Customer accounting practices, antecedents and performance implications: insights from the financial services industry in Kuwait

Abstract

Abstract Competing effectively in the contemporary marketing landscape is becoming increasing challenging. Equally increasing therefore is the pertinence for organisations to be customer oriented. Academic discourse emphasises the need for more customer-oriented approach. Inspired by gaps in the literature, this study explores the contingency factors and performance implications of customer accounting in the Kuwaiti financial services industry. A questionnaire was used to collect data, and data analysis was based on 115 responses from management accountants of participating firms. This study reports critical insights that enhance the no one-size fits all notion of contingency foundation. For organisations in the industrial and geographical setting covered in this study, the insights from this study offer relevant cues for optimising customer accounting operationalisation and maximising the organisational performance impact. The limitations of this study have been acknowledged and critical directions for further knowledge development flagged.

Keywords

• Customer accounting
• Perceived environmental uncertainty
• Competition intensity
• Formalisation
• Decentralisation
• Organisational strategy, organisational performance