The
Association of International Certified Professional Accountants
(the Association) and the Management Accounting Section of the American
Accounting Association (AAA), has recognized three professors for their
research on the impact of performance-based incentives on the creative
process.
Steven J. Kachelmeier of the University of Texas at
Austin and Laura W. Wang and Michael G. Williamson of the University of
Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, were named recipients of the
2020
Greatest Potential Impact on Management Accounting Practice Award.
The
award is sponsored by the AICPA, the global accounting organization
formed by members of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). The award is given
on behalf of the Association’s
Chartered Global Management Accountant
(CGMA) designation, which distinguishes a unique group of 150,000
management accountants worldwide who have reached the highest benchmark
of quality and competency.
The professors’ paper,
Incentivizing the Creative Process: From Initial Quantity to Eventual Creativity, explores
whether
performance-contingent incentives facilitate the creative process by
enhancing the initial preparation that precedes creative incubation. The
study found a correlation between quantity-incentivized participants’
and their creativity advantage.
The award was presented the
award at the 2019 AAA Management Accounting Section’s Midyear meeting
in Houston, Texas. Ann Gabriel, associate professor of accountancy at
Ohio University, commented:
“The professors’ research highlights
the impact that incentives can play in improving the creative
problem-solving process. By applying this knowledge in business
settings, management accountants can contribute to the process of
creative idea generation that is critical to the success of business in
today’s competitive environment.”
The
Greatest Potential Impact on Management Accounting Practice Award
recognizes academic research considered to most likely have a
significant impact on management accounting. Eligible papers must have
been published within the previous five years and submitted by the
authors or nominated by peers. The award is accompanied by a $2000
stipend.