Gestão estratégica de custos e desempenho econômico-financeiro : um estudo nas empresas metalmecânicas, automotivas e eletroeletrônicas da Serra Gaúcha

Abstract

Since the 1970s new manufacturing management philosophies have emerged. The accounting applied at the time wasn’t able to integrate management control information with production management information. In this context, the strategy was integrated into accounting, consequently in Strategic Management Accounting, also known as Strategic Cost Management (SCM). SCM, through its practices, aims to provide accounting information on costs of the organization, as well as its value chain, thus contributing to decision making and strategy formulation. When strategic cost management is associated with the company's strategy, organizations tend to act better. However, from the relevance of the issues related to the topic, this research had the aim of analyzing the relationship between the practices of Strategic Cost Management and the economic-financial performance in the metal-mechanic, automotive and electro-electronic companies of the Serra Gaúcha. As a methodological procedure, exploratory, descriptive and quantitative research was used. The information was collected through a survey. The population was made up of 367 (three hundred and sixty seven) small, medium and large companies. A sample of 87 (eighty-seven) companies was attained. The data were analyzed through Descriptive Statistics, Exploratory Factor Analysis and Modeling of Structural Equations. It was found that the SCM practices frequently used by more than 50% of the sample are Standard Cost, Logistic Costs, Cost Determinants Factor Analysis and Target Cost. In the analysis of the hypotheses the results indicate the existence of a significant relationship between the use of SCM practices and economic-financial performance. In addition, it was proven that the performance in the foreign market is related to the economic-financial performance. As implication of these research findings, this study contributes to a better understanding of the use of GEC practices and to confirm that the use of twelve practices grouped in three factors, in Exploratory Factor Analysis, is related to the performance of organizations. As a suggestion of future studies, it is recommended to apply this instrument in other economic activities to assess whether this relationship is still present