A balanced scorecard is an integrated system of performance measures designed to support an organization’s strategy. The various measures in a balanced scorecard should be linked on a plausible cause-and-effect basis from the very lowest level up through the organization’s ultimate objectives. The balanced scorecard is essentially a theory about how specific actions taken by various people in the organization will further the organization’s objectives. The theory should be viewed as tentative and subject to change if the actions do not in fact result in improvements in the organization’s financial and other goals. If the theory changes, then the performance measures on the balanced scorecard should also change. The balanced scorecard is a dynamic measurement system that evolves as an organization learns more about what works and what doesn’t work and refines its strategy accordingly. Why do the measures used in a balanced scorecard differ from company to company? Why does the balanced scorecard include financial performance measures as well as measures of how well internal business processes are doing?

Cornerstones of Cost Management (Cornerstones Series)
4th Edition
ISBN:9781305970663
Author:Don R. Hansen, Maryanne M. Mowen
Publisher:Don R. Hansen, Maryanne M. Mowen
Chapter13: The Balanced Scorecard: Strategic-based Control
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A balanced scorecard is an integrated system of performance measures designed to support an organization’s strategy. The various measures in a balanced scorecard should be linked on a plausible cause-and-effect basis from the very lowest level up through the organization’s ultimate objectives. The balanced scorecard is essentially a theory about how specific actions taken by various people in the organization will further the organization’s objectives. The theory should be viewed as tentative and subject to change if the actions do not in fact result in improvements in the organization’s financial and other goals. If the theory changes, then the performance measures on the balanced scorecard should also change. The balanced scorecard is a dynamic measurement system that evolves as an organization learns more about what works and what doesn’t work and refines its strategy accordingly.

  • Why do the measures used in a balanced scorecard differ from company to company?
  • Why does the balanced scorecard include financial performance measures as well as measures of how well internal business processes are doing?
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