Definition of Management Accounting by Different Authors
ACCORDING TO THE ANGLO-AMERICAN COUNCIL ON PRODUCTIVITY
“Management Accounting is the presentation of accounting information in such ways as to assist management in the creation of policy and the day-to-day operation of an undertaking.”
Management accounting deals with the presentation of information so that it is helpful to management. Management will like to base its policy decisions on some information and the information should be presented according to the needs of management. The main emphasis of this definition is on presentation of information and it does not include in its purview the collection of it.
ACCORDING TO ROBERT N. ANTHONY
“Management Accounting is concerned with accounting information that is useful to management.”
Anthony associates management accounting with accounting information and its utility to management. The financial information should be collected, complied and presented to management in such a way that it is helpful in solving various problems.
ACCORDING TO T.G. ROSE
“Management Accounting is the adaptation and analysis of accounting information and its diagnosis and explanation in such a way as to assist management.”
According to this definition, management accounting adapts financial information. The information is selected, classified and analysed in such a way that it helps the management in carrying out various operations systematically and efficiently. The information is made more useful by giving details and explanations.
ACCORDING TO J. BATTY
“Management Accounting is the term used to describe the accounting methods, systems and techniques which, coupled with special knowledge and ability, assist management in its task of maximising profits or minimising losses.”
Batty has given a wider definition of management accounting. He uses the word Accountancy instead of accounting so as to give a wider meaning to the subject. Various accounting systems and techniques are designed to meet the needs of the management. The information should be recorded and presented in such a way that management is able to arrive at right conclusions. The ultimate aim of the management is to increase profitability or reduce losses. Management accounting is a tool to achieve the objectives of a business enterprise. The term ‘special knowledge’ used in the definition includes economics, laws, statistical methods, psychology and other related subjects. All these subjects are useful for the management in planning, forecasting and controlling business activities.
ACCORDING TO BROWN AND HOWARD
“The essential aim of management accounting should be to assist management in decision making and control.”
According to these scholars the primary aim of management accounting is to help management in managing the business properly. Management accounting is a tool which helps the management in planning and controlling various business activities. This definition describes the purpose rather than the meaning of management accounting.
ACCORDING TO BROAD AND CARMICHAEL
“The term ‘Management Accounting’ covers all those services by which the accounting department can assist top management and other departments in the formation of policy, the control of its execution and appreciation of its effectiveness.”
The thrust of this definition is on the services provided by accounting department. This department collects and stores financial information and feeds it to the management and other departments whenever they need it. The information provides a base for taking policy decisions and then evaluating the implementation of such decision.
ACCORDING TO H.M. TREASURY
“The application of accounting knowledge to the purpose of producing and of interpreting accounting and statistical information designed to assist management in its functions of promoting maximum efficiency and in formulating and coordinating future plans and subsequently in measuring their execution.”
Mr. Treasury is of the opinion that management accounting is the use of accounting knowledge by management for enhancing its efficiency and planning and executing various policies for the benefit of the business.
ACCORDING TO SMITH, R.L.
“Management Accounting is a more intimate merger of the two older professions of management and accounting wherein the informational needs of the manager determine the accounting means for their satisfaction.”
According to Smith, management accounting is nothing new but the bringing together of accounting and management. The accounting information is given in such a way that information requirements of the management are satisfied. Management accounting is no more a part of accounting because many more fields are also related to it.
ACCORDING TO INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS OF ENGLAND AND WALES
“Any form of accounting which enables a business to be conducted more efficiently can be regarded as management accounting.”
Any service rendered by the accounting department of a business which increases efficiency of management is a part of management accounting. In this definition, accounting department is treated as a service department. The aim of this service must be to enable management to run the enterprise economically, efficiently, and purposefully.
The definitions given above explain ‘Management Accounting from different angles. The scholars come round to the view that management accounting is related to recording, analysing and presentation of accounting information in such a way that it becomes useful and helpful in planning and running business operations more systematically and also acts as a control device for the management.
ACCORDING TO JOHN SIZER
“Management Accounting may be defined as the application of accounting techniques to the provisions of information designed to assist all levels of management in planning and controlling the activities of the firm.”
ACCORDING TO SHILLINGLAW
“Accounting, which serves management by providing information as to the cost or profit associated with some portion of firm’s total operations, is called management accounting”
ACCORDING TO THE INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS OF INDIA
“Such of its techniques and procedures by which accounting mainly seeks to aid the management collectively have come to be known as management accounting.”
ACCORDING TO THE INSTITUTE OF COST & WORKS ACCOUNTANTS OF INDIA
“Management Accounting as “a system of collection and presentation of relevant economic information relating to an enterprise for planning. controlling and decision making.”
ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATION OF CERTIFIED CORPORATE ACCOUNTANTS (U.S.A.)
“The application of accounting and statistical techniques to the specified purpose of producing and interpreting information designed to assist management in the function of promoting maximum efficiency and in envisaging, formulating and co-ordinating their execution.”
ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATION
“Management Accounting includes the methods and concepts necessary for effective planning. for choosing among alternative business actions and for control through the evaluation and interpretation of performances.”
ACCORDING TO THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF ACCOUNTANTS
The International federation of Accountants issued a very comprehensive definition of Management Accounting in 1987. In their words, Management Accounting is the process of:
Identification and Measurement: the recognition and valuation of business transactions or other economic events that have occurred or may occur;
Accumulation – the disciplined and consistent approach to recording and classifying appropriate business transactions and other economic events;
Analysis – the determination of the reasons for and the relationship of the reported activity with other economic events and circumstances;
Preparation and Interpretation – the meaningful coordination of accounting and/or planning data to satisfy a need for information presented in a logical format and if appropriate, include the conclusion drawn from the data;
From various definitions discussed earlier it becomes clear that financial data is recorded, analysed and presented to the management in such a way that it becomes useful and helpful in planning and running business operations more systematically.