UNIPORT JOURNAL OF BUSINESS, ACCOUNTING & FINANCE MANAGEMENT

The study studied the association between service system design alignment and organisational performance of small and medium sized companies (SME’s) in Rivers State, Nigeria. The research design was cross sectional and the population comprised 300 registered SMEs in Rivers State, Nigeria, especially those participating in service orientated and trade related activities. A sample of 171 respondents was selected from a population using stratified random sampling procedures. Structured questionnaires were used for data collection and analyses were conducted using Partial Least Square – Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS version 4.0 software. Process integration and standardisation revealed as a prominent driver of operational performance – the link was big and clearly meaningful. It also had a favourable impact on consumer satisfaction; however, it was relatively smaller. The implication of this pattern is that there is ultimately a consumer impact when internal procedures are made more structured and consistent, but the most immediate and dramatic impact is internal, on how efficiently and reliably the firm runs from day to day. The alignment of technology & tools also has significant positive advantages with greater impact on customer satisfaction than operational performance. The model explained 54.3% of the variance in operational performance and 46.5% of the variance in customer satisfaction, which means the predictive accuracy is significant. The study reveals that achieving sustainable competitiveness by SMEs in Rivers State should be integrated with standard workflow processes and alignment of technology instruments with organisational objectives. The bottom line is rather clear: when processes are linked and standardised, waste is reduced, services are more reliable and it’s easier to do business with the consumer. For SME owners and managers this suggests a real priority – investing time and effort in achieving consistency and structure to the way operations are run is not an overhead cost, it is one of the more direct routes to cutting out the inefficiencies and delays that quietly undermine performance. They need clear workflows and documented procedures that make the task predictable and consistent.

This study investigated the effect of forensic accounting techniques on Financial Crimes in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas sector. This study adopted a survey research design. The target population for this study was 206 staff of 8 major marketers in oil and gas company in Nigeria. The study collected primary data from the partakers through a structural questionnaire. The Primary data was obtained from the use of structured questionnaires. The population was two hundred and six (206) employees of the Audit and finance/Account department s from the 8 major marketers oil and gas company in Nigeria. The sample size was one hundred and thirty-six (136) respondents using stratified Sample technique with the use of Taro Yamane (1967) Model. Data were obtained through the use of a well-structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential (regression) statistics were used for data analysis. The findings revealed that there is a significant effect of forensic accounting techniques on misappropriation of assets in the oil & gas company in Nigeria with the Model fitting information telling how well model fit the data resulting in (P = 0.001) which is below the significant level. The Study concluded that forensic accounting techniques measured by forensic accounting technique knowledge (FATK), forensic accounting analytical technique (FAAT) and Forensic accounting technical knowledge (FATK) are significant factors that affect financial crimes in Nigeria’s oil and gas company in Nigeria should implement the conceptual framework of forensic accounting technique into organization management in order to prevent misappropriation of assets.

This paper draw on literature related to cultural relativism, management accounting, accounting and organizational practices. It synthesizes key concepts and perspectives to form a comprehensive understanding of cultural relativism in management accounting within the business landscape. The diverse cultural tapestry of a country significantly influences individuals' interpretations, judgments, and decision-making processes in the realm of management accounting. Recognizing and incorporating cultural relativism in management accounting practices can lead to enhanced decision-making accuracy, improved stakeholder relationships, adaptation to local business practices, and ultimately contribute to enhanced organizational performance. The practical steps for organizations to implement cultural relativism, including cultural sensitivity training, localization of accounting practices, engagement with local experts, and regular cultural audits.

This study examines the effect of macroeconomic fluctuations on banks performance by testing the resilience of Nigerian banks profitability to shocks from the macroeconomic environment with quarterly data from 1986Q1 to 2018Q4 that coincide with the period of structural adjustment program in Nigeria to the current democratic dispensation using the impulse response functions and variance decompositions of Vector Autoregression method. The study reveals that Nigerian bank performance is not resilient to exchange rate, inflation, interest rate and net export shocks but resilient to unemployment and economic growth shocks using return on assets and return on equity as measure of bank performance. The non-resilience of bank performance to exchange rate, inflation, interest rate and net export shocks reflects a countercyclical relationship between bank performance and macroeconomic fluctuations while the resilience of bank performance to unemployment and economic growth shocks is indicative of a rocyclical relationship of bank performance to macroeconomic fluctuations. The study also reveals that about 20% of Bank profitability decline results from the macroeconomic fluctuations within 10quarters which represents about to 2% profitability decline per quarter from macroeconomic fluctuations with exchange rate and inflation showing greater declining effects on Nigerian bank profitability. Nigerian banks regulatory and supervisory authorities must therefore not ignore sound macroeconomic policies if bank failures are to be minimized, most especially the maintenance and sustenance favourable exchange rate regime.

This study investigated the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices on financial performance of deposit money banks (DMBs) in Nigeria from 2012 to 2023. The study population comprised 25 quoted DMBs listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), with a sample size of 8 DMBs selected based on annual reports. Secondary data from audited financial statements and NGX publications were utilized, with variables including CSR expenditures, Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE), Earnings Per Share (EPS), and firm size. Panel data analysis employing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression techniques revealed a significant negative relationship between CSR expenditure and both ROA and ROE, indicating that higher CSR spending was associated with lower financial performance in terms of these metrics. respectively, suggesting a detrimental effect of CSR expenditure on ROA and ROE. However, no significant effect was observed on EPS. The study recommended that strategic alignment, efficiency, stakeholder engagement, a long-term perspective, and continuous monitoring of CSR programs for DMBs to balance social responsibility with financial sustainability effectively.