Investments in research and development or customer satisfaction programs may show promise but traditional accounting measures, partially because of legal restrictions, place an emphasis on quarterly or annual returns (Ittner & Larcker 2000). And "under U.S. accounting rules, research and development expenditures and marketing costs must be charged for in the period they are incurred, so reducing profits. But successful research improves future profits if it can be brought to market" (Ittner & Larcker 2000). While in the eyes some analysts non-financial measurements are frustrating because there is a lack of statistical reliability when selecting and measuring such subjective criteria, on the other hand, by knowing the value drivers to a...

"The choice of measures must be linked to factors such as corporate strategy, value drivers, organizational objectives and the competitive environment. In addition, companies should remember that performance measurement choice is a dynamic process - measures may be appropriate today, but the system needs to be continually reassessed as strategies and competitive environments evolve (Ittner & Larcker 2000).
Works Cited

Ittner, Christopher & David Larcker. (2000, October 16). Non-financial performance measures:

What works and what doesn't. Knowledge @ Wharton. Retrieved July 27, 2009 at http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=279