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Managing firms in complex contexts demands high levels of integration. In order to satisfy this increasing need, firms facing competitive environments are extensively investing in IT, namely in ERP systems. As matter of fact, the mere implementation of ERP systems can only support one of the dimensions through which integration is enacted: the information dimension. Other dimensions (cognitive and managerial) have to be reinforced in order to get effective integration. Moving from the proposition of a multidimensional concept of organizational integration, the paper analyses the integrative properties of process based performance measurement systems. It is contended that process based performance measures, on the one hand, make processes visible and relevant to people, so addressing their decisions and actions in an integrative perspective; on the other hand, the same measures drive performance improvement based upon effective integration. The paper is structured in three parts. The first part proposes a multidimensional view of the concept of integration. The second part presents a framework for the design of process based performance measurement systems. The third part discusses the case of a large multinational chemical company that has re‐focused its performance management systems on the process dimension, after the partially successful implementation of a company wide ERP system.

Despite the large investments recently made in ERP systems, many companies are beginning to admit that the real impact of ERPs on management styles and practices is actually well below expectations, especially on the front of organizational integration. It is argued that ERP systems possess integrating capabilities only at a potential stage: their simple physical implementation is not enough to activate their inner potentialities. ERP systems can enact substantial organizational integration, only if they rely on a sound business process architecture. When the process dimension is absent from the implementation, the integration potential of ERP systems is frozen. It is argued that this situation can be unfrozen by making processes visible: the introduction of a process‐based performance measurement system can help to unleash the power of integration, by making the processes visible to people.

In this article it is contended that methodological issues implicit in benchmarking studies have to be clearly appreciated by management in assessing the reliability of performance gaps and the identification of sound practices that can be successfully adopted by other firms. There is no doubt that organisational design aspects of the benchmarking process are crucial to the success of the project. However, there are at least four methodological issues, extremely critical to the success of benchmarking projects, that have not yet been adequately analysed. These four methodological issues are: how to define the performance measures; how to achieve comparability of performances; how to identify best practices; how to evaluate the transferability of best practices. Strategies are developed to address these benchmarking issues. Then, these strategies are summarised in the components of a benchmarking model linking performances and best practices.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate two research questions. Is internal control system (ICS) disclosure, as a monitoring mechanism, associated with the characteristics of the board of directors, particularly the audit committee as the main board committee devoted to the effectiveness of ICS? Does the regulatory environment, particularly the regulation on ICS disclosure as an external governance/monitoring mechanism play a role in shaping the relationship between board monitoring and ICS disclosure and, if so, how?

The authors study the ICS disclosure of 149 companies listed in four European financial markets (London, Paris, Frankfurt and Milan), each with its own regulations about ICS disclosure, during a six-year period (2003-2008).

The findings support an inverse association between the extent of ICS disclosure and the proxies for board monitoring. The authors also find a statistically significant negative relationship between board monitoring and substantial ICS disclosure but no relationship between board monitoring and formal ICS disclosure. The evidence also shows that the regulatory environment moderates the relationship between board monitoring and ICS disclosure by introducing trade-offs among monitoring mechanisms.

An important caveat of the research is that it does not explore if and how investors use ICS disclosure to evaluate the firm.

The authors propose a framework for the analysis of ICS disclosure that overcomes limitations of previous literature that has neglected the importance of the content beyond the extent of ICS disclosure. Through this framework researchers, practitioners and standard setters are able to separate merely descriptive, formal un-useful disclosure (boilerplate information) on the composing elements of the ICS from substantial disclosure regarding the functioning of the ICS (monitoring function).

The authors also provide evidence that the relationship between board monitoring and ICS disclosure varies with the content of the information communicated, thus offering guidance for future research not to focus on measuring the extent or quantity of disclosure but on the variety and complexity of the information communicated.

This study focuses on intellectual capital (IC) as a driver of better business performance. Recent studies suggest that a set of variables may mediate this relationship. This research discusses the mediating role of dynamic capabilities, network competence, technological capabilities, absorptive capabilities and innovation performance between intellectual capital and business performance.

The conceptual model is tested using a sample of 533 Portuguese firms by means of a structural equation model.

It confirms that intellectual capital impacts business performance. Moreover, this only happens indirectly through the mediating chain defined by the variables dynamic capabilities, network competence, technological capabilities, absorptive capabilities and innovation performance.

This study analyzes new mediator variables between the dimensions of the intellectual capital and Portuguese business performance.