- 1 - Management Accounting Change in the Financial Services Sector : The Case of Activity - Based Costing in a Portuguese Bank

This paper aims to trace the development of management accounting systems (MAS) in a Portuguese bank, where an activity based costing system (ABC) is being trialled for implementation, as a means to improving the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of employee activity. The culture of banking in Portugal has changed significantly over the last 25 years, but at the same time there are older traditions which remain powerful. It will therefore be significant to study how an imported MAS like ABC is developed and disseminated within a Portuguese banking context. The research can be classified as a longitudinal study of organisational change using a single case study. It draws on Morgan and Sturdy’s (2000) critical framework for exploring change through three lenses – changing structures, changing discourses and the effect of both these processes on power and inequality. The study provides new insights into how management accounting practices, along with other organisational systems, play an important role questioning, visualising, analysing, and measuring implemented strategies. These practices have an important influence on strategic decision-making, and help legitimate action. As the language and practice of management have shifted towards strategy and marketing discourses, patterns of work, organisation and career are being restructured.