...transactions of a business entity in a chronological order. Accounting Accounting is the process of recording, classifying, reporting, analysing, interpreting and communicating of financial information to the stake holders. Accounting is the combination of all the 6 fields while bookkeeping is only a part of the accounting process. Double Entry System According to this system, every business transaction has a two-fold effect and that it affects two accounts in opposite directions. One of the two aspects is the benefit receiving aspect or “incoming aspect” (termed as Debit) and the other is the benefit giving aspect or “outgoing aspect” (termed as Credit). For every transaction, one account is to be debited and another account is to be credited in order to have a complete record of the transaction. The basic principle under this system is that for every debit, there must be a corresponding and equal credit and for every credit there must be a corresponding and equal debit. Following this principle, the arithmetical accuracy of the accounts can be checked by preparing a Trial Balance, where the total of Debits and Credits should tally. It is a scientific system maintaining a complete record of transactions which helps in the ascertainment of profit/loss and financial positionof the business while maintaining the accuracy of accounts Accounting Cycle The entire accounting cycle is based on the double entry system. Once a transaction occurs, it is recorded in the form of a...
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...Bookkeeping and Accounts (City & Guilds Level 2) Course Content: At the end of the course candidates should be able to to do the following at Level 2: * Ledger Accounting: Post ledger transactions, total and balance accounts, bringing down balances: sales ledger; purchase ledger; general ledger. * Control Accounts: Prepare and reconcile control accounts with individual ledger account balances in subsidiary ledgers for: sales ledger control account; purchase ledger control account. * Correction of errors: Identify different types of errors in ledger accounts: incorrect double entries, missing entries, numerical inconsistencies, incorrect calculations. Make appropriate adjustments in the Journal and the respective ledger accounts. Create and clear a suspense account where necessary. * Accounting for capital expenditure and depreciation: Distinguish between capital and revenue expenditure; Record depreciation using: straight line method, reducing balance method. Prepare accounts for depreciation and provision for depreciation. * Year end adjustments: Write off bad debts; Create and increase/reduce the provision for doubtful debts account; Account for accruals and prepayments in ledger accounts; Make appropriate adjustments in the journal; Prepare a trial balance from cash book and ledger balances; Prepare a revised trial balance from one initially drafted incorrectly. * Extended trial balance: Complete an extended trial balance making adjustments...
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...Over the last 500 years, the double-entry system of accounting has provided the accounting profession with a reliable and accurate way of tracking the economic events of companies. However, with the implementation of computer-based accounting systems over the last few decades, event based accounting has gained popularity. The theory behind event based accounting is that each business transaction can be broken down into one, or a combination of three types of events: economic, business, and information. An economic event is one in which the quantity of resources change, such as selling an item or purchasing a service. Events like receiving an invoice from a supplier, or sending out a purchase order to a vendor are examples of business events. They are necessary to the company even though they are not the monetary or physical transactions for goods or services. Tasks like creating reports and inputting new customers are considered information events. Information events provide the necessary data for the economic or business events that transpire. The double-entry system of accounting focuses on taking those separate events and aggregating them into journal entries. By aggregating them, a great deal of the total information of the event is left out. Under an event based accounting system each event is recorded with as much of the information as possible, and then stored in tables of data that allow the user to recall and compile this information into usable reports. This...
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...Standardization of Management Accounting Li-qun Pang Department of accounting, Jilin Business and Technology College 130062, Changchun, China pangliqun1965@126.com Abstract. In order to solve the apparent lack of standardization problem of management accounting theory, because this problem is not only restricted the management accounting application and promotion in China's enterprises, but also hindered their own theory the depth development and research efficiency. This paper describes the standardization of management accounting principles, this paper discusses the basic theory that the standardization of management accounting, Analysis of building management accounting theoretical framework the various elements and the logical relationship between them, and select the appropriate logical starting point as a starting point to build the foundation of management accounting theoretical framework. Keywords: management accounting, standardization, basic principles, basic theoretical system, theoretical framework. 1 Introduction Management accounting as one of the two branches of modern accounting, after decades of development, both in theory and practice have made some development, its important role of business management has gradually been of concern to the community, and follow-up is considered the accounting industry development. But in general, Management accounting in China there are still many problems, as opposed to the development of more sophisticated financial accounting, management...
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...The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/1176-6093.htm Research in management accounting innovations An overview of its recent development Nur Haiza Muhammad Zawawi Department of Accounting and Finance, University of Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia and School of Accounting, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia, and Management accounting innovations 505 Zahirul Hoque School of Accounting, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia Abstract Purpose – The purpose of paper is to present a review of the literature on management accounting innovations (MAIs). Specifically, it explores recent developments in research on MAIs and offers suggestions for future research. The review differs from existing reviews by its specific focus on MAIs and the recent time period covered. In this paper, MAIs refer to the adoption of “newer” or modern forms of management accounting systems such as activity-based costing (ABC), activity-based management, time-driven ABC, target costing, and balanced scorecards. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a review of findings from journal articles published in 22 notable accounting journals. Findings – The review finds that research on MAIs has intensified during the period 2000-2008, with the main focus on exploring the extent to which a host of organizational and environmental factors influence the implementation and use of MAIs in organizations. In addition, research...
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...No. 1, June, 2010 2010-023X 103 Abstract—Nowadays the business world is changing at a faster and faster pace. The reasons given for this is globalization, highs information technology (IT) investments and the rapid pace of technological change. Organizations are responding in different ways and at different rates to the wide range of IT based opportunities and pressures. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the effects of IT related organizational changes on the management accounting function and to contribute to the body of knowledge about to what extent IT affects the ability to solve accounting tasks. The relationship between IT and accounting practices was investigated qualitatively using six case studies and we will measure the impact of IT on accountants’ tasks. The findings suggest a tendency for change and the decentralization of accounting tasks. Index Terms—Accounting, Accounting Information Systems, Financial Documents, Information Technology, Management Information System. I. INTRODUCTION Nowadays the business world is changing at a faster and faster pace. The reasons given for this is globalization, highs IT investments and the rapid pace of technological change in combination with escalating costs of research and development (Frishamar, 2002). The role of information technology (IT) has shifted over the last decades (Teng & Calhoun, 1996) to become an important part of how companies manage and control their resources. Organizations...
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...Introduction Managerial accounting is concerned with providing information to managers- that is, to those who are inside an organization and who direct and control its operations. Managerial accounting can be contrasted with financial accounting, which is concerned with providing information to stockholders, creditors and others who are outside an organization (Garrison and Noreen, 1999). Managerial accounting information includes: * Information on the costs of an organization’s products and services. For Example, managers can use product costs to guide the setting of selling prices. In addition, these product costs are used for inventory valuation and income determination (Horngren and Foster, pp. 2). * Budgets: A budget is a quantitative expression of a plan. * Performance reports: These reports often consist of comparisons of budgets with actual results. The deviations of actual results from budget are called variances (Horngren and Foster, pp. 3) * Other information which assist managers in their planning and control activities. Examples are information on revenues of an organization’s products and services, sales back logs, unit quantities and demands on capacity resources (Kaplan and Atkinson, pp. 1). Managerial Accounting Practices around the World Traditional managerial accounting systems are mainly designed to measure the efficiency of internal processes. In the 1980’s, traditional managerial accounting practitioners were heavily criticized...
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...Cost & Management Accounting Reporting System -Necessity, Role & Control Framework: An Analysis Management & Cost Accounting Reporting Systems are interwoven in the management processes of all well managed organizations across the globe. The necessity of such reporting systems is going to increase in future as the market-place become highly competitive and organization functions become more complicated and inter-twined. This fact also brings to fore the necessity of a common control framework to monitor this system so that it can contribute effectively and efficiently to the pre-determined organizational goals. What is Cost & Management Accounting Reporting Systems? Cost Accounting Reporting System deals with the process of tracking, measuring, recording and classifying the appropriate allocation of expenditure (financial and non-financial) for the determination of the cost of product or service in an organization and for the presentation of suitably arranged data for the purpose of control and guidance of management ( Horngren et al, 2010). Costs are measured in terms of Direct Costs, Indirect Costs and Overhead / Absorbed Costs. Managers use cost accounting to support decision making to reduce a company's costs of products and services and improve its profitability. Management Accounting Reporting System is concerned with the process of identification, measurement, accumulation, analysis, preparation, interpretation and communication of financial and non-financial...
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...MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING: AN OVERVIEW Learning Objectives Distinguish between managerial & financial accounting. Understand the evolution of management accounting. Explain about the IFAC model. Understand how managers can use accounting information to implement strategies. Explain about Relevant Lost & Relevant Regained. 2 Learning Objectives Distinguish between managerial & financial accounting. Understand the evolution of management accounting. Explain about the IFAC model. Understand how managers can use accounting information to implement strategies. Explain about Relevant Lost & Relevant Regained. 3 Accounting System (accumulates financial and managerial accounting data) Managerial Accounting Information for decision making, and control of an organization’s operations. Internal Users Financial Accounting Published financial statements and other financial reports. External Users Managerial Accounting Users of information Managers within company Regulation Financial Accounting Interested outside parties Required. Must comform to Not required because for internal GAAP which is regulated by use only FASB and SEC. Basic accounting system plus Almost exclusively from the Source of Data various other sources basic accounting system Reports often focus on subunits. Reports focus on the enterprise Nature of Reports Based on a combination of in its entirety. Based on and...
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...Contingency theory is perceived by some scholars as a fragmentation of various ideals patched together into a theory of management accounting, nevertheless, it should be recognised that it provides a wealth of knowledge into contemporary management accounting practices. Contingency theory provides enhanced information to the individual which ultimately improves decision making and assists in achieving organisational objectives (Hamas and Lääts, 2002, p. 379). This theory has invaluably provided research evidence that are attributable to contemporary management accounting knowledge and designs. It has provided a profound method to adjust to ever changing external environments and the need for changes in internal factors (Otley, 1980, p. 413). Strengths of contingency theory style research Challenging the criticisms of contingency theory for being fragmentary and contradictory due to its methodological limitations, it is the failure of critiques in realising the many different forms of management accounting designs under the contingency approach and the relationships between those design which have perpetuated this idea (Gerdin and Greves, 2004, p.303). Attention should be shifted to the concepts under which contingency theory has been applied. Contingency theory in its simplest form highlights that an organisation’s structure is conditional upon contextual factors such as environment, strategy and size. One of its key strengths is a congruence approach that it represents...
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...AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE EVOLUTION OF MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING PRACTICES by Magdy Abdel-Kader University of Essex and Robert Luther University of Bristol WP No. 04/06 October 2004 Address for correspondence: Magdy Abdel-Kader Department of Accounting, Finance and Management University of Essex Colchester Essex CO4 3SQ UK E-mail: mabdel@essex.ac.uk 1 An Empirical Investigation of the Evolution of Management Accounting Practices Magdy Abdel-Kadera and Robert Lutherb a: Department of Accounting, Finance and Management, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ (Correspondence address) b: Bristol Business School, U.W.E., Bristol, BS16 1QY The authors are grateful for the constructive comments of participants at the EIASM conference on New Directions in Management Accounting: Innovations in Practice and Research, December 2002, Brussels. Financial support from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants is acknowledged with gratitude. 2 An Empirical Investigation of the Evolution of Management Accounting Practices Abstract This paper investigates and reports on the status of management accounting practices in UK industry. The analysis operationalises the IFAC statement on Management Accounting Concepts and its description of the evolution of management accounting. The results, based on responses from 123 practising management accountants, suggest that the management accounting employed in many UK industrial companies is not...
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...New Look At Management Accounting Mohammad Talha, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia John B. Raja, Multimedia University, Melaka, Malaysia A. Seetharaman, S P Jain Center of Management, Singapore ABSTRACT This paper presents a comparison of the traditional management accounting with the new approach of management accounting with the use of latest information technology and manufacturing technologies. The information and data of the research were gathered from various sources of secondary data. Many online articles and journals were available through these search engines such as Google, Infoseek, Lycos, Excites and Altavista. These articles were downloaded from Internet Websites including IFAC library, CPA online newsletters, Institute of Management Accountants, CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), Technical Bulletin and Institute of Commercial and Financial Accountants. The modern techniques used in Management Accounting are discussed. TQM (Total Quality Management), ABC (Activity Based Costing) and BSC (Balanced score card) are some of the tools that are introduced in management accounting to keep up with the latest technology. This research highlights the emergence of new, more proactive management accounting that increasingly becomes part of the management team with the business process. The future roles and expectations of these accountants in the competitive global economy are discussed. Keywords: Management accounting, Standard...
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...costs to products and services by applying cost drivers [8]. Academics who advocate ABC, such as, Cooper and Kaplan [9], and Swenson [10] argue that it provides more accurate cost data needed to make appropriate strategic decisions about product mix, sourcing, pricing, process improvement, and evaluation of business process performance. These claims have led many firms to adopt ABC systems [8]. The benefits of ABC and its positive impact on firm’s performance motivated a numerous studies which examined various aspects of ABC. Among such studies are McGowan [11] who assessed the integrity of ABC success, Innes and Mitchell [4, 12] and Yanren [13] who conducted research on factors affecting ABC adoption, and Shield [3], Shields and McEwen [14], Gosselin [15] and Baired et al.[16, 17]who concentrated on factors influencing ABC success especially at the implementation stage. However, there is mounting evidence that suggests most of firms are experiencing problems in implementing ABC and, in some extreme cases, ABC implementation is not successful [3], which later resulted in abandoning the ABC systems altogether [15]. Questions arise as to why ABC implementation is successful in certain companies and fails in others. Based on the contingency theory, researchers have argued that the reasons for different degrees of ABC success could be due to the different contextual factors faced by each firm. These have led researchers to recognize assessing factors that influence ABC success implementation...
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...diffusion of management accounting systems Ran Tao Introduction Accounting is the process of identifying, measuring and communicating financial information about an entity to permit informed judgments and decisions by users of the information. (Weetman, 2010) Management accounting is a specialist branch of accounting which has developed to serve the particular needs of management. It helps companies to formulate business strategies and make right business decisions. Many different kinds of management accounting systems are available, some include cost-accounting system, job-costing system and inventory management system. In order to make a smart business decision, it is important to select an appropriate management accounting system that integrates with the company’ financial accounting system. Management accounting innovations and origins An innovation is the successful introduction of an idea perceived as new into a given social system, management accounting innovations involve a set of design characteristics. (Hopper, 2007) The innovation aspects consist of for example types of cost objects, financial or non-financial data and allocation bases. If a proposed system leads to better decisions than the existing system, and the expected benefits from the proposed system exceed the cost of implementation, the new system is adopted. (Feltham, 1972; Demski, 1980) In this case, innovative management accounting system is adopted in many businesses. Management accounting change...
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...Accounting Information for Managers To Make Better Decisions 1 Abstract This paper analysis how the accounting information would support the decision making process. The main goal of an accounting system is to provide financial information about the organization including financial situation and the performance of the organization. The decision makers should know the situation of the organization either by comparing competitors or previous periods’ performance in order to achieve the objectives of the company and this being possible by using accounting information. In addition, this thesis studies the importance of having effective and efficient accounting system to make better decision as it relates to increase the profitability target of an organization. Organizations should replace their weak accounting system in order to ensure that each team member in the Accounts Department is conscious of their role to produce good accounting information (1, Okoli Margaret). The result of this paper describes that providing right information to the right people in time via management reporting to maximize the use of reports in decision-making. 2 Introduction Any organization should survive and excel in the fast paced and ever changing market. We are living in the digital era so information can be found everywhere via websites, databases documents, reports, and emails. However, it’s important to read the historical data-set during decision making process but providing report in quick...
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