Gestão de custos e mensuração de resultado em organizações contábeis: estudo do isomorfismo, dos fatores contingenciais e proposição do Custo para Servir

Abstract

The accounting organizations represent an important branch of activity in the national context, for the significance of information that generate to the society and to the client companies. Previous studies have shown that accounting entrepreneurs who are knowledgeable about management artifacts do not apply them to the management of their own businesses. This study aimed to understand how and why this occurs, and established the following research questions: how are types of isomorphism (Institutional Theory) driving the use of cost management practices and measurement of results in accounting organizations? How do contingency factors (Contingency Theory) limit the use of cost management practices and measurement of results in accounting organizations? And how do the practices of cost management and measurement of results used in accounting organizations make it possible to apply and analyze the Cost to Serve? The research is classified as exploratory and used the procedure of multiple case study with a qualitative approach. For data collection, data triangulation was used, with in-depth interviews, documentary analysis and direct observation, in the search for evidence for reliability of the results. A semi-structured interview script was developed and applied to the main managers of six accounting organizations selected for the study. It was verified that the main cost management practices adopted are total cost control and, in the time software applied to each task, the results measurement practices are cash flow and Profit and Loss Statement for the year. There is evidence that mimetic isomorphism is the impetus for the use of such practices. And according to the managers' perception, the five contingency factors (environment, technology, structure, strategy, size or size) limit in some way the use of cost management practices and result measurement. It was identified that the organizations studied have some of the necessary data for the analysis of the Cost to Serve, and analyzing the usual practices of cost management and measurement of results the study proposes as intervention the use of the Cost to Serve method to identify the cost service and profitability per customer, which is believed to enable the adoption of better strategies in the level of service and provision of services to each client and increase profitability. The application and validation of the method in accounting organizations is a recommendation for future studies.