Essay examples --

Over the last few decades, the organizational role of management accountants has changed radically, along with the environment. Many of these changed management accountants undertake more advisory and strategic roles in their organizations. Their work has become more similar to that to business partners who are involved in both the everyday and the long term strategic decision making process. This essay will critically analyze the role of management accountants in the present day, as compared to their more traditional role in previous decades. First a distinction between financial accounting and management accounting must be made. Financial accountants are concerned with having financial systems put in place that allow them to maintain records, perform routine transactions, and produce year end reports (Cook 1995). Management accountants are more involved in using that financial information to improve management of the organization. Management can be defined as involved in â€Å"identifying, presenting, and interpreting information used for formulating strategy, planning and controlling activities, decision taking, and optimizing the use of resources† (Cook 1995). Historically speaking, management accountants have been viewed as â€Å"functional scorekeepers who are preoccupied with the past and reluctant to accept responsibility for decisions† (Parker 2002). The traditional role is one which concentrates on two main areas: supporting management decision-making and monitoring and controlling (Feeney & Pierce 2007). These management accountants focused primarily on the internal aspects of their work places, as well as a more statistical, financial and analytical perspective. Traditionally management accountants were not involved in decisio... ...e involved (Byrne & Pierce 2007), and operational managers may continue to consider the accountants to be in the role of making suggestions rather than decisions. Over the last few decades, the role of the management accountant has changed drastically. Traditionally involved in analyzing past decisions and statistics, present day management accountants have become more involved in forward thinking strategies and actual operational decision making. This leads to management accountants who perform a wide range of activities which might have been unheard of for them in previous years. However, this transition is not necessarily as straightforward as anticipated. These new kind of management accountants must overcome considerable challenges and conflicts in order to achieve the new role that is seen as both necessary and beneficial for the present business environment. Essay examples -- Over the last few decades, the organizational role of management accountants has changed radically, along with the environment. Many of these changed management accountants undertake more advisory and strategic roles in their organizations. Their work has become more similar to that to business partners who are involved in both the everyday and the long term strategic decision making process. This essay will critically analyze the role of management accountants in the present day, as compared to their more traditional role in previous decades. First a distinction between financial accounting and management accounting must be made. Financial accountants are concerned with having financial systems put in place that allow them to maintain records, perform routine transactions, and produce year end reports (Cook 1995). Management accountants are more involved in using that financial information to improve management of the organization. Management can be defined as involved in â€Å"identifying, presenting, and interpreting information used for formulating strategy, planning and controlling activities, decision taking, and optimizing the use of resources† (Cook 1995). Historically speaking, management accountants have been viewed as â€Å"functional scorekeepers who are preoccupied with the past and reluctant to accept responsibility for decisions† (Parker 2002). The traditional role is one which concentrates on two main areas: supporting management decision-making and monitoring and controlling (Feeney & Pierce 2007). These management accountants focused primarily on the internal aspects of their work places, as well as a more statistical, financial and analytical perspective. Traditionally management accountants were not involved in decisio... ...e involved (Byrne & Pierce 2007), and operational managers may continue to consider the accountants to be in the role of making suggestions rather than decisions. Over the last few decades, the role of the management accountant has changed drastically. Traditionally involved in analyzing past decisions and statistics, present day management accountants have become more involved in forward thinking strategies and actual operational decision making. This leads to management accountants who perform a wide range of activities which might have been unheard of for them in previous years. However, this transition is not necessarily as straightforward as anticipated. These new kind of management accountants must overcome considerable challenges and conflicts in order to achieve the new role that is seen as both necessary and beneficial for the present business environment.