Changing In The Role Of Management Accountant Accounting Essay

Changing In The Role Of Management Accountant Accounting Essay Abstract This essay gives an overview of the changing role of management accountant and the management accounting practices. An idea of how these changes were developed and the factors behind the changes what were the reasons for implementing the changes, what were the main drivers and to what extent these changes are now being practice in the real business world? Introduction Over the few decades- many writers have pointed to the work of Johnson and Kaplan (1987) as an organ in this respect that there has been a shift in the expectation of management accountant. This essay is a brief overview of why, how, and to what extent there has been a change in the role of management accountant over the last three decades. In the past decades business environment has changed significantly, this is mainly because of the changes in technology and ever growing demands of business managers all around the globe. These changes have brought a significant level of change in economical factors of business world and management accounting is no exception. And with these changes management accounting as a whole is effected, it has brought changes in accounting system and techniques and has been subject to various debates as to bring changes in the function of accounting. Nevertheless, there have been mainly two types of development: adoption of new tools and techniques which en hances accounting practice, and on the other hand change in the role of management accountant, which is towards acting more in decision making and advisory rather than solely focusing on providing information. In the following sections this essay will give a brief idea of the main reason behind the changes and how these changes effected the management accounting practices and to what extent these changes are adapted by the accounting sector. Reasons for the changes The ever changing environmental and technological factors has affected the global economy in past few decades, and accounting and finance is a key player in running any economy. And as being a major factor in running any economy accounting practices has suffered significantly. But the focus in this essay is on management accounting and its practitioner and why, how and to what extent there has been a change in their practice. Laboring under the shadow of financial reporting, auditing and taxation, on number of occasions management accounting has escaped the spotlight of critics. Often management accounting and the role of management accountant is relegated to the lower crust of accounting, and was limited to the role of organizational book keeping and budgeting and sometimes only to the extent of obligatory university or professional body courses. But if we look in this matter from historical point of view management accounting was and to some extent still considered as a dull profession. We can say that due to globalization of markets which have increased competition, and now markets are more volatile, where reaction time is very little for companies to act. Advancement in information and production technologies, which have reduce the time of information processing by accounting specialist and has enabled other organizational staff to take up tasks by themselves which were previously labeled for accountants.  [i]   Furthermore systems like SAP are becoming more common in multinational companies, and in some medium size companies. A recent survey on this topic has also proved that there has been a change in needs of mangers information; this might be because of the changing style of organizational structure. In recent years due to severe competition among organizations of being on top, and where change is necessary because of different market conditions, and of course different business strategies used in different organizations. All these factors are the reason for the change in the practice of management accountants. Implementing the changes and its Effects If we summarize the recent surveys on changing role of management accountant, we will see that there are two types of factors that have brought a change in the environment of management accounting operations. Externals factors have forced organization to change there internal structures to compete with ever improving technological industry. The 21st century management accountants have developed into a multi-functional engine and are more involved in accounting matters than before. Now managers need more information than before, for decision-making and relevant organizational matters needed for profitable outcome. Internal organizational factors like decision making require more advance information and efficient modes are required to perform such tasks. So with that majority of the information management accountant have these days are computerized and are easily accessible at all levels of the organization and managers who can immediately see their variances and monitor their performance daily. These new development has replaced old methods where managers were able to see the progress at the end of the month. During a conversation between CIMA members it was stated: now systems are such that managers can generate information without reference to the financial analysts. So both have access to the same information. But they both use it in different ways. That has been a major change. A variety of terms are used to describe the new role of management accountant is or should be aspiring, which include modern business-oriented accountant (Granlund and Lukka, 1998b), business partner (Siegal and Sorenson, 1999), internal business consultants (Burns and Vaivio, 2001), strategic management consultant (Holtzman, 2004), or Hybrid accountant (Burns and Baldvinsdottir, 2005). Nevertheless, theme was one way or the other same regarding the new role.  [ii]   But the matter of fact is the role of accountant is more important than before, not only in the corporate level, but also at national and international level. The main focus of management accountant has always been to improve their organizations performance and profitability, but now due to changes in different environmental and economical factors their approach has changed in recent time for good. Noticeable change over time is that in years before, a great deal of management accounting work was driven by the need of compliance and control. But now, emphasis on compliance and control are declining, while factors like competitive support has risen due to increased competition, greater customer focus, importance of quality and of course globalization. The increased emphasis on competitive support now require management accountant to have strong analytical and communication skills. Furthermore, they now support and process managers, and are directly involved in decision making. They are also involved in long and short-term planning, they also have to develop systems to support and provide essential information needed. With these new developments management accountant must directly involved in formulation, and the implementing business strategies. To what extend there has been changes Today, as compared to previous decades management accounting practices has changed quite a bit, now management accountant has to reconcile the broad view of business. Today management accountant are more effective and efficient. Management accounting is changing, and reason for these changes is the factors. These factors are as mentioned above: changes in the economic and social structures, globalization issues, changes in the markets, and technological developments and last but not least need for organizations to become customer focused. The focus have shifted from historical stewardship to more advance role of strategic planning and feed forward control (pierce, 2001). Now armed with advance skills, new technology, more analytical skills and leadership qualities the new management accountants are emerging with the change. Management accountant these days spend their time on strategic management accounting with a view of broadening the concept of traditional management accounting. The term strategic management accounting was first introduced by Ken Simmonds in 1981. And CIMA describes this terminology as a form of management accounting that focuses on information which relate to factors external to the firm, as well as non-financial information, and internally generated information. This integration is now more important because it enables managers to see the day-to-day development of the business process. How these processes are being handled and what will be there outcome, and that way this is seen as an important function of the new and more advance management accountant. And with the changing role of management accountant, in some companies their job titles are also changing as mentioned above like business advisor, business analyst and few others. Furthermore, some surveys have suggested that there will be more changes in the role of management accounting, management accountants will be taking up the duties of handling matters like designing, developing and operating financial and management information system. The trend is that management accountant is now working more with business units, rather than working as an individual unit as happened in the past. This is mainly because of the shift in the duties of the management accountant and changes in the organizational structures. Now management accountant work alongside managers, engineers and so on.  [iii]   In some cases it is noted that management accountant are more involved in issues of corporate strategy, they are more involved and are not acting as an individual unit, and this is the reason the need for management accountant to be more skillful, advance are becoming a mandatory qualification. To sum up the situation of the role changing or we can also say that taking it to next level the factors played a very important role, factors such as; technology, restructuring, globalization, takeovers/mergers, new accounting techniques and so on. Management accountants are adapting to the change which is not only helping the organizations to be more effective in making profit, but it is also improving the dull image of the management accountant. Conclusion In the end we can say that the changing roles of management accountant are for the good of the profession. As to compete in this fast growing economical world, with all the development that are taking place around us accounting and finance plays an important role in any successful economy. As a whole the role of management accountant have moved into another level. With all the new techniques and technological advancement have brought new softwares which have made work easy and faster for the management accountant, which is always a need in this fast pace world where markets are very competitive and margin of error is very high.

Dowry system in india Essay

Dowry is derived from the ancient Hindu customs of ‘kanyadan’ and ‘stridhan’. In ‘kanyadan’, the father of the bride offers the father of the groom money or property, etc whereas for ‘stridhan’, the bride herself gets jewelry and clothes at the time of her marriage, usually from her relatives or friends. In Varadakshina’, the father of the bride presents the groom cash or kind. All of these could be done voluntarily and out of affection and love. The Hindu marriage system is sacramental. According to this system, a marriage is forever and there is no scope for a separation. Among the various ceremonies previously practiced, the ceremony in front of a ‘godly’ fire (‘Yajna’ in Sanskrit) has taken over, the old-fashioned system of marrying a wife by capture. This form of marriage began the practice of dowry, where originally, the family of the bride would accept gifts and money from the groom’s family as an alternative to bloodshed during the capture of the bride. A later modification of this system has paved way for the present dowry system primarily practiced by the society. The dowry custom continues to rule our society. In majority of Indian families, the boy has legacy rights, while the girl is given a large sum at the time of her marriage in lieu of the government regulated equal rights for girls in parental property. Thus, dowry system has spread in almost all parts of the country and sections of society. There are several reasons for the occurrence of the dowry system, but the main one is that it is a necessary precondition for marriage. ‘No dowry, no marriage’ is a widespread fear. There has also been an appearance of a feudal mindset with a materialistic attitude in a new globalised economy. The price tag for the groom is now bigger and bolder. The emergence of an affluent middle class, the torchbearer of social change in modern India, is the main factor for the continuation of the dowry system. Families arrange most marriages, and a man who does not marry for love; he can marry for wealth. For this man and his family, a woman becomes the ticket to shortcut riches through the system of dowry. There are a number of things people desire to have in their own houses but cannot afford; they use the opportunity of a son’s marriage to get them. The girl’s parents do not protest against variety, as they regard the union as a stepping-stone towards higher social status and better matches for the remaining children. Dowry as a phenomenon has gone beyond the ritual of marriage. Pregnancy, childbirth and all kinds of religious and family functions are occasions when such demands are made. A more sophisticated public image of an extended gifting session has replaced the old system. Now there is demand for receptions in marriage places. The trousseau includes designer wear for the bride and groom’s family. Chefs are flown in for multi-cuisine wedding dinners. The bride’s family usually pays for all this. The rich revel in the exchange of their black money, but this in turn exerts pressure on the other classes to ape them with serious social consequences. The women have become a kind of commodity. It is them who are the worst sufferers because dowry is most often a monetary agreement between two men – the bride’s father and the groom. Caste-based practices have only added fuel to the fire. Marriages in political families are arranged to consolidate the caste base for support in electoral politics, so they do not challenge the dowry system. Dowry rituals have now spread even to communities where they were unknown. It has gone to different castes, crossed the boundaries of provinces and education and religion. Muslims and Christians, such as the Syrian Christians of Kerala and the Roman Catholics of Mangalore have started demanding dowry. Official statistics show a steady rise in dowry crimes. More and more women are killed every year in India for dowry. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh still record the maximum number of dowry crimes, but Bangalore, India’s fastest growing city also shows an alarming rise – four women reportedly die every day because of dowry harassment and domestic violence. The cases of dowry torture are the highest accounting for 32.4% of crimes against women in the country. The Dowry Prohibition Act, in force since 1st July 1961, was passed with the purpose of prohibiting the demanding, giving and taking of dowry. In 1980, the Government setup a committee that recommended amendments in the Dowry Prohibition Act and also suggested expanding the definition of dowry and instituting family courts and National Commission for women. Many parliamentary debates led to some amendments in 1983,1984 and 1986. To stop the offences of cruelty by husband or his relatives on the wife, Section 498-A was added in the Indian Penal Code and Section 198-A in the Criminal Procedure Code in the year 1983. The Dowry Prohibition Act clearly stipulates that a person who gives or takes or helps in the giving or taking of dowry can be sentenced to jail for 5 years and fined Rs. 15,000/- or the amount of the value of dowry, whichever is more. The Act also prohibits the giving and taking directly or indirectly any property or valuable security, any amount either in cash of kind, jewelry, articles, properties, etc. in respect of a marriage. The control is provided by stating a limit and names of people gifting and their relationship to the married couple to be signed by both sides of parents. In 1986, the Act was amended again, empowering State governments to appoint Dowry Prohibition Officers, who not only had a preventive role but also had powers to collect evidence against people who took dowry. Despite protest by women’s organisations, serious activism, legal amendments, special police cells for women, media support and heightened awareness of dowry being a crime, the practice continues unabated on a massive scale. Despite every stigma, dowry continues to be the signature of marriage. Women need real social, political, financial and moral support in their fight against the system. They have to be empowered so that they can take their decisions about their own life by refusing the dowry system.

Humour in ‘Pride and Prejudice’

Humour is a key theme in the novel â€Å"Pride and Prejudice.† It plays a major role in entertaining the reader and providing important characteristics and features of the characters in the novel. Humour is shown in the responses of characters towards one another and the episdary style, which creates humour as it is written from the point of view of the character rather than the style in which the rest of the novel is written in. In chapters 1-20 the reader learns about the character of Mr.Collins. Mr.Bennet's estate brings him two thousand pounds a year, but on his death a distant male relative, Mr.Collins, will inherit both his estate and this income. In chapter 13, Mr.Bennet receives a letter from Mr.Collins in which Mr.Collins informs Mr.Bennet that he will be joining them for dinner. In his letter, Mr.Collins explains that he is a clergyman in the patronage of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, in Hunsford, Kent. He hints a way of resolving the problem of entailment and proposes to visit the family for a week. Jane Austin's use of the letter in chapter 13 is a very clever introduction to the character of Mr.Collins as it gives the reader a brief insight to his character even before the reader meets him. The letter reveals Mr.Collins as a person with an astonishing pomposity. We also learn that he is artificial, haughty, proud and very self-important. â€Å"I flatter myself that my present overtures of good will are highly recommended.† The pedantically worded letter reveals Mr.Collins's artificiality. Furthermore, humour is conveyed in Mr.Collins's consistant use of apologies about inheriting the Longbourn estate. â€Å"I cannot be otherwise than concerned at being the means of injuring your amiable daughters, and beg leave to aplogise for it, as well as to assure you of my readiness to make them every possible amends- but of this hereafter.† Chapter 13. This may have seemed very comical to the reader as Mr.Collins feels that his apology will make the Bennets like him. This reinforces how shallow, insincere and single-minded Mr.Collins actually is. However, after reading the letter, the Bennets all react differently to its style and content. These comments and reactions are used to contrast their characters and perceptions. Mrs.Bennet is immediately placated by Mr.Collins's heavy hints, which suggest that he is thinking of marrying one of her girls. This reinforces Mrs.Bennet's shallowness. Jane approves of his good intentions, which reinforces the point that she is naive. However, Elizabeth questions his sense, which shows her â€Å"quickness†. Mary commends his clicheed composition, whereas, Catherine and Lydia are not interested as he is not a soldier. Mr.Bennet meanwhile looks forward to the enjoyment of Mr.Collins's folly. As does the reader. Later on, after his arrival at the Bennets' estate, Mr.Collins is given a tour of the house not merely in general but to view for value, as he will acquire the property in the future. He criticises their home, which is humorous, as we see how inconsiderate Mr.Collins is. He also does not seem to realise how he may be offending the Bennets. Mr.Collins thinks highly of himself. His language is pedantically worded which shows us that he is trying to convey that he is an intellectual person. The character of Mr.Collins can be likened to the character of Mary, as, although they are both intelligent, they are very artificial in the way in which they present their intelligence to an audience. Mr.Collins uses long sentences in the letter, which portray the shallowness of his character. In chapter 20, when Mr.Collins proposes to Elizabeth, his speech is stilted, pompous and governed by the overweening egotism. His prolix style leads him to break down his speech into numbered points: â€Å"Firstly†¦ secondly†¦ thirdly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  These are unsuitable in a proposal of marriage during which love is proclaimed. Elizabeth nearly laughs at the idea that his business plan is to be presented before he allows his feelings to run away on the subject of the companion that he has chosen for his future life. He shows that he has not considered her views or feelings and he is certain that his offer is an act of generosity. The scene is richly comic, but harsh realities underlie the situation. Collins reminds Elizabeth that since she has so little money to her name, she may never receive another offer of marriage, which shows the reader Mr.Collins's selfishness, rudeness and how inconsiderate he is. Humour is also highlighted in Mr.Collins's marriage proposal when Elizabeth refuses to marry him. He is turned down and this comes as a shock to him. When Elizabeth refuses him, he is determined to see her behaviour as a form of modesty or flirtatiousness, â€Å"the usual practice of elegant females.† The reader comes across absurdity in the way Mr.Collins describes Lady Catherine de Bourgh. He continuously praises her in his letter and compares her with everything and everyone. He says that she is an â€Å"honourable† lady â€Å"whose bounty and beneficence has preferred me to the valuable rectory of his parish, where it shall be my earnest endeavour to demean myself with grateful respect towards her ladyship.† His descriptions of Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the letter are very humorous and Mr.Collins's artificiality is reinforced. This is because he is trying to associate himself with people from the upper class, (although we know he is not as he comes from the same working background as Mr.Bennet). Furthermore, in chapter 16, Mr.Collins, intending a compliment, compares the drawing room to the small breakfast parlour at Rosings, Lady Catherine de Bourgh's estate. Mrs.Philips soon realises that he is tedious snob. Finally, humour throughout â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† has been successful. Throughout chapters 1-20 we see the various ways in which humour is portrayed through the character of Mr.Collins. By using Mr.Collins as the centre of comedy in the novel, Jane Austen entertains the reader and brings a smile to their faces.

Give a history of the Catholic Church on the death penalty and note how it has changed over time Free Essay Example, 1750 words

Outline Introduction From the beginning there has been a battle within the Catholic Church on whether the Church should support the use of capital punishment or not Point 1: Many in the early church had a problem with the use of the death penalty, even though it was church doctrine that it could be used. Point 2: Aquinass writings to this day are considered to be sound doctrine by many in the Catholic Church. Point 3: As the Catholic Church enters the twenty-first century, the debate over the death penalty is still active among many of its members Conclusion As it has happened throughout the history of the Catholic Church, the debate over the death penalty is still active. It is obvious that many within the Catholic church are against the death penalty. But the church as of today has not taken any official stance. History of the Catholic Church on the death penalty Introduction From the beginning there has been a battle within the Catholic Church on whether the Church should support the use of capital punishment or not. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it seems clear that the churchs response should be to support the use of capital punishment, as long as it is done justly and all efforts are made to guarantee that an innocent man or woman is not put to death. We will write a custom essay sample on Give a history of the Catholic Church on the death penalty and note how it has changed over time or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Recently, popes and some of the bishops in the United States, have started to campaign against the use of the death penalty. It seems clear that these individuals are not denying the compatibility of capital punishment with Catholic teaching, but instead have just begun to argue against its use for a variety of personal reasons. This paper looks at the history of the Catholic Church on the death penalty and notes how it has changed over time. Early History The first real testimony against the use of the death penalty can be found in the Montanist works of Tertullian. Tertullian writing sometime between 197 and 207 composed ‘De Idololatria’. In this, Tertullian states in chapter seventeen that even if the servant of God appeals to the power of the state, he should not pronounce capital sentences. Following up on Tertullian, Lactantius writing about 305 to 323, wrote Divinae Institutiones. In this Lactantius states that when God prohibited murder, this also refers to the men who administer the death penalty (Bockle & Pohier 46). Lantantiuss position was clear: a man could not even charge or be charged with a capital offense. After Tertullian and Lantantius others began to write on the subject.