting. It adopts the qualitative methodology and case study approach and mobilises the theoretical notions; ‘stability’ and ‘change’ under institutional theory. The field data illustrate how Citrus Lanka instigated evolutionary changes (towards better budgeting) rather than revolutionary changes (towards beyond budgeting), witnessing ‘stability’ of budgeting and ‘change’ towards better budgeting. This paper contributes by adding to the burgeoning budgetary control literature and extends the use of institutional theory in management accounting research by espousing how the notions of ‘stability’ and ‘change’ can co-exist. The better budgeting practice presented in this paper is a pragmatic approach. It offers practitioner pointers to managers grappling with limitations of traditional budgeting and practical difficulties of beyond budgeting on improving budgetary control through better budgeting approaches. Such an understanding is useful for managers beyond the case study firm to those across different industries and nations in adapting to the ever-changing business environment by drawing on management accounting insights.

A Normative Approach to Valuation, Value Enhancement and Financial Statement Reporting of Intellectual Capital

Intellectual capital (IC) is increasingly seen as an integral part of a firm’s value-creating processes and an essential strategic asset in creating corporate sustainable competitive advantage (Bukh, 2003; Chen, Cheng & Hwang, 2005). Nevertheless, reporting on IC is currently inconsistent, incomparable, and incomplete because of a lack of consistent guidance. This paper presents a normative IC valuation and reporting framework based on the Capability Economic Value of Intangible and Tangible Assets (CEVITA) approach (Ratnatunga, Gray & Balachandran, 2004). The proposed framework enables the application of CEVITA to the valuation of intellectual capital capability and provides a theoretical foundation for future empirical studies in relation to IC valuation and reporting.

The Role of Strategic Cost Management in Marketing Decisions: A Case Evidence of Brand Acquisition Assessment

While the role of strategic cost management (SCM) is heralded to pervade through all the links in a firm’s value-chain (Anderson, 2006; Shank & Govindarajan, 2004) the specific role of SCM in relation to a firm’s marketing function has thus far been limited to a few areas such as product pricing and analysing customer profitability through activity-based cost allocations (Datar & Rajan, 2018; Foster & Gupta, 1994; Van Raaij, 2005). This paper presents a case study to show how SCM concepts can be extended to evaluate brand acquisition by a large organisation. Using shareholder value analysis for pricing the brand and combining with financial statement analysis and strategic positioning models such as Porter’s five forces and SWOT, this paper conducts an assessment in order to offer recommendations for a multi-billion peso investment of a large Philippine-based processed foods company seeking to acquire a new brand.

Editorial: Only a Three-Legged Stool? A Review of the Concept of Alignment in the Economics of Performance Management

This editorial revisit the concept of alignment within the agency theoretic view of organisational performance management. Based on an analysis of a real-life case, we examine how far the theoretical reasoning based on the concept of ‘three-legged stool’ is practically relevant. Findings of our case suggests that while there is seemingly misalignment among the three established structures of performance evaluation, decision right allocation and incentive compensation, the ‘misalignment’ is ‘repaired’ with the support of two other governance structures namely, HR and CRM policies. We believe that the design of performance management is not to be confined to the ‘three-legged stool’ but practically extended to other forms of governance structures.

Carbonvestments: Appraising Investments in a Carbonomics Environment

In 2011, Australia introduced a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (or CPRS) that was a cap-and-trade emissions trading scheme for anthropogenic greenhouse gases. It clearly indicated to companies that polluting the environment with carbon emissions will no longer be free. Companies subject to carbon caps under a carbon trading scheme can either invests in carbon sequestration project and or buy carbon credits to offset their carbon liabilities. While Net Present Value (NPV) has been recorded as the most popular appraisal technique used across the globe for project valuation purposes, finance theorist suggests that using real options (RO) analysis is a more superior techniques to value investment opportunities. Using case study data of an early mover in a CPRS scheme, this paper reveals how RO approach provides more strategic insights than traditional NPV in valuing carbon sequestration investments (termed carbonvestments).

Using Fund Transfer Pricing as a Performance Measurement System in the Financial Service Industry

As a response to the financial crisis of 2007-2008, financial service industry regulators have commonly requested financial service industry to implement fund transfer pricing (FTP) mechanisms. Despite the importance of the topic as highlighted in the practitioners’ literature since the 2000s, the use of FTP as a performance measurement system has been understudied. To add to our understanding of such mechanisms in the financial service industry, this paper demonstrates, through an analytical model, how FTP can be used as a performance measurement system in financial institutions. More importantly, this paper illustrates how FTP can be used for overcoming the distortions caused due to the transfer of funds between the business units.

Management Knowledge Assets: A Review of the Models Used to Measure and Report Intellectual Capital

Contemporary organisations in both public and private sector are often examined not only in terms of their core functional business but also in how they have adapted to a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy. As such, knowledge-based assets are considered as a source of sustainable advantage. The magnitude of change in the proportion of value creation by these intangible investments has caused a paradigm shift and the recognition of an increasingly important role for intellectual capital (IC). There is also a growing interest in developing business reporting models that are more comprehensive than that of traditional accounting-based reporting, which has been shown to be inadequate to report the value of intellectual capital. Researchers and academics have attempted to build models for IC reporting. In this paper, eleven IC measurement models are critically reviewed and a framework of IC valuation and reporting based on capabilities is suggested. The capabilities enhanced by IC could be reported in combination with the tangible assets in an IC capability balance sheet. The IC capability model offers a clear starting point for a new thinking in evaluating intangible assets as a firm business resource.