The diffusion of balanced scorecard from the perspective of adopters: Evidence from Australia

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the shortcomings of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) as a performance measurement tool, and to examine the extent of association between its diffusion and the characteristics of its adopters in practice. This study uses a survey approach and targets registered members of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in Australia. The results show that ignoring the risks, environmental and sustainability factors as well as neglecting the concerns/rights of relevant stakeholders are the key shortcomings of the BSC in practice. The findings further confirm that it is vital to distinguish between the diffusion of the BSC as a practice (one single tool) and as a process (a chain of different activities). Because some attributes of adopters are only associated with the initial decisions to adopt (or not) the BSC (as a practice) but not with the sequential implementation stages of its adoption (as a process) and vice versa.