This paper aims to provide a contribution on how the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) may reduce the gap between theory and practice on management control knowledge. The paper adopts a knowledge transfer (KT) approach grounded on Liyanage et al.’s (2009) framework. A project of management accounting (MA) implementation in a SME located in Umbria is presented and discussed following a strong interventionist research approach. The case demonstrates the knowledge management relevance on MA implementation, able to integrate and reinforce the influence of contingency variables and institutional pressures. It contributes to show how the MA implementation has been positively influenced by the SME absorptive capacity (AC) and willingness to learn (WTL), connected to some educational and technical conditions characterizing the entrepreneur and the organization. This paper provides a practical contribution for practitioners and SMEs involved in the implementation of MA tools, demonstrating that successful implementation requires gradual learning cycles and some organizational pre-conditions to bring successful results. It also contributes to scientific debate enhancing the active role of the actors in designing and implementing managerial control systems, as well as providing an original view that involves the supply and demand for innovation in managerial systems as sources and receivers of management control knowledge.
Keywords: Management accounting tools; implementation; interventionist research; knowledge transfer
