JURNAL Riset Akuntansi dan Keuangan Indonesia URL : http://journals. id/index. php/reaksi/index Business Strategic Orientation and Banking Profitability: The Moderating Effect of Accounting Information Systems Nashwan Ghazi Hameed Aldoury1. Osman Kurter2,Essia Ries Ahmed3 Ministry of Finance. Department of Real Estate. Branch of Salah alDin. Iraq Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. Karabyk University. Turkey Faculty of Business. Karabyk University. Turkey email: nashwan. aldoury@gmail. com1, osmankurter@karabuk. tr2, essiaaburies@karabuk. Keywords: Accounting Information System. Banking Profitability. Business Strategic Orientation. Strategic Management. ABSTRACT The primary objective of this study is to examine the effect of business strategic orientation on organizational profitability. In addition, this study investigates the moderating role of the Accounting Information System (AIS). its dimensions of aggregation (AISA), integration (AISI), and timeliness (AIST), on the relationship between business strategic orientation and banking profitability. Chief Executive Officers (CEO. and Chief Financial Officers (CFO. were sample target subsets for this research. The chosen banks received a total of 152 A minimum of 113 respondents was considered a sufficient sample size based on the studyAos requirements. The Partial Least Squares (PLS) method was utilized to evaluate the survey data. Results indicate that cost leadership (BSCLS) has a positive but marginally significant effect on profitability, whereas innovative differentiation (BSID) significantly enhances banking profitability. Regarding the moderating role of AIS, aggregation (AISA) positively and significantly strengthened the cost leadership (BSCLS) profitability relationship but had a negative and significant moderating effect on the innovative differentiation (BSID) banking profitability AISI shows negative and insignificant moderation for cost leadership (BSCLS), and positive but insignificant moderation for innovative differentiation (BSID). AIST, negatively and significantly, moderates the cost leadership (BSCLS) profitability relationship, while it positively and significantly moderates the innovative differentiation (BSID) banking profitability These findings highlight that the effectiveness of strategic orientation on banking profitability is contingent on specific dimensions of the AIS. A 2025 The Author. This work licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 0 International License. p-ISSN:1411-6510 e-ISSN :2541-6111 JURNAL Riset Akuntansi dan Keuangan Indonesia INTRODUCTION Accounting information systems (AIS) are essential for business, particularly for managers who depend on them to generate high-quality and useful data (Tran Thanh Thuy, 2. The decisionmaking process in organizations heavily relies on data and information related to the accounting of the organization (Mohsin. Alfartoosi, & Ahmed, 2. AIS assists companies in aligning their business strategic orientation with respect to improved productivity, cost reduction, and implementation of their business plans (Latifah et al. , 2. AIS also helps decision-makers provide relevant data for the firm by collecting and interpreting accounting records. Such systems have to be effective and efficient enough in ensuring that decision makers are provided with the requisite information to analyze and evaluate their business strategies (Tjahjadi & Soewarno, 2. The strategic orientation of the business has been identified as playing a key role in enhancing the organizationAos profitability (Komakech et al. , 2. Business strategic orientation is vital in terms of its selection and implementation in the process of creating dynamic capabilities within an organization (Ju et , 2. Organizations turn to strategic business orientation to increase their profitability and attain a competitive advantage in the sector (Ali & Anwar. Furthermore, advanced AIS is essential for predicting and improving organizational profitability (Pangaribuan et al. , 2. According to Ali . , the COVID-19 pandemic had an impactful negative influence on the economy of Iraq. Some examples of a banking crisis in Iraq also illustrate that banks tend to expose themselves to numerous risks, and there are differences in risk management and information quality amongst the organizations, as shown by Mahmood and Ahmed . Several banks have also experienced deterioration in their quality information because of a substantial fall in the market equity indices. According to Al Karawi and Almashhadani . , the way the banking sector in Iraq responded to the economic and health crises, and the difficulties that followed, such as lower profits and liquidity constraints, is comparable to what is happening in banking sectors in other countries in the world. Al-Mamoorey and Al-Rubaye . claim that the banking industry in Iraq struggled with low Vol. 10 No. 2 September 2025 profitability and poor financial outcomes during this time. A business strategic orientation can be effectively executed with the support of AIS, leading to improved profitability in the banking In situations where the environment shows fluctuating levels of ambiguity, decision-makers within the banks reassess their business objectives and strategies. Hence, the banks should be able to adapt to both internal and external changes. Therefore, top management requires accurate and timely accounting information to navigate these dynamic conditions (Ali & AlSondos, 2. This is why we wanted to conduct this study to examine the effect of business strategic orientation, such as cost leadership and innovative differentiation, on banking profitability. In addition, this study investigates the moderating role of the AIS, specifically its dimensions of aggregation, integration, and timeliness, on the relationship between business strategic orientation and banking Business Strategy Orientation and Banking Profitability Business strategic orientation is essential, and it is highly recommended to have a well-thoughtout and well-defined plan for businesses to improve their profitability (Andrys & Havran, 2. Several studies have investigated the relationship between dimensions of business strategic orientation of cost leadership and innovative differentiation and profitability. For example, a study conducted by Setyarini et al. aims to assess the risk of a business strategy to participate in the profit maximization of the banking industry. They discovered that a business risk strategy that has been thoroughly established will be able to play a critical role in enhancing the profitability and stability of banks. Similarly. Banker et al. discovered that using a differentiation strategy, firms have more of their sticky costs as compared to those firms pursuing a cost leadership strategy. This association is mediated by their positive or negative forecasts of sales by the managers. The empirical study of Houessou et al. examines the direct impact of business strategy and the mediating impact of the level of competition on business strategy-outcome fit. It was observed that competitive intensity structure is a factor that contributes to firmsAo success. Unexpectedly, it was Aldoury et al. Vol. 10 No. 2 September 2025 JURNAL Riset Akuntansi dan Keuangan Indonesia found that the intensity of competition does not play a critical role in moderating the influence of cost leadership and product differentiation strategy. Zairbani and Jaya Prakash . found that the business strategy enhances the networks of the firm, profitability measurement, and organizational There is also a supportive differentiation strategy that will encourage management practices, strategic positioning, product pricing, product features, and profitability of the organizations. Bekata and Kero . consider the importance of strategic orientation to contribute to the knowledge of the innovation capabilities and the profitability of small and medium-sized enterprises. They have identified that innovation capabilities are partially involved in mediation in the relationship between strategic orientation and profitability of SMEs. et al. identified and discovered that different degrees of business differentiation strategies rely more on a positive effect on innovation persistence, whereas the weakest measures of cost leadership strategies undermine this relationship. RubioAndr et al. determined that innovation has a direct and positive influence on the performance in the market of SMEs. Thus, the hypotheses will be as follows. H1: There is a positive effect of the cost leadership strategy on profitability. H2: There is a positive effect of innovative differentiation on profitability. Accounting Information System as a Moderator AIS has a significant role in the process of gathering, interpreting, and reporting an organizationAos financial and operational data, making it a crucial moderating variable (Kristiana. Erlangga, & Sinarasri, 2. AIS offers crucial data to improve organizational activity planning and management and minimizes decision-making uncertainty (Ibrahim et al. , 2. When creating organizational plans, it is common to neglect the potential benefits of accounting information The misalignment between business strategy and operational potential, including the AIS, can be attributed to this carelessness, which can lead to the failure of business strategy implementation (Akande et al. , 2. The relationship between AIS, business strategic Business Strategic OrientationA p-ISSN:1411-6510 e-ISSN :2541-6111 orientation, and profitability has been the subject of numerous earlier studies. For instance, a study carried out by Al-Hashimy and Yao . notes that while the current systems are already effective, computerized accounting information systems have a smaller impact on cost management. Firdausy et . state that AIS aggregation, integration, and timeliness have a positive and significant effect on managerial performance. Ayu . shows that there is a significant positive effect of AIS aggregation, integration, and timeliness on the managerial performance of PT Bank. Tan and Jusoh . state that strategic management accounting usage mediates a positive and significant effect on the product differentiation strategy and firm From this explanation, the hypotheses Main Hypothesis: AIS moderates the relationship between business strategic orientation and profitability. H3: AIS aggregation moderates the relationship between cost leadership strategy on profitability. H4: AIS integration moderates the relationship between cost leadership strategy on profitability. H5: AIS timeliness moderates the relationship between cost leadership strategy on profitability. H6: AIS aggregation moderates the relationship H7: AIS integration moderates the relationship H8: AIS-timeliness moderates the relationship Study Model The present study proposes a model in which banking profitability serves as the dependent variable. Business strategic orientation, based on two dimensions, cost leadership and innovative differentiation, acts as a predictor. The framework is grounded in a comprehensive review of established literature and theoretical The moderating variable is AIS, measured through its dimensions of aggregation, integration, and timeliness. Figure 1 illustrates the proposed conceptual study model. p-ISSN:1411-6510 e-ISSN :2541-6111 JURNAL Riset Akuntansi dan Keuangan Indonesia Vol. 10 No. 2 September 2025 Figure 1: Study Model METHODS RESULTS The current study employs a cross-sectional design and quantitative methodology, consistent with prior research on organizational management, banking profitability. AIS, and business strategic The study population comprises senior managers from Iraqi banks, drawn from the Central Bank of IraqAos list of the 76 banks operating in the country as of 2024. It was a subgroup of the overall population that was sampled from Chief Executive Officers (CEO. and Chief Financial Officers (CFO. Questionnaires were distributed to 152 bank branches that were selected. According to the calculations, it was ascertained that 113 completed returns were sufficient based on the study requirements. The Partial Least Squares (PLS) was used in analyzing the survey data. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using Smart-PLS 4. was utilized to assess the proposed research model and hypothesized relationships. Table 1 presents the data collection process, which spanned approximately five months, beginning with the distribution of 152 Of the 135 questionnaires returned, 5 were excluded due to incomplete responses, resulting in a total of 130 usable responses, 5% of the targeted sample. This high response rate indicates strong participant engagement and provides a reliable dataset for subsequent analysis. The strategic orientation of the business variable is measured with 18 items subdivided into innovative differentiation of 14 items and cost leadership strategy of 4 items using the scientifically acceptable questionnaire prepared by Reimann et . The AIS variable has 14 items consisting of three dimensions: integration, having 3 items. aggregation, having 7 items. and timeliness, having 4 items, based on the study of Chenhall and Morris . Banking profitability is also quantified by 8 items that are modified after Croteau and Bergeron . Finally, demographic data is collected through 4 items to capture respondentsAo personal and professional characteristics. Table 1: Distribution and questionnaire responses No. (%) Targeted Questionnaires distributed Questionnaires received Unusable questionnaires Usable responses Total Reliability. Validity, and Collinearity Assessment In this study, a factor loading value threshold 70 and higher was used to make the indicators of the constructs developed in the study model acceptable and viable (Hulland, 1. The study also involved measuring the Average Variance Extracted (AVE). Composite Reliability (CR). CronbachAos Alpha (CA), and Variance Inflating Factor (VIF) of the reliability and collinearity of the data. Hair et al. recommend that the AVE values need to be at least 0. 50 to be able to conclude convergent validity achieved, although suboptimal AVE, <0. 50, may still be acceptable if CR is above 0. 60 (Fornell & Larcker, 1. test the convergent validity, overall reliability, and Aldoury et al. Vol. 10 No. 2 September 2025 p-ISSN:1411-6510 e-ISSN :2541-6111 JURNAL Riset Akuntansi dan Keuangan Indonesia internal consistency. Hair et al. confirm that the CR coefficients of construct indicators must amount to at least 0. 70, and the CA value must also be at least 0. 70 (Bagozzi & Yi, 1988. Vinzi et , 2. The results of the reliability analyses are given in Table 3. According to Sekaran . , one of the most important measurements is CronbachAos Alpha to measure the internal consistency and stability of a variable, where a score below 0. indicates insufficient reliability and a score above 80 indicates that it is a very reliable variable. Table 4. ITEMS VIF AIST2 AIST3 AIST4 BSCLS1 BSCLS2 BSCLS3 BSCLS4 BSID1 BSID10 BSID2 BSID3 BSID4 BSID5 BSID6 BSID7 BSID8 BSID9 BP1 BP2 BP3 Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) BP4 VIF values in Table 4 were examined to assess multicollinearity among the indicators of the independent variables. The VIF values for accounting information system, business strategic orientation, and banking profitability items ranged 140 to 2. 310, which are well below the commonly accepted threshold of 5 (Hair et al. , 2. This indicates low multicollinearity, confirming that each variable contributes unique information to the model, and the estimates derived from regression or SEM analysis are stable and reliable. BP5 BP6 BP7 BP8 Table 3. Constructs Reliability Ana lysis AISA CronbachAosalpha Compositereliability . Average AISI AIST BSCLS BSID Table 4. Variance Inflation Factor ITEMS VIF AISA1 AISA2 AISA3 AISA4 AISA5 AISA6 AISA7 AISI1 AISI2 AISI3 AIST1 Business Strategic OrientationA Correlation Matrix Table 5 provides the correlation matrix among the research constructs: business strategic orientation of cost leadership strategy (BSCLS) and innovation differentiation (BSID). AIS of aggregation, integration, and timeliness, and banking profitability. The correlation results indicate that AIS dimensions of AISA. AISI, and AIST are strongly interrelated and positively linked with business strategies, particularly innovation/ differentiation, which shows stronger associations than cost leadership. Moreover, banking profitability is highly associated with AIS quality, particularly timeliness and aggregation, and business strategic orientation, with innovation differentiation demonstrating the strongest contribution. p-ISSN:1411-6510 e-ISSN :2541-6111 Vol. 10 No. 2 September 2025 JURNAL Riset Akuntansi dan Keuangan Indonesia Table 5. Correlation Matrix AISA AISI AIST BSCLS BSID AISA AISI AIST BSCLS BSID R Square Table 6. shows that the RA value is 0. indicating that 57. 6% of the variance in banking profitability (BF) is explained by independent variables, business strategic orientation of cost leadership (BSCLS) and innovative differentiation (BSID), and the moderating role of AIS dimensions AISA. AISI, and AIST. This indicates that while these factors significantly contribute to banking profitability, the remaining 42. 4% is influenced by other factors not examined in the model. Table 6: Variance Explanation R-Square Banking Profitability (BP) R-Square Adjusted Path coefficients (Hypotheses testin. The results of the hypothesis testing reveal several key insights regarding the links between information systems, and banking profitability. Table 7 shows the direct effects of these constructs, the business strategic orientation dimensions, innovation differentiation (BSID) significantly enhances banking profitability (BP) ( = 0. 267, p = 0. , while cost leadership strategy (BSCLS) shows a marginally significant positive effect ( = 182, p = 0. Investigating the moderating effects. AISA strengthens the relationship between cost leadership strategy (BSCLS) and BF ( = 0. 479, p = 0. but negatively moderates the relationship between innovation differentiation (BSID) and banking profitability (BP) ( = -0. 612, p < 0. AIST positively moderates the relationship between innovation/ differentiation (BSID) and banking profitability (BP) ( = 0. 349, p = 0. while weakening the effect of cost leadership strategy (BSCLS) on banking profitability (BP) ( = -0. 318, p = 0. AISI does not significantly moderate the relationships for either business strategic orientation dimension of cost leadership strategy (BSCLS): = -0. 047, p = 0. differentiation (BSID): = 0. 138, p = 0. Table 7: Path Coefficients Tests Original Value Mean Standard Dev. T Statistics P Values Results BSCLS -> BP Supported BSID -> BP Supported AISA x BSCLS -> BP Supported AISI x BSCLS -> BP Unsupp. AIST x BSCLS -> BP Supported AISA x BSID -> BP Supported AISI x BSID -> BP Unsupp. AIST x BSID -> BP Supported *** P < 0. 001 **p < 0. 01, *p < 0. Aldoury et al. Vol. 10 No. 2 September 2025 JURNAL Riset Akuntansi dan Keuangan Indonesia Figure 2 represents a structural equation model (SEM) illustrating the relationships among p-ISSN:1411-6510 e-ISSN :2541-6111 business strategic orientation, banking profitability, and accounting information system as a moderator. Figure 2. PLS-SEM Model DISCUSSIONS Impact of business strategic orientation on banking profitability Cost leadership strategy: The main goal of the cost leadership strategy is to maximize the use of the organizationAos resources during the manufacturing process and to enhance productivity through the implementation of effective cost management initiatives, all while maintaining product quality (Agustia. Muhammad & Permatasari, 2. Businesses that adopt a cost leadership approach aim to generate profits, offer customers competitive rates, and achieve the lowest cost products or services in their industry (Dadzie. Winston & Dadzie, 2. For the dimension of cost leadership strategy (BSCLS), it shows a marginally significant positive effect ( = 0. 182, p = 0. , supporting hypothesis (H. This means that the cost leadership strategy is also an important dimension that contributes to improving and enhancing banking profitability. These findings are consistent with several studies in the literature that tested the link between cost leadership business strategy and For instance. Li and Li . found that the effects of both cost and dual strategies on profitability are more significant for domestic firms compared to foreign firms. Market orientation and the cost leadership strategy have a strong positive Business Strategic OrientationA correlation with SMEsAo profitability (Dutse & Aliyu, 2. , and the cost leadership strategy can significantly improve firm profitability (Sun & Li. Innovation Differentiation refers to the capacity of a firm to provide clients with more desirable products than those offered by the competing firms (Andersen. As per Danso et al. , profitability could be advanced massively when implemented by businesses that employ the differentiation strategy model. The findings imply a positive and significant effect on business strategic orientation dimensions and innovation differentiation (BSID) on a positive and significant relationship with banking profitability (BF) . = 0. 267, p = 0. in line with hypothesis (H. This implies that the dimension of innovation differentiation (BSID) is instrumental in the reflection of enhancing the profitability of the banking sector. This result is consistent with several earlier investigations in the literature. According to Hutahayan . , the innovation strategy is important and has a positive effect on profitability. In another study. Cui . found that the differentiation strategy significantly improves the innovation profitability. According to Ngo . , the findings indicate that the relation between creative culture and profitability is partially mediated by the differentiation strategy. The p-ISSN:1411-6510 e-ISSN :2541-6111 JURNAL Riset Akuntansi dan Keuangan Indonesia banking industry can benefit from this recognition by using it to guide strategic planning and decisionmaking processes, ultimately leading to improved profitability and sustainability. The Moderating Effect of the Accounting Information System Accounting information systems are essential instruments because they enable efficient gathering, storing, accessing, and deleting accounting data (Akande et al. , 2. A bankAos management team is usually enabled by accessing accounting data, which is a product of information systems, particularly when it comes to organizing, managing, and conducting organizational operations (Ren, 2. AIS is a crucial component of a businessAos overall information system, especially in accounting procedures and processes (Iyibildiren. Eren, & Ceran, 2. The study results show that AISA has a positive and significant moderating effect on the relationship between cost leadership strategy (BSCLS) and banking profitability. This is supported by the acquisition of a path coefficient value of 182, a statistical t-value of 1. 927, which is less than 96, and a p-value of 0. 054, which is greater than 05, indicating a positive but marginally significant moderating effect. Therefore, hypothesis H3 is These findings align with Beg . , who states that accounting information systemaggregation is one of the crucial factors for a firmAos outcome, thereby influencing its profitability. AISA moderates the relationship between innovation differentiation (BSID) and banking profitability. This is supported by the acquisition of a path coefficient value of -0. 612, a statistical t-value of 912, which is greater than 1. 96, and a p-value of 000, which is less than 0. 05, indicating a negative and significant moderating effect. Therefore, hypothesis H6 is supported. The results of this study confirm that empirical studies show that AISA has a negative and significant effect on organizational profitability (Damayanti & Augustine, 2. AISI moderates the relationship between cost leadership strategy (BSCLS) and banking profitability, but it has a negative and insignificant moderating effect. This is based on the acquisition of a path coefficient value of -0. 047, a statistical T-value of 0. 457, which is less than 1. 96, and a p-value of 0. 648, which is greater than 0. indicating a negative and insignificant moderating Therefore, hypothesis H4 is unsupported. Vol. 10 No. 2 September 2025 This means that AISI does not play the role of a moderator in the relationship between cost leadership strategy (BSCLS) and banking AISI moderates the relationship between innovation differentiation (BSID) and banking profitability, and it has a positive and insignificant moderating effect. These findings are based on the acquisition of a path coefficient value 138, a statistical T-value of 1. 158, which is less 96, and a p-value of 0. 247, which is greater 05, indicating a positive and insignificant moderating effect. Therefore, hypothesis H7 is This means that AISI does not play the role of a moderator in the relationship between innovation differentiation (BSID) and banking This result is consistent with several earlier studies that demonstrate the substantial impact of an innovation strategy on profitability (Hutahayan, 2. According to Damayanti and AugustineAos . research, the profitability of organizations is adversely affected by the integration of the management accounting system. This is one of the rare studies that does not agree with the majority of the research results presented in the literature. AIST moderates the association between cost leadership strategy (BSCLS) and financial gain in banking in a negative and significant trend. This is premised on two factors, namely the acquisition of a path coefficient value of -0. 318, a statistical T-value of 0. 457, which is less than 1. 96, and a p-value of 0. 016, which is less than 0. 05, indicating a negative and significant moderating effect. Accordingly, hypothesis H5 can be accepted. This implies that, in correlation with the cost leadership strategy (BSCLS), the AIST can be viewed as a moderator in banking profitability. The findings indicate that a moderating effect exists between AIST and the innovation differentiation (BSID), and the importance of banking profitability. This is evidenced by the resulting path coefficient value of 349, a T-value of 2. 899, which is greater than 1. as well as a p-value of 0. 004, which is less than 0. indicators of a positive and significant moderating Therefore, hypothesis H8 is supported. This means that AIST plays a high role as a moderator in the relationship between innovation differentiation (BSID) and banking profitability. This result is consistent with several other studies in the For example, a 2019 study by Damayanti and Augustine shows that the accounting Aldoury et al. Vol. 10 No. 2 September 2025 JURNAL Riset Akuntansi dan Keuangan Indonesia information systemAos timeliness positively impacts organizational profitability. Similarly, it confirms the empirical study of Fazri and Muttaqin . , which finds that the deadlines of the management accounting system had a statistically significant positive effect on the profitability of Indonesian start-up businesses. CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS, FUTURE RESEARCH AND This study aimed to explore the relationship between the business strategic orientation of cost leadership and innovative differentiation and banking profitability, with a focus on the moderating role of AIS in the banking sector of Iraq. The results revealed that cost leadership (BSCLS) had a positive but marginally significant effect on banking profitability, while innovative differentiation (BSID) significantly enhanced The moderating role of AIS dimensions was found to be variable. AISA positively moderates the relationship between cost leadership and profitability, while having a negative impact on the relationship between innovative differentiation and On the other hand. AISI has a mixed effect, with negative and insignificant moderation for cost leadership and positive but insignificant moderation for innovative differentiation. AIST exhibits a negative and significant impact on the cost leadership profitability relationship, whereas it was positive and significant in the case Business Strategic OrientationA p-ISSN:1411-6510 e-ISSN :2541-6111 of innovative differentiation and the corporate profitability relationship. These findings reiterate the significance of certain accounting information system dimensions in mediating the efficacy of strategic orientations on banking profitability, which shows that attaining sustainable profitability in the banking sector is quite complicated. This research offers a contribution to the academic community in that it investigates the contribution of the strategic orientation towards the business, as well as the intervening effect of accounting information systems on the profitability of banking institutions in the Iraqi banking sector. It sheds new light on the role of accounting information systems in enhancing or degrading the levels of relationship between business strategy and profitability, and is useful in creating a framework for understanding the dynamics of banking profitability. The findings suggest that bank managers should focus on improving accounting information systems to ensure they are timely, relevant, and predictive. thereby enhancing profitability. Policymakers and decision-makers in emerging markets should recognize the critical role of AIS in bridging strategic orientation and profitability, ensuring their effective implementation to improve operational efficiency and profitability in the banking sector. Future studies could explore the moderating effects of accounting information systems in other sectors and regions, providing a broader understanding of their impact on organizational profitability and strategic execution in different contexts. p-ISSN:1411-6510 e-ISSN :2541-6111 JURNAL Riset Akuntansi dan Keuangan Indonesia Vol. 10 No. 2 September 2025 REFERENCE