Educational standards for management accountants: A critical need

The last five years have seen the development of a trend that may be characterized as “the professionalization of accounting education”. One major element of this movement has been the development of a formal recommended curriculum for students planning a career in public accounting. However, a similar proposed curriculum for management accounting students has not resulted. Although the management accounting profession has made great advances during the past few years, a single formal recommended curriculum has not been developed.This article expresses concern over the lack of such a curriculum, and urges the management accounting arm of the profession to join in developing a single recommended academic curriculum for management accountants.     

Perceptions and experiences of career success among aspiring and early career accountants and the role of organisational support

Positive perceptions of career success are critical among accounting professionals, given their connection with performance, turnover and organisational commitment. Drawing on career stage theory, this study explores the perceptions and experiences of career success among 475 aspiring (Accounting/Finance students), 305 early career accountants (ECAs) and 165 managers/recruiters in Australia. Findings reflected both objective and subjective dimensions of career success alongside notable differences between aspiring accountants and ECAs, highlighting shifting views across the career stages of exploration and establishment. While ECAs were largely positive about their access to career success, managers/recruiters identified ways to create further opportunities for ECAs' career success.     

Priorities for the development of vocational skills in management accountants: A European perspective

In recent years there have been many calls for a re-orientation of accounting education in order to include the development of competencies such as communication, group working, and problem solving skills. However, concern has been expressed that the proposed changes are possibly biased towards the interests of public accounting employers. This paper presents and compares the opinions of the employers of management accountants in Spain and the UK, and then by using a weighted importance indicator determines vocational skills development priorities. The factors that the Spanish and UK employers identified as major constraints to the development of vocational skills are also compared.     

Spreadsheet usage by management accountants: An exploratory study

Spreadsheets play an important role for managerial accountants. For these practitioners, spreadsheets are necessary tools for traditional responsibilities such as planning, budgeting, forecasting as well as newer decision-making responsibilities. Responsibilities for managerial accounting practitioners have shifted from a transaction-based focus to an emphasis on decision support, planning, and control. Managerial accountants are expected to be key members of decision making and cross-functional teams outside the accounting area. Spreadsheets are major tools for meeting these new responsibilities.     

Professional accountants and the development of a management accounting service for the small firm: barriers and possibilities

This paper reports the results of a qualitative study examining the potential for the provision of a management accounting service for smaller companies by accountants in professional practice. The study aimed to determine the management information needs of owner-managers, the type and frequency of information preferred and the capacity of professional accountants to contribute to these needs. The owner-managers of 15 smaller companies were asked to participate in semi-strucutured interviews during which their use of computers to provide management accounts, their relationship with their accountant and their financial skills were discussed. The respondents were presented with a range of management information including statutory final accounts, interim accounts, cash statements, ratios and graphical comparisons of monthly turnover figures in order to assess their financial information skills and needs. The study found that companies used computers for the preparation of management accounting information, but usually not to their full potential. The financial awareness of owner-managers varied considerably. There was a favourable response to the presentation of ratios and graphs, however, it was felt that an explanation or interpretation of financial information by their accountant would be a useful addition to improve their understanding and therefore aid their business. The study concludes that there appears to be significant potential for accountants to expand the management accounting services they provide to smaller companies, especially where information is presented as ratios or graphs and accompanied with an appropriate narrative interpretation. This would also increase the financial skills of their clients and result in an increased demand for management accounting services.     

The promotion of academic accountants

Using publicly available information, mainly the Hasselback directory, promotions of doctorally qualified U.S. academic accountants are examined for the 1980 to 1985 time period. The dependent variables considered are time to promotion from date of terminal degree and the likelihood that a move from one institution to another occurs at the time of promotion. The independent variables include personal characteristics such as degree concentration and interest area as well as characteristics of the school where the promotion occurs such as size and maximum degree offered. One finding of the study is that research-oriented institutions take longer to promote their faculty and are less likely to hire and promote simultaneously than are less research-oriented institutions     

新趋势下的新看点--2004金融展观展侧记

2004年9月12日～15日,第12届中国国际金融(银行)技术暨设备展览会在北京展览馆隆重举行。中国人民银行副行长苏宁、中国银监会副主席史纪良和各金融机构有关负责人出席了开幕式。本届金融展主题是“中国金融信息化的未来发展趋势”,防范金融风险、推动金融创新、提升金融服务和增强竞争能力等行业内的热点则成为本届金融展的主要话题。今年金融展的展览面积比去年略有减少,5号馆和6号馆不再作为展区,而去年这里曾经是热闹非凡的银行卡各显神通的“大舞台”。不过今年的金融展同样颇有看头。在国内金融信息化建设逐步向纵深发展的背景下,各家…     

The written communication skills that matter most for accountants

Given the importance of effective written communication skills to the discipline of accounting, faculty must emphasize these skills in their classroom in order to adequately prepare students for successful careers in the field. Since 2000, only two studies in the accounting literature have examined which written communication skills are needed by entry-level accountants and consensus is that spelling, grammar, punctuation, and clarity are of utmost importance. We surveyed accounting practitioners and faculty to determine what exactly, within those categories, is most bothersome. For example, within clarity, is it wordy sentences, passive voice, or shifts in tense? By documenting the most bothersome errors, our findings can help accounting educators to focus their limited time on the appropriate skill emphasis.     

An empirical test of Birkett’s competency model for management accountants: Survey evidence from Dutch practitioners

In 2002, the Accountants-in-Business section of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) issued the Competency Profiles for Management Accounting Practice and Practitioners report. This “Birkett Report” presents a framework for competency development during the careers of management accountants (MAs). On the basis of this theoretical report, a hypothesis has been formulated about the sequence in which each of 38 competencies is expected to become important to the MA during his/her career. Results presented here show that practicing MAs see the same sequence of competencies during their careers as is presented in the theoretical framework, supporting Birkett’s competency model. The results indicate that there may be three groups of competencies: basic, advanced, and highly advanced. It may be said that the basic competencies need to be present at graduation. The advanced competencies may need to be present some years after the start of the MAs career. The highly advanced skills may be needed for Chief Financial Officer (CFO) candidates. These results suggest that advanced and highly advanced competencies are those that could be taught in continuing professional education (CPE) programs, while university education programs should focus on developing basic competencies.     

Role conflicts of management accountants and their position within organisation structures

The research examines accountants' and managers' perceptions of management accounting roles under conditions of centralisation and decentralisation of the management accounting function. Decentralization was associated with greater interaction between accountants and other managers and with the provision of accounting information perceived as being more pertinent to managerial needs. However, whatever the structural relationship, there were criticisms of the accountants' passivity in management. Contrary to expectations neither interpersonal relationships nor excessive power of accountants were problematical, nor did many accountants show bureaucratic orientations. Their inability to meet service expectations were perhaps, related to ambiguity and stress emanating from the accounting workflows.     

Computer packages as cognitive paradigms: Implications for the education of accountants

Computer packages are playing an increasingly dominant role in the life of most business organisations, which in turn is reflected in a greater role for packages in education. These packages both presuppose knowledge on the part of the user, and also “contain” knowledge of accounting as well as mathematical and other concepts. This paper suggests that packages function not just as information processing tools, but as “paradigms” which structure the approaches taken to cognitive tasks—although there may be an important distinction between expected and actual paradigms. The change to package-based paradigms represents a substantial shift in cognitive framework. The paper discusses the implications of this for package users and for the educational process. Three important themes are emphasised: first the importance of students learning about packages on a “meta” level rather than simply learning to use them; second the suggestion that treating packages as “black boxes” may sometimes be inevitable and desirable; and third the possibility that computer packages may, to some extent, serve as a substitute for education.     

Enterprise Resource Planning and a contest to limit the role of management accountants: A strong structuration perspective

The implementation and use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems raise fundamental questions about the role of management accountants in an organisation. The case studied here, involving an attempt to establish an ERP system in an organisation funded by both the European Union (EU) and the Egyptian government, is an exploration of conflicting beliefs about the role of management accountants. Elements of strong structuration theory (a reinforced version of Giddens’ structuration theory) are used to analyse how the contest over the role of the management accountant in a new organisation was played out during the partially successful attempt to establish ERP in conjunction with a system that was felt to better support the requirements of the EU for performance-based budgeting. Despite the forward-looking dispositions of key actors within the organisation and from the EU, the role of the management accountant here became compressed to the traditional one of cost information collector and provider.     

The role of internet-related technologies in shaping the work of accountants: New directions for accounting research

This paper reviews the accounting literature that focuses on four Internet-related technologies that have the potential to dramatically change and disrupt the work of accountants and accounting researchers in the near future. These include cloud, big data, blockchain, and artificial intelligence (AI). For instance, access to distributed ledgers (blockchain) and big data supported by cloud-based analytics tools and AI will automate decision making to a large extent. These technologies may significantly improve financial visibility and allow more timely intervention due to the perpetual nature of accounting. However, given the number of tasks technology has relieved of accountants, these technologies may also lead to concerns about the profession's legitimacy. The findings suggest that scholars have not given sufficient attention to these technologies and how these technologies affect the everyday work of accountants. Research is urgently needed to understand the new kinds of accounting required to manage firms in the changing digital economy and to determine the new skills and competencies accountants may need to master to remain relevant and add value. The paper outlines a set of questions to guide future research.     

The effects of microcomputers on the work of professional accountants

A model of the interrelations between perceptions, anxieties, attitudes, microcomputer use and work outcomes of professional accountants is developed and tested on 157 Big Six accountants. The results show that job satisfaction of professional accountants is directly affected by their attitude toward using microcomputers and by microcomputer use itself. Job performance appears to be only directly affected by microcomputer attitudes, but microcomputer use does not directly affect job performance. Along with perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, computer anxiety is shown to be an important determinant of microcomputer attitudes—higher levels of computer anxiety negatively affect these attitudes. Conversely, higher levels of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness heighten individuals' positive attitudes toward using microcomputers. Perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness also indirectly affect microcomputer attitudes through their effect on computer anxiety. The results show that higher levels of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness result in lower levels of computer anxiety. A surprising result from the study is that while perceived ease of use is shown to directly affect the level of microcomputer usage, perceived usefulness and attitude toward using microcomputers do not.     

The appointment qualifications of Muslim accountants in the Middle Ages

Historically, accountants and accounting have played a very important role in Muslim societies. Accountants, who were known as Al-Kateb (accountants/bookkeepers/accounts clerks), held very prestigious positions in government, business and society. They were the advisors and decision-makers for the rulers, business peoples and society at large. The primary objective of accounting was the ascertainment of the adequacy of the transactions from the religious view point and the appropriate calculation of Zakat (religious levy). The role and responsibilities of Al-Kateb were much broader than those that exist in many instances today. The expanded role and status of Al-Kateb resulted in the establishment of comprehensive and demanding appointment criteria. Some of these criteria were of a compulsory nature while others were optional and were known as recommended appointment requirements. This paper examines the mandatory appointment requirements that were, at large, based on Shari'ah Islami'iah (Islamic teachings) that reflects the role of Islam as a comprehensive code of life for Muslims. Technical competence was also a mandatory requirement that had to serve the religious requirements in the process of recording and interpreting business transactions. Some of the mandatory appointment requirements of Al-Kateb are, in essence, similar to current Western practices. The similarity could have been prompted by historical business relationships between Muslim and Europeans (especially Italians) since the twelfth century.     

Infantile mortality from an actuarial point of view

Abstract

1. The difficulties by which the actuary is confronted in dealing with infantile mortality resemble in several ways the difficulties experienced at extreme old age. In both cases the variation in the mortality is so rapid that the usual formulas of numerical approximation may break down. In both cases the observations of the life insurance companies are scarce, and hypothesis must therefore be resorted to. In both cases there is a question of convergence, if the force of mortality is assumed to tend to infinity, as the age tends to zero. In both cases it is, of course, impossible to tell with certainty whether the force of mortality does actually tend to infinity.     

注册会计师和内部审计师在公司治理结构中的作用

什么是"公司治理结构"?简而言之,公司治理结构意味着健全的管理、透明度和披露.就公司而言,公司治理结构是指确定管理当局、董事会、股东以及其他证券持有者之间的关系,由此实现透明度、经营责任和公平的目标和理想.