Academic literature on the topic 'Management accounting : use of computers'

There have been the recent calls for additional research in order to enhance the understanding of the adoption of management accounting practices (MAPs) in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). This, allied to an increasing importance of SMEs around the world especially in developing countries, is the motivation for this research. This research explores the uptake of a broad range of MAPs in Malaysian SMEs; identifies the roles of MAPs in the management of SMEs; determines factors that affect the extent of use of MAPs in SMEs and lastly examines the relationship between the use of MAPs and organizational performance of SMEs. A postal questionnaire was conducted to 1,000 Malaysian SMEs in manufacturing sector which elicited 160 useable responses. The results show that the majority of respondents have used the five management accounting areas identified. Use of the costing system, budgeting system and performance evaluation system are significantly higher than for the decision support system and strategic management accounting, which indicates that the uptake of traditional MAPs is greater than for sophisticated MAPs. The results indicate that medium sized firms make greater use of all MAPs as opposed to small sized enterprises. The most significant differences relate to the use of decision support system and strategic management accounting. The increased uptake of sophisticated MAPs by larger firms is in line with size being a contingent variable explaining the use of such practices. The results also suggest that MAPs were perceived as playing very important roles in the management of Malaysian SMEs. Performance evaluation and controlling activities were the major roles of MAPs in the management of SMEs. Overall the study suggests that MAPs are perceived by SMEs as relevant and useful in their management processes. Further, the study found that four out of five contingent factors; size of the firm, intensity of market competition; participation of the owner/manager in the development of MAPs in firm and advanced manufacturing technology have a positive and statistically significant relationship with the use of certain MAPs. The research however found weak support for the positive relationship between the use of MAPs and organizational performance of SMEs. This study enriches the existing body of knowledge of management accounting by providing information as to the use of MAPs in SMEs in Malaysia. The findings can be specifically informative for policy makers intent on developing management accounting skills among Malaysian SMEs. This research will provide valuable insights into the nature of MAPs in SMEs in a developing country and will promote interest among Malaysian researchers as well as researchers of other countries to make the SME sector a focus of interest in management accounting research.

Today there are shortcomings in monitoring, control, analyses, learning and reporting of the results of activities and operations in the road management processes. There are also shortcomings in transparency and verifiability, in knowledge of road management’s costs and life cycle costs, of the road capital’s standard and condition and in measures of quality deficiency costs, productivity and maintenance backlog. The starting points for different applications of the model are taken from experience of the subprocesses in practical road management, independent analyses of activities, operations and results, presence at directors’ meetings (in an independent co-opted capacity) and literature reviews. It is my belief that the problems can largely be solved with transparent, verifiable information that is relevant to the sub-processes. A model has been designed with the transport policy’s requirements at the focus for all sub-processes’ applications without repeating errors as regards internal control, use of standard values and index adjustments. For each component, the model provides quality-related information about its current condition and condition value, acquisition value, replacement value and standard target value with the effects of measures carried out. Changes in standard and condition of new construction, improvements, maintenance and consumption can be shown in the model. Information can also be found on a component’s consumption cost, index adjustment and successively accumulated life cycle costs. Quality deficiency costs, inefficiencies, maintenance backlog, cost drivers, productivity and, for example, expected funding needs can be calculated by computer. The model has been tested and this document also describes the model’s implementation project at the SNRA. Most of the road network’s components have been registered for a long time in the SNRA’s road and traffic data bank as compulsory or optional phenomena. The remaining components will to a large extent be entered automatically. Some will require inventorying. In theory, the quality-related accounting will thus have access to information about every individual component in the entire state-administered road network. For at least 75% (80% in the implementation project) of the total value o fthe road capital, current condition information will exist for each individual component in the road network. The information, that constitutes “best available knowledge” of the components’ current functional condition, is administered in dedicated administration systems and comes from different kinds of inventories. The values of the remaining components can be appraised systematically on the basis of individually assessed technical length of life and, for example, planned maintenance. The model shows that decisions to carry out measures can also be based on “best available knowledge” of socioeconomic effectiveness, consideration of the environment, climate and energy in a life cycle perspective, customers’ (society’s and road-users’) expectations and political demands for fairness. These requirements are systematically worked into the limit values for “as constructed” and “worst acceptable condition”. The condition interval between the limit values shows the component’s functional consumption margin provided that the transport policy’s requirements are taken into consideration. The information makes it possible to consider and stipulate requirements regarding the development of components’ accumulated life cycle costs in procurements. Contractors will have a natural focus on increased productivity and cost increases in projects should be smaller. The model makes the long term planning process more efficient and shortens lead times. Prices, costs, accumulated life cycle costs and various types of deviations can be analysed continuously to achieve systematic learning from good examples and failures. In the project follow-up, deviations are automatically divided within the system into causes dependent on time, quantity, and unit price. Control and monitoring with analyses and learning can be made more effective through automatic monitoring against control limits. The concept of quality-related accounting of road capital should be a part of the international discussion around models for Transportation Asset Management (TAM).<br>QC201007723

There is a need to learn more about how managers use accounting information. This thesis investigates how managers make use of business reports; as they are one of the ways managers receive information. Previous research was found to broadly correspond to four important aspects affecting how managers make use of business reports; aggregation, timeliness, flexibility and dimensions. A case study was conducted at NCC Construction. The main findings from this study are that managers have the possibility to view information in the reports at their desired level of specificity and they are not concerned about the issue of timeliness. Furthermore they are satisfied with flexibility in reports, but wish for more capabilities and do not desire non-financial information in reports. Therefore the four aspects are found to no longer be a hindrance to managers in their use of business reports as much as could be expected from previous studies. Technological developments and business practices are found to have changed managerial work. Reporting has become faster and is more accurately reflecting the real world operations, making business reports more useful to managers.

The purpose of this study was to compare the levels of computer use by school principals in administering their schools. Comparisons were made of the different techniques being employed by school principals as they manage the vast amounts of data that are present in today's educational process. A comprehensive collection of computer applications was identified and school principals were surveyed regarding their use of these applications. A random sample was selected from a population of 1,800 school principals in the state of Tennessee. School principals from 430 public schools and 70 private/parochial schools in Tennessee were surveyed for responses relative to their practices regarding the use of computers in the management of their school. Surveys were mailed in early January, 1992, to those principals who were identified in the sample selection. Surveys were received over a period of several weeks. A return of 71% was obtained. Findings include the determination that schools have computers specifically for the purpose of completing administrative tasks. Principals and office staffs are using administrative computers to improve their management of school data. The primary areas identified as being preformed by school principals were attendance, management of student data, wordprocessing, grade reporting, and transportation. Principals indicated that the major avenues for computer training is through seminars and workshops. The major conclusions included the need for additional computer training in principal preparation curricula, exposure to innovative uses of computers to enhance the administrative function.