Chapter 1

The Changing
Role of
Managerial
Accounting in a
Dynamic Business
Environment
Copyright 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

Define Managerial Accounting

Managerial accounting is the process of

Identifying
Measuring
Analyzing
Interpreting
Communicating information

1-2

Managing Resources, Activities, and

People
An organization . . .
Directing

Acquires Resources

Hires People

Organized
Organized set
set
of
of activities
activities

Controlling

Decision
Making

Planning

1-3

How Managerial Accounting Adds

Value to the Organization

Providing
Providing information
information for
for decision
decision making
making and
and

planning.
planning.

Assisting
Assisting managers
managers in
in directing
directing and
and
controlling
controlling activities.
activities.

Motivating
Motivating managers
managers and
and other
other employees
employees
towards
towards organizations
organizations goals.
goals.

Measuring
Measuring performance
performance of
of subunits,
subunits, activities,
activities,
managers,
managers, and
and other
other employees.
employees.

Assessing
Assessing the
the organizations
organizations competitive
competitive
position.
position.
1-4

Managerial versus Financial

Accounting
Accounting
Accounting System
System
(accumulates
(accumulates financial
financial and
and
managerial
managerial accounting
accounting data
data in
in the
the
cost
cost accounting
accounting system)
system)
Managerial
Managerial Accounting
Accounting
Information
Information for
for decision
decision
making,
making, planning,
planning, and
and
controlling
controlling an
an
organization
organizations
s
operations.
operations.
Internal
Users

Financial
Financial Accounting
Accounting
Published
Published financial
financial
statements
statements and
and other
other
financial
financial reports.
reports.

External
Users
1-5

Line and Staff Positions

A
A line
line position
position is
is

directly
directly involved
involved in
in
achieving
achieving the
the basic
basic
objectives
objectives of
of an
an
organization.
organization.

Example:
Example: A
A

A
A staff
staff position
position supports
supports

and
and assists
assists line
line
positions.
positions.

Example:
Example: A
A cost
cost
accountant
accountant in
in the
the
manufacturing
manufacturing plant.
plant.

production
production supervisor
supervisor
in
in aa manufacturing
manufacturing
plant.
plant.

1-6

Controller
The
The chief
chief managerial
managerial and
and financial
financial accountant
accountant
is
is responsible
responsible for:
for:

Supervising
Supervising accounting
accounting personnel.
personnel.

Preparation
Preparation of
of information
information and
and reports,
reports,
managerial
managerial and
and financial.
financial.

Analysis
Analysis of
of accounting
accounting information.
information.

Planning
Planning and
and decision
decision making.
making.

1-7

Treasurer
Responsible
Responsible for
for raising
raising capital
capital and
and safeguarding
safeguarding
the
the organizations
organizations assets.
assets.

Supervises
Supervises relationships
relationships with
with financial
financial
institutions.
institutions.

Work
Work with
with investors
investors and
and potential
potential
investors.
investors.

Manages
Manages investments.
investments.

Establishes
Establishes credit
credit policies.
policies.

Manages
Manages insurance
insurance coverage
coverage

1-8

Internal Auditor
Responsible
Responsible for
for reviewing
reviewing accounting
accounting procedures,
procedures,
records,
records, and
and reports
reports in
in both
both the
the controllers
controllers and
and the
the
treasurers
treasurers area
area of
of responsibility.
responsibility.

Expresses
Expresses an
an opinion
opinion to
to top
top
management
management regarding
regarding the
the
effectiveness
effectiveness of
of the
the
organizations
organizations accounting
accounting
system.
system.

1-9

Strategic Cost Management and the

Value Chain
Product
Product
Design
Design
Research
Research
and
and
Development
Development
Securing
Securing raw
raw
materials
materials and
and
other
other resources
resources

Start

Production
Production
Marketing
Marketing
Distribution
Distribution
Customer
Customer
Service
Service
1-10

Capacity
Theoretical Capacity is the upper limit on

the amount of goods or services if

everything works perfectly.
Practical capacity allows for normal

occurrences such as cash register downtime

and cashier fatigue or illness.

1-11

Cost Management Systems

Objectives
Objectives

Measure
Measure the
the cost
cost

of
of resources
resources
consumed.
consumed.

Identify
Identify and
and
eliminate
eliminate nonnonvalue-added
value-added costs.
costs.

Cost
Management
System

1-12

Cost Management Systems

Objectives
Objectives

Determine
Determine efficiency
efficiency

and
and effectiveness
effectiveness of
of
major
major activities.
activities.

Identify
Identify and
and evaluate
evaluate
new
new activities
activities that
that
can
can improve
improve
performance.
performance.

Cost
Management
System

1-13

Managerial Accounting as a
Career
Professional Organizations

Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)

Publishes
Publishes
Management
Management
Accounting
Accounting
and
and research
research
studies.
studies.

Administers
Administers
Certified
Certified
Management
Management
Accountant
Accountant
program
program

Develops
Develops
Standards
Standards of
of
Ethical
Ethical
Conduct
Conduct for
for
Management
Management
Accountants
Accountants
1-14

Ethical Climate of Business

The
The corporate
corporate scandals
scandals experienced
experienced over
over the
the
last
last few
few years
years have
have shown
shown us
us that
that unethical
unethical
behavior
behavior in
in business
business is
is wrong
wrong in
in aa moral
moral sense
sense
and
and can
can be
be disastrous
disastrous in
in the
the economy.
economy. In
In
addition
addition to
to Sarbanes-Oxley,
Sarbanes-Oxley, there
there will
will likely
likely be
be
more
more reforms
reforms in
in corporate
corporate governance
governance and
and
accounting.
accounting.

1-15

Professional Ethics
Competence
Confidentiality
Integrity
Credibility

1-16