Written by two experienced lecturers, this is the first student-centered textbook to bridge the technical and theoretical aspects of management accounting change. Packed full of pedagogical features, including mini-cases, learning outcomes, key terms, article summaries, key concept boxes, real-world cases, chapter summaries and further reading suggestions and resources, it is clear and accessibly written, covering all the major emerging topics in management accounting theory. Discussing technical developments in management accounting from conventional cost accounting to contemporary strategic management accounting and beyond, in four parts it: shows how conventional cost accounting techniques and management control models evolved in line with the development of mass production and bureaucracy explores how recent developments such as customer and strategic orientations in business, flexible manufacturing, post-bureaucracy, network and virtual organizational technologies implicate in management accounting provides a number of alternative theories through which the transition of management accounting from mechanistic to post-mechanistic approaches can be explained – elaborating both rational and interpretive/critical theories. This excellent text meets a desperate need for an advanced management accounting textbook that incorporates theory and practice and is accessible and engaging for all those studying in this challenging area.

Only Trends Matter - A step change in management accounting This is not just a book for accountants; it is directed to all managers in all types of organization, commercial, public, charitable or social, that receive regular profit and loss or income and expenditure statements otherwise known as management accounts. They are the most ubiquitous financial report used in the world today. The author is not an academic and all managers, whatever their discipline should be able to relate to it. Although the author was originally a management accountant he spent the majority of his career in general management so has experienced management accounts from both perspectives. As a CEO he recognized that much time was being wasted at board meetings discussing history, prompted by the management accounts and this instigated his research to find a way of transforming management accounts into a modern day and invaluable management tool. There is a dearth of publications addressing the presentation and format of financial information despite the fact that unless it is comprehensible it is of little use as a management report. Some good managers admit that they find numerous columns of numbers difficult to understand and many don't admit it at all. It appears to be a subject that accountants give limited consideration to, and it is staggering that despite monumental changes in business technology the format and content of management accounts has changed little over 50 years or more. The book reveals that management accounts are commonly criticised by managers for being too little, too late to help them manage their day to day activities but criticism of management accounting techniques is not new, Johnson and Kaplan in their renowned book "Relevance Lost: The Rise and Fall of Management Accounting," 1987, could not have phrased it better. "Today's management accounting information, driven by the procedures and cycle of the organization's financial reporting system, is too late, too aggregated, and too distorted to be relevant for managers' planning and control decisions." Whenever presented, management accounts are out of date, they erroneously compare actual performance with a budget which becomes increasingly irrelevant as the financial year progresses, they cumulatively cover a different time period each time they're presented, they fail to consider differing numbers of days in each accounting period so there is no consistency and they take no account of seasonality, they also fail to consider the consequences of what happened in the previous financial year or what is likely to happen in future. This book sets out a system that addresses and solves all these problems with management accounts. If you are persuaded that the system can be of value to you then the book can be used as a practical, detailed guide to its implementation and use in your organization.

The implementation of management accounting change constitutes much more than the selection of what may be perceived as being 'optimal' accounting systems and techniques, followed by a 'technical' process of implementation. Selecting and implementing the 'right' accounting systems and techniques and the technical aspects of implementation are important, but change implementation and change management also involves important behavioural and cultural issues that must be understood and addressed. The main focus of The Challenge of Management Accounting Change is on understanding the processes involved in the implementation of management accounting change and the complexities of, and difficulties involved in, changing management accounting systems, techniques and roles in the UK. This book outlines a framework for interpreting and understanding management accounting change as an on-going process and a range of case studies are used to illustrate both successful and unsuccessful implementations, drawing out the various lessons that can be learned and suggesting some pointers for those embarking on a programme of management accounting change. * Describes the finding of a research project investigating management accounting change in the UK * Focuses on the difficulties involved in changing management accounting systems * Written by experts in the field of management accounting

This book presents a comprehensive and holistic study on being a financial practitioner today. Using a practice theory approach, the book analyzes the work life stories of four financial practitioners who have been working between 13 and 25 years during the period of 1973 to 2015 and explains how their work identities are constituted in the practices throughout the years. It clarifies the public image of the management accountants and provides a better understanding of today’s management accountants—who they are and how they are formed—while theorizing on how to develop the next generation.

There is considerable national variation in the professionalization and status of the management accountant. Although researchers from different countries have contributed to our knowledge about tasks and roles, we have limited insights into the development, education, and socio-cultural influences in different countries and surprisingly little is known about the local and national contexts in which these roles are learned and performed. This book bridges this research gap using two complementary perspectives. The first part explores management accountants in a range of different national contexts, providing information about country-specific historical developments and educational standards as well as specific roles and tasks. The second part focusses on important global developments that will increasingly impact management accountants in the future, such as sustainability, the financial crisis, technology and changing roles. By combining local context with a global overview, this insightful volume provides an agenda for future research which will be of great interest to scholars and advanced students in management accounting throughout the world.

Radical changes to public service delivery have swept across many regions of the world. Management accounting methods are vital to support operational and strategic decision making in public services internationally. This book provides a comprehensive and “leading-edge” guide to the topic. Written by an expert scholar with practical experience of public service delivery, the book takes account of key trends such as increased demand for public services, financial austerity, technological change and enhanced performance management. A globally relevant book, informed by cutting edge academic research and benefitting from integrated case studies, this is essential reading for both students and practitioners involved with the financial aspects of public services management.

Whether students pursue a professional career in accounting or in other areas of management, they will interact with accounting systems. In all organizations, managers rely on management accounting systems to provide information to deal with changes in their operating environment. This book provides students and managers with an understanding and appreciation of the strengths and limitations of an organization’s accounting system, and enables them to be intelligent and critical users of the system. The text highlights the role of management accounting as an integral part of the organization’s strategy and not merely a set of individual concepts and computations. An analytical framework for organizational change is used throughout the book to underscore how organizations must adapt to create customer and organizational value. This framework provides a way to examine and analyze the organization’s accounting system, and as a basis for evaluating proposed changes to the system. With international examples that bring the current business environment to the forefront, problems and cases to promote critical thinking, and online support for students and instructors, Management Accounting in a Dynamic Environment is no mere introductory textbook. It prepares readers to use accounting systems intelligently to achieve organizational success. The authors have identified several cases to accompany each chapter in the textbook. These are available through Ivey Publishing: https://www.iveycases.com/CaseMateBookDetail.aspx?id=434