Purpose The study aims to examine the micro-level implications of implementing a circular economy (CE) business model on firms’ financial performance and the effect of organizational culture in this context. Design/methodology/approach Using a survey method to obtain 617 usable questionnaires from diverse business sectors in Ghana, a largely unexplored region and relying on institutional and legitimacy theories. Findings The study shows that the implementation of CE policies, such as the reducing, reusing, recycling, recovery and restoration of resources used in manufacturing, distribution and consumption processes, contributes to improved financial efficiency. Furthermore, organizational culture moderates by way of strengthening the positive relationship between CE and business financial performance. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on circularity and the broader discourse on ecological issues by arguing that institutional and legitimacy theories, which are both from the political economy theory, suggest that firms’ economic activities will be influenced by the political, social and institutional context. Therefore, the firm’s decision to embrace a different business model such as CE should be seen from the political environment involving rules and regulations, social dynamics both within and outside the organization and the institutional structures within which the firm operates. These mechanisms establish a business case for the implementation of CE initiatives and is guided by intent and specific goals. This motivates and encourages employees to be more involved in their duties and interactions leading to high levels of employee satisfaction, which improves productivity and profitability.

PurposeIn this study, we use neoinstitutional sociology to explore how institutional pressures exerted on Ghana influenced the government’s decision to adopt, implement and use integrated financial management information systems (IFMIS) for the management of public financial resources.Design/methodology/approachBased on a case study of Ghana’s Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), the study uses a qualitative interpretive case approach as the methodological stance, and some key officials involved in the implementation of the IFMIS project were interviewed and documentary evidence was also analyzed to achieve triangulation of data and results.FindingsThe results show that the IFMIS reform was instigated by two main forces. One is the pressure from external stakeholders like the World Bank related to funding relationships. The other is the indigenous pressures coming from internal stakeholders who felt dissatisfied with the outcomes of previous reforms. The findings also suggest that many contingencies for successful reforms to IFMIS were present in Ghana, such as the commitment of internal stakeholders, the training programs for improving the needed skills of employees, and the will to get inspired by best practices abroad. Nevertheless, ultimate users mostly were hesitant to use IFMIS due to fears of losing their jobs because of institutionalized practices and a lack of IT skills. The study further revealed that, even if many conditions for a successful reform, especially regarding adoption and implementation, are in place, the reform may ultimately fail due to the impact of other factors that particularly regard the use of the newly developed accounting repertoire.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study can be considered as a blueprint to emerging economies yet to adopt and implement similar IT-based Public Financial Management Information System (PFMIS). Moreover, given that some ultimate users exhibited resistance to the use of the new system, the results will prompt emerging economies that have not yet implemented IT-based PFMIS to recognize that cultural change management is an inevitable condition for successful implementation and use of IT-based PFMIS.Originality/valueThis study contributes to studies on public sector accounting reform in emerging economies by highlighting how the adoption of public sector accounting reform was instigated by both development partners and indigenous institutions responsible for ensuring effective and transparent management of public funds. Furthermore, unlike previous studies, the implementation team imported business case ideas from the private sector to augment the IFMIS implementation.

Purpose This paper aims to explore the socio-cultural factors that emerge in the implementation of integrated financial management information systems (IFMIS) in Ghana, a developing country. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research approach was used with a case study design. The data were collected from archival documents and semi-structured face-to-face interviews with participants who played a significant role in the implementation of IFMIS in the Ghanaian public sector. Findings The findings show that although IFMIS was considered by the World Bank, Department for International Development (DFID), European Union and Danish International Development Agency to be rational, technical, universal and unproblematic, the use of the system in the Ghanaian public institutions was constrained by socio-cultural factors. These factors included power struggles between various technocrats; and negative attitudes such as opportunism and rent-seeking interest towards the IFMIS. Research limitations/implications The research is grounded in a single case study, but the findings can be theoretically generalised to information technology (IT)-based financial management system exhibiting the same characteristics. Practical implications This study offers a practical implication for governments, consultants and donor agencies. Originality/value This study provides additional insight through the application of the sociology and duality of information technology theory to study a particular IT-based public financial management initiative.

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PurposeThis paper extends prior contingency-based management accounting research by building and empirically testing a theoretical model of contingency effects of supply chain integration (SCI) on the dimensions of management control system (MCS) and supply chain operational performance (SCOP) of hospitals in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses factorial and structural path analysis of survey responses collected from 237 hospital accountants to model these relationships.FindingsThe results show that under strong SCI, the association between the MCS dimensions and hospital operational performance namely, cost effectiveness, flexibility and quality will be strengthened. In other words, the installation of MCS is more likely to provide a broad range of performance benefits for hospitals that align the four dimensions of the MCS with the dimensions of SCI (internal and external).Research limitations/implicationsA limitation of this study would be its limited scope, as it focused only on hospitals in one developing country. Therefore, the results as indicated here may have limited generalizability to other industries and countries.Practical implicationsWe theorize that using optimal amounts of the MCS, a high level of SCI is likely to reduce supply chain (SC) cost, improve speed, flexibility and quality of the SC among healthcare institutions in Ghana. Also, based on the direct impact on performance exhibited by the MCS dimensions, effective implementation of SCI decisions requires the use of optimal amounts of MCS for high performance.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to contingency-based management accounting research and provides theory-driven and empirically proven explanations for hospital managers in recognizing the importance of aligning the dimensions of SCI and MCS.