...Sustainability and the role of the management accountant Research executive summary series Volume 7 | Issue 14 Associate Professor Eva Collins, Professor Stewart Lawrence Professor Juliet Roper, Associate Professor Jarrod Haar Waikato Management School, University of Waikato Key findings: • Our research has shown that companies need to have management accountants in strategy-setting roles in order to achieve the best sustainability outcomes. • There is a worldwide move toward ‘integrative’ reporting incorporating non-financial as well as financial data. Management accountants are ideally placed to provide the alignment mechanisms and collaborate with senior management in producing fully integrated reports, reflecting sustainable strategies adopted by organisations which fulfil the needs of stakeholder groups. • Our results found that many management accountants are fulfilling their traditional role of financial specialist but not yet acting as collaborators in driving toward sustainability as a goal. • The survey showed that CIMA members had a higher rate of accountants participating in sustainability strategies than non-member companies but it was still a minority (12%) compared to the role of the managing director, environmental, human resources and marketing managers. • Like any other aspect of business, collection and analysis of good, issue-specific data is crucial to sustainability decisions. Sustainability requires accountants to monitor and manage non-traditional...
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...Management Accountants Aileen Davey Adrian France* *Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) Tristram Street Private Bag 3036 Hamilton 2020 New Zealand Telephone: (07) 8348800 ext 8519 Fax: (07) 8348802 Email: Adrian.france@wintec.ac.nz Abstract In New Zealand there have been a number of articles about the changing profile of accountants in today’s environment. Recent debate is focusing on the goal congruence of educators and practitioners. Professional accounting bodies are also identifying the changing needs of the accounting professionals’ skill sets as a key area of future focus irrespective of what job title the accounting professionals operates under. This paper seeks to identify the key skills and characteristics of management accountants which are being looked for by employers in today’s market. Situations vacant for management accountants were surveyed. The results indicated that communication skills were advertised the most frequently, marginally ahead of technical skills. Of the Characteristics leadership was most frequently advertised. The survey in this paper confirmed the practitioners actions in situations vacant advertising are congruent with their requirements profiled as essential skills in potential employees, today’s students. Keywords: Skills, characteristics, management accountant, situations vacant, advertising. Advertised Skills and Characteristics of Management Accountants Boer...
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... The purpose of my paper is to explore Forensic Accounting and the many aspects surrounding the field. I will determine the skills necessary to be a forensic accountant and its application to business operations. I will also describe the role the forensic accountant plays in a courtroom environment and the role played by the forensic accountant in the litigation process. I will also provide case examples where forensic accountants are used and have provided vital evidence in the case. Today, forensic accounting is a rapidly growing segment of the accounting practice, and the current demand for forensic accountants far outstrips the current supply. Determine the most important five (5) skills that a forensic accountant needs to possess and evaluate the need for each skill. Be sure to include discussion regarding the relationship between the skill and its application to business operations. Have you ever been cheated, robbed or financially hurt by actions of others? Well, out of those feelings civil lawsuits arise based on the desire to reclaim what one perceives he/she has lost unjustly. Financial loss isn’t always easy to define or measure. So, the important task of investigating and quantifying the financial loss normally requires the expertise of a forensic accountant. A forensic accountant is a professional who uses a unique blend of education and experience to apply accounting, financial analysis and investigative skills to uncover truth, assist in financial...
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...Roles, authority and involvement of the management accounting function: a multiple case-study perspective Caroline Lambert HEC, Paris 1, rue de la Libération 78351 Jouy en Josas Cedex lambert@hec.fr Samuel Sponem Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers GREG-CRC (EA 2430) samuel.sponem@cnam.fr Acknowledgements The authors are grateful to participants at the European Accounting Association Conference 2009, the Accounting department ESSEC seminar, France, and at the seminar of Ecole de Comptabilité de l’Université Laval, Québec, Canada for their constructive comments on earlier drafts of this paper. They also wish to thank and useful suggestions of members of the CriM group, Martin Messner and Juhani Vaivio. We would particularly like to thank Markus Granlund and the two anonymous reviewers for their many helpful comments and suggestions. Both authors thank ‘Fondation HEC’ and ‘Agence Nationale de la Recherche’ for their fundings. Abstract Recent techniques and shifts in the environment are often foreseen as leading management accountants to adopt a business orientation. However, empirical evidence pointing to fundamental shifts in the roles played by management accountants remains relatively scarce. We explore this paradox and give sense to the various roles played by the management accounting function by focusing on how management accountants are involved in and endowed with authority in decision-making situations. Using data we gathered from 73 interviews in ten...
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...Consortium ISSN: 2277 – 100X RIJBFA RADIX INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BANKING, FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING DECISION MAKING AND THE ROLE OF MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING FUNCTION – A REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL LITERATURE Fitsum Kidane (Phd. Research scholar), Lecturer in Accounting and Finance College of Business and Economics Mekelle University Mekelle, Ethiopia Abstract This study examines decision making and the role of management accounting function in a business organization. Using the review of literature, I identify management accountants perform a wide variety of tasks. Only a part of management accounting activity is directed at performance improvement. Some of the activities they perform are related to the statutory reporting requirements of the organization. Some of these are related to the operational requirements of the finance function itself such as processing transactions receiving money and paying bills. Literature foresees new management accounting techniques and changes in organizational and business environments having a huge impact on management accountants’ roles, yet empirical evidence on fundamental shifts in these roles remains relatively scarce. Journal of Radix International Educational and Research Consortium www.rierc.org RIJBFA KEYWORDS Volume 1, Issue 4(April 2012) ISSN: 2277 – 100X Decision making, management accountant, management accounting INTRODUCTION Accounting can be defined as "the process of identifying, measuring and communicating...
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...Skills, Responsibilities and Roles of the Management Accountant Today's Management Accountant Skills, Responsibilities and Roles in Today's Global Economy Jennifer Dosch, CMA Metropolitan State University Chapter Goal: To demonstrate the skills necessary for management accountants in today's business environment. To identify and explain the responsibilities and roles for today's management accountant. Learning Objectives Demonstrate the differences between management and financial accounting. Describe important skills needed for today's management accountant. Examine responsibilities of the management accountant. Examine the roles required of today's management accountant. Summarize IMA's Code of Ethics for management accountants. Jennifer.Dosch@metrostate.edu Page 1 Skills, Responsibilities and Roles of the Management Accountant I. Overview of Accounting The two primary accounting roles in an organization are “financial” and “management” accounting. The recording of transactions and preparing financial reports is the financial accounting role. Financial accounting deals with historical results, the recording and reporting of transactions that have occurred. For example, paying cash for salaries expenses incurred or recording the purchase of raw materials. The recording of transactions and preparation of financial statements are currently guided by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). GAAP consists of standards and...
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...these expert witnesses includes the forensic accountant, which has become a common use within the courtroom. This paper will discuss the five most important skills that a forensic accountant needs to possess, the role of a forensic accountant within a courtroom environment, the legal responsibility a forensic accountant has while providing service to a business, and two cases where forensic accountant have provided vital evidence in a case. It will also summarize the accountant’s role during the cases. Five Most Important Skills The five most important skills a forensic accountant needs to possess are private investigator, research skills, analytical abilities, accounting and task manager. Private investigator skills are important because they have to be able to gather information about the case. They have to be able to provide hard facts about the case to prove that fraud is actually accruing within the company or towards the company. They also have to go undetected that way important things that can help a case will not be cover up nor erased. They also have to possess research skills. This way they can gather only the important facts that can help with the case because they do not want to enter evidence that can harm the case or that does not have any relevance to the case. Analytical abilities are essential because they need to be able to analyze what is important and what is not. They also need to be able to analyze what is going on before they can make a legit...
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...Management Accounting Summary: The role in business played by management accountants will be significantly different in the future from what it is now, and it is it is unclear how many of today's accountants will be able or willing to adjust to that change. Management accountants will be part business partner and part facilitator of change in their companies; they will become more analytical and proactive, look into the future, and join with management in making and taking responsibility for tough decisions. They will also be the key personnel involved in developing, configuring, and dispensing information throughout their organizations. Finances Future: Challenge or threat"-Management Accounting This article is a bout the changing demands of the business world and the impact it will have on management accounting. According to this article the business role that management accountants play will be significantly different in the future. While this change is inevitable it is unclear how many of today's accountants will be able or willing to adjust to the change and conform to what is being called "New Accounting." Accountants in the future will have to play a much larger role in their organization. Becoming a change agent, someone who can help accelerate change in an organization. This is a problem for most accountants who are used to doing the same job year after year with little to no change. Since the introduction of the computer management has recognized that the PC can...
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...head: THE FORENSIC ACCOUNTANT FORENSIC ACCOUNTING IN PRACTICE Tanon Patrick Contemporary Business - BUS 508 Dr. Ronnie A. Jones December 20, 2013 Abstract Accounting is the systematic process of identifying, recording, measuring, classifying, verifying, summarizing, interpreting and communicating financial information. It reveals profit or loss for a given period, and the value and nature of a firm's assets, liabilities and owners' equity (Business Dicitionary.com). Accountants take a vow to ensure the accuracy of all financial records for the company they work for. When a company suspects fraudulent activity they often call in a forensic accountant to help with the investigation. The forensic accountant has the skills to investigate what happened, to measure damages, and to provide litigation support to corporate and outside counsel (Flexstudy.com). FORENSIC ACCOUNTING IN PRACTICE Determine the most important five (5) skills that a forensic accountant needs to possess and evaluate the need for each skill. This paper will give some incite on the different levels of responsibility and skills that the forensic accountant must have to provide quality service. “Accounting professionals work in a variety of areas in and for business firms, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations. They can be classified as public, management, government, and not-for-profit accountants” (L.E. Boone, 2012...
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...Management: Forensic Accountants: Fraud Busters. By: For: Class: Bus 508: Contemporary Business Date: 13 November 2012 Abstract: A case study for the Strayer University, Woodbridge, VA, Business 508 class, this paper provides for a brief review of 1) The skills that a forensic accountant requires; 2) The role of the forensic accountant in the courtroom; 3) The legal responsibilities of the forensic accountant; and lastly, 4) The role of the forensic accountant in a couple of major accounting fraud scandals. The world of Accounting has seen several major scandals since the early 1990s. These include major accounting failures such as Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia, Tyco, Phar-Mor, Cendant, Computer Associates, AOL, Freddie Mac, ImClone, Qwest Communications, Royal Ahold, Health South Corporation, AIG, Lehman Brothers, and most recently the Olympus Corporation. Some of these have resulted in the collapse and dissolution of the company – Enron, Adelphia; others have resulted in a major restructuring of the company – AOL, AIG, Freddie Mac. Whatever the result, they have all been caused by accounting fraud – either “cooking the books” to hide major losses or to hide the theft of funds. It has also resulted in the failure and absorption of the one of the Big Five Accounting firms – Arthur Anderson. Besides the whistle blower who brought most of these to public view and the lawyers who have been involved their dismantling one of the other major role players, though...
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...Forensic Accounting in Practice: Forensic Accountants: Fraud Busters A forensic accountant is part investigator, part auditor, part attorney, and part accountant (Levanti, T.). Due to the increase in high-profile cases of companies and individuals, forensic accounting is a growing and popular field in the business and forensic subjects. A forensic accountant is someone who is often retained to analyze, interpret, summarize, interviews and present complex financial and business related issues in a manner that is both understandable and properly supported (Zysman, A.). Forensic accountants usually work in a public practice or are employed by insurance companies, banks, police or government agencies. They are to investigate and analyze any financial evidence, communicate their findings in reports or documents and assist in legal proceedings, such as testifying in court as an expert witness (Zysman, A.). Determine the most important five (5) skills that a forensic accountant needs to possess and evaluate the need for each skill. Be sure to include discussion regarding the relationship between the skill and its application to business operations. I think the five most important skills that a forensic accountant needs to posses are to be: (1) analytical, (2) detail-oriented, (3) ethical, (4) responsive, and (5) insightful (Davis, Farrell & Ogilby). Analytical The need to be analytical in a forensic accounting engagement may be the most important overall characteristic, without...
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...“Why society needs accountants” – Trust, the key of our economy Nowadays we live in a society which is more complex than ever. The improved information systems of the last decades made the world more integrated, intertwined and interdependent than before. Due to the high speed of information sharing, the perspective of the world can literally change in a day. Perhaps most illustrative for this is the financial capital market. Millions of profits are being made by traders, taking advantage of a split second of arbitrage. Bad news from China can affect the stock markets in the world for weeks. Misunderstood US mortgages could initiate of a global economic crisis of which is affecting our society still nowadays. But the question is: why are accountants needed in this complex society? What is the role of an accountant in our society ? First I will discuss the role of accounting in the current accounting and subsequently I will elaborate why an accountant is hardly needed in the future. Because our society nowadays is so fast and interdependent, ‘trustworthiness’ is a vital assets mar-ket participants require to function. For instance, when you buy your study book online, you pay an amount up front and you trust the bookstore to deliver the book in time. You probably pay with your bank account. A place where you, trust a large proportion of your wealth to. The bookstore accepts your electronic payment, relying on the fact that they can use it to make other payments or convert...
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...Introduction In this report I will be explaining what employability is and why they are important. I will also define what is personal and communicational skills required when applying for a job role as an accountant. Employability Skills Each job requires candidates doing it to possess a variety of specialist skills require for a specific job. Though there are range of skills that are useful to a wider variety of careers and are hence forth transferable between jobs. This is known as employability skills. These are essential for employees to be able to work effectively in a modern organisation or workplace. For instance to be an accountant for Cameron Balloons, the applicant needs to have suitable qualifications as well as having relevant experience in a similar role. This is important when applying for a job as an accountant, since it tells the organisation that you possess the experience and qualifications that are required for the job. Personal Skills Personal Skills are certain skills that will be beneficial regardless of the job. These transferrable skills make a candidate for the accounting job attractive when they are applying for the job role for Cameron balloons. For an accountant on of the personal skills that will be beneficial will be patience. As an accountant having patience is very important. An accountant who remains patience in a very difficult time and situations and gets the job done is highly valued by the organisation. Therefore showing this skills...
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...perform an essential role in society. They are responsible to all those who use their professional services. They also have a continuing responsibility to improve the art of accounting, maintain the public’s confidence, and carry out the profession’s special responsibilities for self-governance. However, the role of a CPA in helping businesses come up with a good and effective decision-making is said to be one of the important responsibilities of a CPA. The many traditional roles of a CPA in assisting businesses take on even greater importance in a volatile economic environment. CPAs are relied upon so much because of not only their keen analytical and decision-making skills but also their objectivity, integrity and dedication to service. Many CPAs provide services well beyond accounting, auditing and reporting. The consumer often expects a CPA to be proficient at many specializations, even those just indirectly related to the traditional role of an accountant. The CPA's role has been quickly expanding, and one leading CPA proposed that the term CPA more appropriately stand for Certified Professional Advisor. (www.picpa.org) A CPA is much more than its definition of Certified Public Accountant. The term certified refers to the licensing to carry on business as a CPA and meeting the standards as promulgated by the American Institute of CPAs and the various state societies. The term public accountant refers to the role as an accountant, who handles recordkeeping...
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...perform an essential role in society. They are responsible to all those who use their professional services. They also have a continuing responsibility to improve the art of accounting, maintain the public’s confidence, and carry out the profession’s special responsibilities for self-governance. However, the role of a CPA in helping businesses come up with a good and effective decision-making is said to be one of the important responsibilities of a CPA. The many traditional roles of a CPA in assisting businesses take on even greater importance in a volatile economic environment. CPAs are relied upon so much because of not only their keen analytical and decision-making skills but also their objectivity, integrity and dedication to service. Many CPAs provide services well beyond accounting, auditing and reporting. The consumer often expects a CPA to be proficient at many specializations, even those just indirectly related to the traditional role of an accountant. The CPA's role has been quickly expanding, and one leading CPA proposed that the term CPA more appropriately stand for Certified Professional Advisor. (www.picpa.org) A CPA is much more than its definition of Certified Public Accountant. The term certified refers to the licensing to carry on business as a CPA and meeting the standards as promulgated by the American Institute of CPAs and the various state societies. The term public accountant refers to the role as an accountant, who handles recordkeeping...
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