Management Accountants as Strategic Sustainability Partners Exploring the Transformation of Management Control Practices

Authors

  • Effriyanti Universitas Pamulang
  • Juli Ismanto Universitas Pamulang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59890/ijmbi.v4i5.61

Keywords:

Management Accountant, Sustainability, Management Control System, ESG, Organizational Transformation

Abstract

This study explores the transformation of management accountants from financial-oriented controllers into strategic sustainability partners within manufacturing organizations. The research aims to develop a conceptual model explaining how sustainability pressures reshape management control practices and redefine the strategic role of management accountants. Employing an exploratory qualitative multiple case study approach using Gioia methodology, data were collected through in-depth interviews with management accountants, finance managers, and sustainability-related managers from manufacturing companies in Banten, Indonesia. The findings reveal that sustainability integration drives changes in information needs, performance measurement systems, and decision-making processes, enabling management accountants to contribute strategically to sustainable organizational transformation. This study contributes a novel perspective on the evolving role of management accountants in sustainability management.

References

Aras, G., & Crowther, D. (2021). Sustainable governance and management accounting: The role of accountability in sustainability development. Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 12(5), 1005–1023. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-02-2020-0044

Arvidsson, S., & Dumay, J. (2022). Corporate ESG reporting quantity, quality and performance: Where to now for environmental policy and practice? Business Strategy and the Environment, 31(3), 1091–1110. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2937

Bebbington, J., & Unerman, J. (2023). Advancing research into accounting and sustainability transitions: A critical perspective. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 36(7), 1897–1922. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-05-2022-5802

Bebbington, J., Brown, J., Frame, B., & Thomson, I. (2021). Theorizing sustainability accounting and accountability. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 34(5), 1093–1120. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-01-2020-4405

Bedford, D. S., Speklé, R. F., & Widener, S. K. (2022). Control systems as strategic resources: A review and research agenda. Management Accounting Research, 55, 100780. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mar.2022.100780

Beusch, P., Frisk, J. E., Rosén, M., & Dilla, W. (2022). Management control systems for sustainability: A systematic literature review and research agenda. Journal of Cleaner Production, 350, 131433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.131433

Biddle, B. J. (2021). Recent developments in role theory. Annual Review of Sociology, 47, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-090820-022540

Campbell, S., Greenwood, M., Prior, S., Shearer, T., Walkem, K., Young, S., Bywaters, D., & Walker, K. (2020). Purposive sampling: Complex or simple? Research case examples. Journal of Research in Nursing, 25(8), 652–661. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987120927206

Cheng, M. M., Perego, P., & Soderstrom, N. S. (2023). Sustainability and management accounting research. Journal of Management Accounting Research, 35(3), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.2308/JMAR-2023-054

Christensen, H. B., Hail, L., & Leuz, C. (2023). Mandatory CSR and sustainability reporting: Economic analysis and literature review. Review of Accounting Studies, 28, 1177–1219.

Crutzen, N., Zvezdov, D., & Schaltegger, S. (2022). Sustainability management control systems: A review and research agenda. Journal of Cleaner Production, 330, 129820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129820

Dumay, J., Bernardi, C., Guthrie, J., & La Torre, M. (2022). Barriers to implementing integrated reporting: A contemporary perspective. Accounting Forum, 46(1), 1–22.

Farquhar, J., Michels, N., & Robson, J. (2021). Triangulation in industrial qualitative case study research: Widening the scope of understanding. Industrial Marketing Management, 94, 178–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2021.01.005

Gioia, D. A., Corley, K. G., & Hamilton, A. L. (2022). Seeking qualitative rigor in inductive research: Notes on the Gioia methodology. Organizational Research Methods, 25(1), 3–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/10944281211021512

Gond, J. P., Grubnic, S., Herzig, C., & Moon, J. (2021). Configuring management control systems: The role of sustainability integration. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 91, 101137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aos.2020.101137

Greenwood, R., Meyer, R. E., Lawrence, T. B., & Oliver, C. (2021). Institutional theory in organization studies: A critical perspective. Oxford University Press.

Hummel, K., & Jobst, D. (2022). The role of sustainability reporting in organizational transformation: Evidence from corporate practice. Journal of Business Ethics, 178, 505–524. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04835-5

Le, O. T. T., Le, A. T. H., Vu, T. T. T., Tran, T. T. C., & Nguyen, C. V. (2024). Management control systems for sustainable development: A bibliographic study. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2023.2296699

Matos, L., & Esposito, M. (2023). Sustainability transformation and cross-functional collaboration: The evolving role of accounting professionals. Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 14(5), 1087–1110. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-12-2022-0634

Möller, K., Schäffer, U., & Verbeeten, F. (2021). Management accounting as a business partner: Past developments and future directions. Accounting and Business Research, 51(4), 387–414.

Nitzl, C., & Hirsch, B. (2022). The role of management accountants in sustainability transformation: A management control perspective. Management Accounting Research, 55, 100781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mar.2022.100781

Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2021). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069211024234

O’Dwyer, B., & Unerman, J. (2023). Organizational accountability and the challenges of sustainability transformation in accounting practice. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 104, 101378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aos.2022.101378

Rieg, R., Pelzmann, L., & Scherm, E. (2022). Management accountants’ changing roles and competencies in digital and sustainable organizations. Management Accounting Quarterly, 23(2), 1–15.

Schaltegger, S., Burritt, R., & Christ, K. (2022). Sustainability accounting and management control: Developing pathways for sustainable business transformation. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 35(6), 1421–1448. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-05-2021-5296

Schaltegger, S., Burritt, R., & Christ, K. (2023). Sustainability management accounting and transformation towards sustainable development. Meditari Accountancy Research, 32(3), 923–944. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEDAR-03-2023-1952

Wijethilake, C., & Ekanayake, A. (2021). From environmental management accounting to sustainability management control systems: The role of organizational capabilities. Business Strategy and the Environment, 30(7), 3416–3433. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2818

Woods, M., Macklin, R., & Lewis, G. (2021). Researcher reflexivity and qualitative data analysis using NVivo. Qualitative Research Journal, 21(3), 312–326. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-06-2020-0055

Yin, R. K. (2021). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (7th ed.). Sage Publications.

Published

2026-10-20

How to Cite

Effriyanti, & Ismanto, J. (2026). Management Accountants as Strategic Sustainability Partners Exploring the Transformation of Management Control Practices. International Journal of Management and Business Intelligence, 4(5), 1269–1286. https://doi.org/10.59890/ijmbi.v4i5.61