Non-Financial Performance Measurement Practices in Financial Services Industry : An Agency Theory Approach

The literature on management accounting Performance Measurement (PM) focuses on the manufacturing industry, and relatively little emphasis is given on services including Financial Services Industry (FSI) in developing countries. An attempt has been made in this multiple case study to examine PM practices in Omani and US banks within the framework of agency theory. The research results anticipate the higher effect of principal-gent relationship on PM practices in developed country/USA than a developing country, though the usefulness of management accounting in PM is found similar in both developed and developing countries. The concern about the implementation and integration of technology in PM is seemingly a new phenomenon in banks. Such a phenomenon (observed higher in Oman than USA) needs due attention for organizations to enjoy the benefits of PM. Based on the empirical findings some hypotheses are generated, and further research directions are given at the end of this research