Research Programs
A guiding ethos for the Centre is that performance measurement discipline and evidenced-based approaches to decision-making can enhance enterprise performance. Its research programs have this essential ingredient to it. The Centre partners with organisations seeking to improve their effectiveness in delivering economic, public, environmental and social value, become more efficient and increase their ability to manage risk.
Recent and current partners include leading Australian companies, Commonwealth and State Government agencies, and not-for-profit organisations. To date, the Centre has generated over $1.4 million in research funding from the Australian Research Council, industry partners and grants, and has provided significant value to each of its research partner organisations.
The Centre for Enterprise Performance operates four research programs.
Research Program 1: Effectiveness, efficiency and risk management
Effectiveness, efficiency and risk management are critical dimensions of performance and value creation. Often trade-offs and tensions exist although there are opportunities for synergies and optimisation across these three dimensions. This research program examines how organisations should design and use measurement and management systems to improve their levels of efficiency, effectiveness and risk.
Organisations work with the Centre in this program to:
- Identify and manage the drivers of organisational effectiveness, efficiency and risk
- Benchmark organisational efficiency and productivity
- Design and implement business performance systems comprising both leading and lagging indicators of economic value
- Utilise corporate governance processes more effectively
- Identify how risk measurement and management might be improved
Research Program 2: Intellectual Capital and Sustainability
Competitive advantage is increasingly understood as deriving from an enterprise’s intangible resources and its intellectual capital. Concurrently, enterprises are being asked to deliver a broader notion of sustainability rather than just shareholder value. Hence, enterprises need to invest in the intangible side of their business as well as operate sustainably. This research program investigates how organisations should measure, manage and report their intellectual capital and sustainability performance.
Organisations work with the Centre in this program to:
- Identify intellectual capital components in the organisation and how these interact to enable capability and value creation
- Measure and report key intangibles and intellectual capital to external stakeholders such as analysts
- Evaluate the readiness of management information systems to drive and assess environmental value creation
- Implement management systems to drive ‘triple bottom-line’ business performance
Research Program 3: Value for Money and Accountability in Government
Governments and individual government departments need to provide value-for-money and achieve policy outcomes. At the same time they need to be transparent and accountable to the broader public. This research program examines how Australian governments and government agencies can better utilise evidence-based approaches to evaluate and achieve value-for-money and policy outcomes, be transparent and discharge their public accountabilities.
Organisations work with the Centre in this program to:
- Evaluate program effectiveness and the creation of public and social value across the public sectors
Research Program 4: Innovation and Internationalisation
Innovation and internationalisation offer significant growth opportunities for Australian organisations. Accessing these opportunities requires significant investment and the pay-offs are uncertain. This research program investigates how Australian firms can develop, manage and control their innovation and internationalisation processes to enhance their growth and economic value.
Organisations work with the Centre in this program to:
- Implement management techniques that foster innovation and flexibility both within organisations and in collaborative knowledge networks
- Balance innovation and flexibility through management control system design