Managerial Accounting Topics Research Articles

A Strategy for Improving the Quality of Entry-Level Management Accountants

Abstract Recently, the education of accounting students has been a topic of discussion. In particular, accounting students appear to be deficient in managerial accounting topics, such as budgeting, asset management, and product costing. This article investigates possible causes of these educational shortcomings and suggests a strategy for improving the quality of entry-level management accountants. Managerial accounting will only be emphasized when accounting faculty become convinced of its importance. A greater number of CMA certified faculty, practicing accountants serving on advising boards and as guest lecturers, and corporate field trips for students and faculty can help to impress the importance of managerial accounting on faculty.

On the Use of Electronic Spreadsheet Assignments in the Cost Accounting Class

An increasing number of accounting educators are reporting that they use the microcomputer in their classes. Generally, this use has involved templates and has been confined to financial and managerial accounting topics. This study reports the results of an experiment which utilized a student-designed solution to a cost accounting problem. Each of the groups was given a complex process costing problem; one group was required to use an electronic spreadsheet program (LOTUS) to solve the problem, while the other group used the traditional pencil-paper method. Although the LOTUS group improved their performance both absolutely and relative to the pencil-paper group, the difference was not statistically significant. Futhermore, it was found that the attitude of the LOTUS group was not as good as the pencil-paper group with regard to the class or the instructor.

A comprehensive project for managerial accounting

This paper presents a unique procedure which integrates many managerial accounting topics in a single project. The project requires that each student create and interrelate all necessary accounting reports of a manufacturing process for one month of operation. Specific step-by-step instructions are not provided to the students. Only a set of general assignments is given as an outline to the sequence of activities. This allows for maximum flexibility as each student creates all the components of individual projects. The finished project provides each student with an overview of what managerial accounting is all about.

ACCOUNTING IN THE BIBLE

This paper traces several accounting concepts in the Bible. In particular, the Bible discusses the objectives of accounting, internal control procedures and managerial accounting topics. This paper links the Bible to current accounting thought.