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 Indian Journal of Finance and Banking; Vol. 1, No. 2; 2017 

                                                         ISSN 2574-6081  E-ISSN 2574-609X 

 Published by Centre for Research on Islamic Banking & Finance and Business 

 

52 
 

 

A Review of the Impact of Accounting Information System for 

Effective Internal Control on Firm Performance 
 

 
Susan Peter Teru1 

Innocent Idoku1 

Jane Tinyang Ndeyati1 

 
1Taraba State University, Jalingo, Nigeria. 

Correspondence: Susan Peter Teru, Taraba State University, Jalingo, Nigeria, Email: susan4dpt@gmail.com 

 

 

Received: November 18, 2017     Accepted: November 20, 2017     Online Published: November 27, 2017  

 

 

Abstract 

Businesses today operate in a highly competitive and changing global business environment and therefore 

require information system that provides speedy responses to the complex business issue. The rapid 

development in information technology (IT) has aided companies to generate and make use accounting 

information systems (AIS), and the qualitative characteristics of any accounting information system to make it 

effective can be sustained if there is proper internal control system. When companies and businesses adjust and 

regulate their computerized technique of internal control machinery according to accounting information system 

(AIS), there would be assurances of the reliability of financial information processes, the control measures of 

effectiveness and efficiency of the information reliability will be boasted, effectual and improved operative 

goals and enhanced performance. Therefore, this study focused and look at the influence of accounting 

information systems (AIS) for effective internal control on firm's performance and found out that when controls 

are operated efficiently and effectively, there will be improved performance, better accounting information 

reliability for better decision making for both the internal and external users.
 

 

Keywords: Accounting, Firm, Information, Internal Control, Performance, System. 

 

1. Introduction 

Evolution in information technology (IT) has led to the development of new accounting systems, improved 

economic models and business dealings through the internet. These advancements have lessened time, cost, and 

money by aiding increased and improved transactions and communication for business dealings. An information 

system is used mostly by so many organizations to improve and advance the efficiency of business dealings by 

computerizing existing operations to improve the performance of operations. The role of accounting information 

system is very crucial in managing an organization and implementing an internal control system. The ultimate 

objective of accounting information system (AIS) is to gather and record information and data that is a concern 

to affairs that can economically impact upon firms and ensures operational efficiency and effectiveness of 

reliability of financial data and legal compliance, Yang et al. (2012). AIS process information and communicate 

this useful information to both external and internal stakeholders.
 



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Business organizations operate in a very competitive and complex atmosphere considered by these varying 

circumstances and extremely unpredictable economic climate. Recently, business organizations started moving 

faster and faster front globalization technology, part of this changes is an accounting information system (AIS), 

any of the changes depend on the information and data, to advance an international accounting information 

system or to make it more effective. Businesses should gather quality data which will yield a quality information 

about an enterprise, and the information will be used and be the way to controlling, planning, and in making the 

rightful decision. Certainly, accounting information system is vital to all business organizations and it is the 

center of the present global chance curve. Therefore, managers and administrators cannot overlook Information 

Systems because they play a very important role in contemporary society. (Wilkinson et al., 2000; Shah, et al., 

2011; Hassan et al., 2013). 
 

Accounting information system is a computer-based system that ensures a quality of accounting information that 

increases the control and enhances the cooperation in an organization to deliver information available and 

accessible to the end users who have similar needs. It assists and helps in support of controlling, planning, and 

organization analysis of its activities. The core function of accounting information system is to give quantitative 

worth of the past, current, and upcoming economics events. AIS produces the financial statement namely, cash 

flow statement, income statement, and the balance sheet, and through its computerized accounting system. 

Customarily, the system processes the data and transform the data into accounting information during input, 

processing and output stages that can be used by a variety of both internal and external users.
 

Thus, the effective and successful integration of AIS will be contingent on how well other factors are 

proficiently used and put in place to facilitate its operation. Similar views had been echoed by some scholars, 

Markus & Pfeffer (1983) and Collier (2015) that the successful application and implementation of accounting 

information systems needs an appropriate fit among three factors such as,” perception of the organization 

concerning the situation, the accounting system must fit when problems are normally solved, and the accounting 

system must fit with the culture, i.e. the norms and value system that characterize the organization". Grande et 

al. (2011) contended that IT is readily available and using them gives no competitive advantage for 

accomplishing better outcomes. They claimed that many firms have invested in IT but failed in achieving the 

established performance goals. This, therefore, indicates that AIS can only be beneficial in organizational 

operations only when appropriate factors are put in the right place and operated harmoniously. 
 

Therefore, AIS can be only efficient when companies can regulate and adjust their computerized systems of 

internal control mechanism accordingly, which is one of the most vital components of any organization and 

AIS, then they will be able to ensure the trustworthiness of their financial information processing and improve 

the control measures of the financial information reliability and effectiveness. Accounting information system 

helps managers to comprehend their task more evidently and lessen uncertainty before making decisions, Gexin 

(2013).
 

2. Literature Review 

Accounting information system differs widely as it is adopted across the world, in organizations and businesses, 

or in the other word as said by Kieso et al., (2011), "accounting information are built or designed to be adapted 

to the conditions and situations that are relevant to the organizations. Accounting information system as a 

system processes data and transactions to provide users with the information they need to plan, control and 

operate their businesses, Stair and Renoid (2010). Accounting information systems are observed here according 

to the views of other authors, Laudon & Laudon (2012) and Hall (2011) as a system that helps management in 

planning and controlling processes providing relevant and reliable information for decision making. They 



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propose that the function of accounting information system is not only for producing financial reports. Its 

function goes beyond this traditional perception. Romney and Steinbart (2010) attested that accounting 

information system should be functioned to include planning and managing business activities. It could also be 

used as a controlling mechanism such as budgeting. According to Hall (2011), the value of accounting 

information to the user depends on how reliable is the information, and information is said to be reliable when it 

has the attribute of relevance, complete, accurate, concise, and at the right time, and for all of it to happen, it 

must possess certain relevance attribute as accuracy, completeness, summarization, and timeliness as it will be 

discussed in detailed below as qualities of good accounting system.
 

O’ Brien and Maracus (2010), the relevance of accounting information depends on the quality characteristics of 

the information required by the user in making valuable decisions and achieving its organizational goals.  

According to Gelinas et al., (2012) and Azhar (2009), the relevance of accounting information depends on how 

useful it is for decision making. The same information was also given by Strong et al. (1997), that the 

information is only relevant if it meets the need of the information consumer. 

Accounting information systems are measured as significant organizational mechanisms that are necessary 

for the effectiveness of decision making by the management and control in organizations Hall (2012). 

Studies by Markus & Pfeffer (1983) have shown that" effective implementation of accounting systems 

requires a fit between three factors. A fit must be attained with the main view in the organization or 

perception of the situation. Secondly, the accounting system must fit when problems are normally solved, 

i.e. the technology of the organization. Finally, the accounting system must fit with the culture, i.e. the 

norms and value system that characterize the organization". Systems will be useful when information 

provided by them is used effectively in the decision-making process by users Christiansen & Mouritsen 

(1994). According to Wilkinson (2000), an accounting information system main function is to give a 

quantitative value of the past, present, and future economics actions. AIS produces the financial statement 

namely, income statement, the balance sheet, and cash flow statement through its computerized accounting 

system. The system normally processes the data and converts them into accounting information during 

input stage, processing and output stages which can be used by a several of users both the internal and 

external users.
 

From the sense of the above contribution of the importance of accounting information system, it can be 

concluded that accounting information system needs to be useful and suitable for decision making by the users 

and the information should have a distinctive feature that will meet or even exceeds the expectation of the 

users.
 

3. Objective of the Research  

 To examine if the use of accounting information system (AIS) has an impact in improving the 

internal control and improves firm performance.
 

4. Research Methodology 

The drive of this research is to evaluate the impact accounting information system for effective internal 

control and firm performance which indicated that a good internal control ensures reliable financial report 

for decision making and improves firm’s performance. The qualitative method of data collection was 

used for the study with various related previous literature being reviewed, and other secondary data to be 

able to come up with trustworthy conclusions which are based on the empirical data.
 

5. Data Analysis and Interpretation 

5.1 Accounting Information System and Data Quality 



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Redman (1992), accounting information system (AIS) output depends on the quality of data, garbage in garbage 

out is the result of poor data quality, and therefore data quality is important to AIS Xu (2003). All data 

production processes (data collection, data storage, and data utilization) must work properly to achieve high data 

quality Lee & Strong (2003). According to Xu (2009), inaccurate and incomplete data may damage the 

competitiveness of firms. They also found out that that input control and competent employees are important to 

data quality of accounting information system. Poor information quality may have an adverse effect on decision 

making Huang et al., (1999). Quality of accounting information can be evaluated by four attributes, Accuracy, 

timeliness, completeness, and consistency Xu (2003) they examined critical success factors for accounting 

information quality, they identified and interviewed four groups namely information producers, information 

custodians, information consumers and information managers. They found and suggested that organizational 

issue, system, and human issue are very much important to accounting information quality. Rahayu (2012) 

found the influence of management commitment on data quality and AIS.  He found out that management 

commitment and quality of data together have adequate effect on the accounting information system, although 

he suggested that contribution of management commitment need to be improved and to management adequacy 

training and funding of resource development need to be considered by organizations. 

Azhar (2016), quality accounting information system has a significant effect on accounting information quality 

but when the AIS is not built well, it will not be able to produce quality information in accordance with the 

expectation of the users. He added that through the application of quality information system, the users will be 

able to obtain quality information at the right time for the right decision. Laudon & Loudon (2012), accounting 

information system ensures the quality of information in support of controlling, planning and activity analysis of 

the organization in accordance with the purpose and function of the accounting information system (Secure et al., 

2006; Susanto 2008; Hall (2011). According to Azhar (2009), and Gelinas et al., (2012), information becomes 

useful only when it has the quality characteristics required by the users in making decision valuable and in 

achieving the organizational goals. 

According to McLeod & Shell (2007) and Romney & Steinberg (2012), the criteria of quality information is 

when the information is suitable for the user, and has a distinctive feature that meet or even exceeds the 

expectations of the users and that the information should be timely, accurate, complete and relevant, while 

Kartikahadi et al., (2012), said that the accounting information system should be understandable, comparable, 

reliability 

5.2 Accounting Information System and Internal Control 

Azhar (2013), management and businesses expect to have meaningful accounting information to enable them to 

make decisions by having a good internal control running their information systems. According to Hurt (2008), 

Romney & Steinbert (2009), the main goal of accounting information system (AIS) is to control the business of 

every organization, the management/ accountant can accomplish this goal by designing an effective internal 

control. Organizations will experience fraud without a good internal control on accounting information system. 

Organizations must have an effective internal control to achieve the mission and performance of the profitability 

objective and to minimize risk in the business dealings (0'Brien & Marak,2010). 
 

Toposh (2014) emphasized that the qualitative characteristics of accounting information in an organization are to 

have an effective internal control. The procedures of internal control are set up to protect assets, ensure reliable 

accounting reports, promote efficiency and encourage adherence to company policies. The procedures also are 

essential to achieving some objectives like efficient and orderly conduct of accounting transactions, 

safeguarding the assets in adherence to management policy, prevention of error and detection of an error, 



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prevention of fraud and detection of fraud and ensuring accuracy, completeness, reliability and timely 

preparation of accounting data. According to Hallandy & Ghabban (2009), internal control of accounting 

information system is the integrity of its financial and administrative information system, which equally means 

if good internal control exists in an organization, management/users can use information with more confidence 

to maintain their business activities properly which provide efficient AIS, but if the internal control is not 

effective, management cannot achieve its goal and make good decision. 
 

Yang et al. (2011), for a reliability of financial reporting, a performance of operations, and legal compliance, 

internal control mechanisms must be built gradually into the enterprise information system. Strong internal 

control is relevant to organizations because of the vulnerability of fraud and is closely related to information 

systems. Musa (2010), "Management relates the information of current performance to budgets, forecast, prior 

periods, or another benchmark to measure the extent to which goals and objectives are being achieved and to 

identify the unexpected results or unusual conditions that require follow up". The management has line 

responsibility for designing, implementing and monitoring internal control system for identifying the financial 

and compliance risk for their operations. Sajady et al. (2008) specified that the application of accounting 

information system could lead to a better decision making by administrators, more effective internal control, 

improvement of the quality of financial reports, and enabling financial transaction procedures. 
 

Marshal & Paul (2015) "Internal controls are processes implemented to provide reasonable assurance that the 

following control objectives are achieved; Safeguard assets, maintain records in sufficient detail to report 

company assets accurately and fairly, provide accurate and reliable information, prepare financial report in 

accordance with established criteria, promote and improve operational efficiency ,encourage adherence to 

prescribed managerial policies, comply with applicable laws and regulators".
 

Romney & Steinbeith (2015), "internal Control is a process, affected by an entity's board of directors, 

management, and other personnel, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of 

objectives, three categories like reliability of financial reporting, compliance with applicable laws and 

regulations and effectiveness and efficiency of operations. Effective internal control systems are essential for 

successful operation of the business as well as accounting control and administrative control. It helps the 

Accounting Information Systems division to generate reliable and relevant information". In the AIS environment, 

the qualities of internal controls adaptation affect operations and management and in turn influence internal 

control. Internal controls are run to ensure the achievement of operational goals and performance Masli et al. 

(2010).
 

Sajad et al. (2008) stated that implementation of accounting information systems caused the improvement of 

manager's decision-making process with internal controls, the quality of the financial reports and facilitated the 

company's transaction. Therefore, the adaptation of internal control techniques is a critical management issue 

that ensures the usefulness of internal controls and the achievement of operational objectives. Zhang (2007), 

Internal controls aim to ensure the reliability of financial information, the effectiveness, and efficiency of 

operations and the compliance of laws and regulations. The validity of an internal control system affects the 

significance of internal controls. Hoitaish & Bedard (2009) the value of internal control influences operational 

performance through information reliability operational effectiveness. Computerized internal controls have 

effects on the value of internal controls and performance of operations. The usage of new information 

technology means computerized controls should be built into the AIS. In conclusion, organization and 

businesses need have an adequate security control to improve the security of accounting information system and 

security technology for organizational achievement.
 



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5.3 Accounting Information System and Performance Measures 

Accounting information system implementation and success have been comprehensively researched but the 

contemporary literature shows slight evidence of the relationship between Accounting Information System (AIS) 

and performance measures. AIS can positively impact on organizations by the following; better adaptation to a 

changing environment, better management of arm's length transactions and a high degree of competitiveness. 

There is also a boost to the dynamic nature s with a greater flow of information between different staff levels 

and the possibility of the new business on the network and improved external relationships for the firm, mainly 

with the foreign customers accessed through firm's web. Elena et al. (2010). With the existence of more 

intercommunication, there are increased chances for diversification of traditional businesses to improve firm's 

performance. Ogah (2012) reveals that high level of profitability is not dependent on the use of accounting 

information. The low explained variability implies that other variables apart from AIS positively impact on the 

bank's profitability. This is true as the employment of AIS if not supported with necessary and enabling facilities 

to make it functional becomes monumental, which may affect the bank's operation process.
 

Thus, the successful integration of AIS will depend on how well other factors are efficiently put in place to 

facilitate its operation. Similar opinion has been echoed by scholars, for instance, Markus & Pfeffer (1983) 

asserted that the successful implementation of accounting systems requires a fit between three factors such as 

perception of the organization concerning the situation, the accounting system must fit when problems are 

normally solved and the accounting system must fit with the culture, i.e. the norms and value system that 

characterize the organization. Grande et al. (2011) argued that IT is readily available and using them gives no 

competitive advantage for achieving improved results. They argued that many firms have invested in IT but they 

fail in attaining the established performance goals. This, therefore, implies that AIS can only be used in 

organizational operations when appropriate factors are put in place and operated harmoniously. Akpan & Riman 

(2012) used Return on assets (ROA), Return on equity (ROE) and Non-Performing Loans (NPL) for measures 

of bank performance. While Poudel & Hovey (2013) apply a ratio of non-performing loan (NPL) to measures 

the efficiency of the firm. A study by Razak et al., (2011) were used ROA to determine accounting performance 

and used Tobin's Q which is a sign of market performance for measures the firm performance of Malaysian 

GLCs and in-GLCs. Bhagat and Bolton (2008) were measured operating performance by using Tobin's Q and 

ROA in their research. 
 

Conclusion 

The study has provided an understanding that accounting information system (AIS) has become a system that 

that is very important in an organization because it generates important information for the organization for 

decision making and quality of accounting information.The main goal of accounting information system is to 

control the business held by the organization to prevent and minimize fraud and errors to achieve the 

organizational goals and improved performance, and for the system (AIS) to generate the accounting 

information expected, an internal control is required which is the main ingredient of the system. The study also 

revealed that the development and application of information technology (IT)makes it possible for companies to 

support operations with IT systems to improve operating performance , and companies have to adjust their 

technique and method of internal control in accordance with computerization (AIS) in order to exercise effective 

control because the adaptation of quality internal control affect operation and the achievement of operations. 

Also, the implementation of accounting information system could lead to better decision making and effective 

control system to improve firm performance. 

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