IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/acctfi/v54y2014i2p591-624.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Dependent on one but vulnerable to another: opportunism threats and control solutions for customization providers

Author

Listed:
  • VG Sridharan
  • Michelle M. S. Phang

Abstract

type="main" xml:lang="en"> While economic theory suggests that identifying alternate customers is costlier than identifying alternate specialized employees for customization providers, substantial field research evidence indicates the opposite, where providers are reportedly more dependent on employees than customers. We inquire into this contrasting picture between theory and practice through an in-depth case study that suggests that what begins as customer dependence transforms into vulnerability to employees. While perceived vulnerability to customers is efficiently removed through ex ante controls, the physical asset specificity in each customer order generates task uncertainty, specialization and teamwork, which become the new sources of opportunism threat for the customization providers. Compounded layers of ex ante and ex post controls with frequent iterations suggest a need for continuous management (as against removal) of vulnerability to employees.

Suggested Citation

  • VG Sridharan & Michelle M. S. Phang, 2014. "Dependent on one but vulnerable to another: opportunism threats and control solutions for customization providers," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 54(2), pages 591-624, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:54:y:2014:i:2:p:591-624
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/j.1467-629X.2012.00510.x
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alchian, Armen A & Demsetz, Harold, 1972. "Production , Information Costs, and Economic Organization," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 62(5), pages 777-795, December.
    2. Watts, Ross L., 1992. "Accounting choice theory and market-based research in accounting," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 235-267.
    3. Fama, Eugene F & Jensen, Michael C, 1983. "Separation of Ownership and Control," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 26(2), pages 301-325, June.
    4. Davila, Tony, 2000. "An empirical study on the drivers of management control systems' design in new product development," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 25(4-5), pages 383-409, May.
    5. Salvador, F. & Forza, C., 2004. "Configuring products to address the customization-responsiveness squeeze: A survey of management issues and opportunities," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(3), pages 273-291, October.
    6. Paul S. Adler & Barbara Goldoftas & David I. Levine, 1997. "Ergonomics, Employee Involvement, and the Toyota Production System: A Case Study of Nummi'S 1993 Model Introduction," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 50(3), pages 416-437, April.
    7. Suresh Kotha, 1995. "Mass customization: Implementing the emerging paradigm for competitive advantage," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(S1), pages 21-42.
    8. Wruck, Karen Hopper & Jensen, Michael C., 1994. "Science, specific knowledge, and total quality management," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 247-287, November.
    9. Watts, R.L., 1992. "Accounting Choice Thoery and Market-Based Research in Accounting," Papers 92-01, Rochester, Business - Financial Research and Policy Studies.
    10. Klein, Benjamin & Crawford, Robert G & Alchian, Armen A, 1978. "Vertical Integration, Appropriable Rents, and the Competitive Contracting Process," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 21(2), pages 297-326, October.
    11. Hongxin Zhao & Yadong Luo & Taewon Suh, 2004. "Transaction cost determinants and ownership-based entry mode choice: a meta-analytical review," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(6), pages 524-544, November.
    12. Eric von Hippel, 1998. "Economics of Product Development by Users: The Impact of "Sticky" Local Information," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(5), pages 629-644, May.
    13. Sumit K. Majumdar & Venkatram Ramaswamy, 1995. "Going direct to market: The influence of exchange conditions," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(5), pages 353-372.
    14. Hirsch, Barry T, 1991. "Union Coverage and Profitability among U.S. Firms," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 73(1), pages 69-77, February.
    15. Williamson, Oliver E, 1981. "The Modern Corporation: Origins, Evolution, Attributes," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 19(4), pages 1537-1568, December.
    16. Bouwens, Jan & Abernethy, Margaret A., 2000. "The consequences of customization on management accounting system design," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 221-241, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kamath Shyam J., 1994. "Privatization: A Market Prospect Perspective," Journal des Economistes et des Etudes Humaines, De Gruyter, vol. 5(1), pages 1-52, March.
    2. Asmund Rygh & Gabriel R. G. Benito, 2018. "Capital Structure of Foreign Direct Investments: A Transaction Cost Analysis," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 58(3), pages 389-411, June.
    3. Raghuram G. Rajan & Luigi Zingales, 1998. "The Governance of the New Enterprise," CRSP working papers 487, Center for Research in Security Prices, Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago.
    4. Haider A. Khan, 2004. "General Conclusions: From Crisis to a Global Political Economy of Freedom," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Global Markets and Financial Crises in Asia, chapter 9, pages 193-211, Palgrave Macmillan.
    5. Iavor Marangozov, 2005. "From Practice to Theory of the International Joint Ventures," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 2, pages 44-77.
    6. Luigi Zingales, 2000. "In Search of New Foundations," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(4), pages 1623-1653, August.
    7. James J. Chrisman & Kristen Madison & Taewoo Kim, 2021. "A Dynamic Framework of Noneconomic Goals and Inter-Family Agency Complexities in Multi-Family Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(4), pages 906-930, July.
    8. Howell, Jason W., 2017. "The survival of the U.S. dual class share structure," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 440-450.
    9. Roumasset, James A., 1994. "Explaining Diversity In Agricultural Organization: An Agency Perspective," Bulletins 12982, University of Minnesota, Economic Development Center.
    10. Alexander Brink, 2010. "Enlightened Corporate Governance: Specific Investments by Employees as Legitimation for Residual Claims," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 93(4), pages 641-651, June.
    11. Ortmann, Gerald F. & King, Robert P., 2007. "Agricultural Cooperatives I: History, Theory and Problems," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 46(1), pages 1-29, March.
    12. Keith D. Brouthers & Lance Eliot Brouthers & Steve Werner, 2008. "Real Options, International Entry Mode Choice and Performance," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(5), pages 936-960, July.
    13. Peter Gorringe, 1987. "The Economic Institutions of Capitalism: Firms, Markets and Relational Contracting by Oliver E. Williamson," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 12(1), pages 125-143, June.
    14. Valentinov, Vladislav, 2008. "The transaction cost theory of the nonprofit firm: Beyond opportunism," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 37(1), pages 5-18.
    15. Ortmann, Gerald F. & King, Robert P., 2006. "Small-Scale Farmers in South Africa: Can Agricultural Cooperatives Facilitate Access to Input and Product Markets?," Staff Papers 13930, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics.
    16. Pitelis, Christos & Teece, David, 2009. "The (new) nature and essence of the firm," MPRA Paper 24317, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Yan He & Yung-ho Chiu & Bin Zhang, 2020. "Prevaluating Technical Efficiency Gains From Potential Mergers and Acquisitions in China’s Coal Industry," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(3), pages 21582440209, July.
    18. Krishna B. Kumar & Raghuram G. Rajan & Luigi Zingales, "undated". "What Determines Firm Size?," CRSP working papers 496, Center for Research in Security Prices, Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago.
    19. Marianne Rubinstein, 2001. "Gouvernement d’entreprise et innovation," Revue d'Économie Financière, Programme National Persée, vol. 63(3), pages 211-229.
    20. Watts, Ross L., 1992. "Accounting choice theory and market-based research in accounting," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 235-267.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:54:y:2014:i:2:p:591-624. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aaanzea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.