Open-book accounting and accounting information systems in cooperative relationships

The development of an interfirm cooperative relationship leads to the creation of accounting information flows between firms, that have to exchange their accounting information in order to achieve cost reduction and to create value. As a consequence, firms should implement both new management accounting techniques and modify their accounting information systems. This paper analyzes a specific management accounting technique, i.e. open-book accounting, and its relationship with accounting information systems. In particular, the paper first uses organizational theories to classify interfirm relationships in order to define cooperative relationships which can benefit most from the implementation of open-book accounting. Secondly, the paper shows the logic used in implementing open-book accounting, in order to control the accounting information flows between firms. Finally, the paper describes the relationship between open-book accounting and accounting information systems within interfirm cooperative relationships.