Strategic Management Accounting - 13457 Words

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0951-3574.htm AAAJ 21,2 Strategic management accounting: how far have we come in 25 years? Kim Langï ¬ eld-Smith Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the origins of strategic management accounting and to assess the extent of adoption and â€Å"success† of strategic management accounting (SMA). Design/methodology/approach – Empirical papers which have directly researched SMA and prior review papers of the adoption and implementation of SMA or SMA techniques are reviewed. As well as assessing the extent of adoption of SMA and the reasons underlying an apparent low adoption†¦show more content†¦As well as reviewing empirical papers which have directly researched these issues, prior reviews of SMA adoption and implementation will also be utilized. Thus, in some respects this paper is a â€Å"review of reviews† of SMA. As well as assessing the extent of adoption of SMA and the reasons underlying an apparent low adoption rate, the role of accountants in adopting and implementing SMA is considered. Finally, the success or otherwise of SMA i s discussed. The paper is organized as follows. In the next section SMA will be deï ¬ ned. This will be followed by a recount of the development and possible demise of SMA as provided in a recent chapter by John Shank (2007). Wider perspectives on the origins and development of SMA are then presented, drawing mainly on the works of Bromwich and Bhimani (Bromwich, 1990; Bromwich and Bhimani, 1989, 1994) and Roslender and Hart (Roslender, 1995, 1996; Roslender and Hart, 2002, 2003). This is followed by a selective review of the literature that addresses adoption, implementation and success of speciï ¬ c SMA techniques and practices, which includes descriptive and theoretically-grounded case studies, and surveys of practice. The role of management accountants in the adoption and implementation of SMA is then considered, and in the ï ¬ nal section the state of play of SMA is assessed and opportunities for future researchShow MoreRelatedStrategic Management Accounting1773 Words   |  8 PagesSTRATEGIC MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING This report will attempt to explain what Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) is, how it developed, why Traditional Management Accounting (TMA) is not sufficient to provide information for strategic decisions and the difference between SMA and TMA. It will further outline some of the essential analytical tools or techniques in SMA such as Activity Based Costing (ABC) and the Balanced Scorecard (BSC). SMA is an extremely broad concept, so in order to give a bird’sRead MoreStrategic Management Accounting2093 Words   |  9 PagesWhat is Strategic Management Accounting? And why, Strategic Management Accounting? Simple definition: Management Accounting in the context of business strategies being planned and implemented by an organisation. Strategy is the way that a firm positions and distinguishes itself from its competitors. These business strategies must be developed in the context of the internal and external environments so that they are practical, or else they will remain a theoretical wish-list. It is alsoRead MoreStrategic Management Accounting3162 Words   |  13 Pagesproducts; and the emergence of e-business and so on. As a result of the defects of traditional accounting have been unable to meet these changes new management themes have evolved which in turn has resulted in the development of strategic management accounting. Strategic management accounting aims to provide relevant information to an organization’s management to enable them to make strategic plans and strategic decisions. 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We willRead MoreStrategic Management Accounting and Balanced Score Card11170 Words   |  45 PagesCHAPTER 17: ACCOUNTING FOR STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT CHAPTER OUTLINE ï  ± ï  ± ï  ± Learning outcomes Introduction Organisational strategy o Definition o Cumulative strategy (strategising) ï  ± Strategic management accounting (SMA) o Definition o Components of SMA o Does SMA still exist; or, what is it becoming? ï  ± The balanced scorecard o Its origins and its purpose o Elements and characteristics of a balanced scorecard o Designing a balanced scorecard o Features of a balanced scorecard o Why hasRead MoreStrategic Management Accounting : Cost Advantage And Differentiation Advantage996 Words   |  4 PagesTraditional management accounting is cost driven with short-term pricing and profit motive. It is fragmented and has internal and financial focus. Strategic management accounting is market driven with long-term pricing and profit motive. It is integrated and has value and external focus. Strategic management accounting raises the issues and addresses the weaknesses of traditional management accounting in the modern market place. Strategic management accounting requires the application of strategic management

The Period of Adolescence and the Cultural Aspects free essay sample

Both male and female circumcisions were practiced as early as in ancient Egypt. Initiation rituals are common in African societies where girls have to undergo clitoridectomy and are tattooed so as to mark their entry in adulthood. In North America, the rituals are in the form of a vision quest in which both boys and girls are sent to a jungle where they have to stay, fast and wait for a vision which will reveal their future. These initiation rituals used to be very important in ancient times but are now looked at with certain contempt especially when the abuses and ill-treatments of the adolescents are taken into consideration. It is now considered as inhuman and is in contradiction with the Human Rights as these Initiation rituals have cost the lives of many boys and girls as the tasks imposed on them during these rituals are much too hard for their tender bodies. b) Physical development in an adolescent is both biological and physiological. Their metabolic rates increases and so do their skills. Their body changes drastically as boys and start having manly voices, with a body growing muscular, with appearance of hair on the chin, armpits, and genitals and as for girls, they start having their menstruations and a body which starts to shape itself. Considering these changes, child-minders should pay particular attention to what the adolescent is eating so as to keep their metabolism at a correct rate and also the proportion of food taken in should also be monitored so as to avoid obesity, anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Self-confidence and self-esteem of the adolescents can be boosted by the encouragements he gets from the people around him. Encouragements are very important in cases when the adolescents feel that their body is not growing they want it to and this may cause a feeling of inferiority in them which can lead to depression and disorders like anorexia. Child-minders should stress on the fact that it is very important to develop their personalities too along with their physique. Adolescents may also be influenced into having unsafe sex, thus child-minders aught to inform them about the dangers like AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and the risk of early pregnancy. An unbalanced and premature sex life may cause a dependence to sex and a loss of concentration in studies and academic achievements. Parents should explain and clear out any confusion about superstitions which the adolescents may have. All adolescents must be encouraged to have a proper personal hygiene and exercises at a regular basis. c) Adolescents are highly emotional when they, for example, come across situations they never have faced before. Like the first time they have been ragged or the first heartbreak they have experienced. This can be highly stressing as the latter may feel insecure and lack of self-confidence. This may be accentuated by the pressure of getting good grades and be academically successful. This can cause a feeling of inferiority if the expectations are not met. Adolescents are also very troubled if their family impose difficult expectations on them as this causes confusions and this may damper their self-confidence. Their friends and family have a great influence o them as they may feel left-out or inferior if they show-off a significant difference compared to their peers. Emotional stress from family members also deeply affects them as this distorts their view on family life and may cause serious psychological disorders. d) A proper career guidance officer should give suggestions instead of imposing his personal views or opinions. He should always bear in mind what the person wants and what are his chances of obtaining it. An accurate and realistic opinion should be given to the adolescent on his skills and what are his chances of pursuing in the field he wants so that he can be encouraged to improve himself and not feel inferior. The tone that he uses should be a friendly one and the counselor should empathises with the consulting adolescent. Their confidence level should be boosted up so that they themselves can take their own decisions and decide about the criteria on which they can rely to determine the career they will choose. The counselor must have a good knowledge of job trends and know which field is an expanding one. Job-seekers must understand that the task of looking for a job can be tiring. Tips about how to submit a proper application letter and a motivation letter can prove to be very useful for adolescents. Reaching puberty, the individual already possesses moral values, now in this stage; the adolescents themselves determine their own notions about what is right and wrong. They now have the ability to make the difference between the two, analyse ideas and beliefs and see for themselves whether they are reliable or not. For example they can voice out their opinions about issues like homosexuality and the effects of drug abuse. Adolescents should be allowed to build up their own value system in which they will add their own ideas about what is right and wrong. We need to let them take their own initiatives and decisions but we should not impose unshakable discipline on them. They should be given the chance to voice out their feelings, aspirations and opinions without them having to feel awkward or embarrassed. Criticism should not be too stern but should always be accompanied with encouragements. Question 2 a) Depression is defined as being a state where a person feels deeply sad and has a pessimistic approach to one’s future. It is also described as a medical condition which causes unhappiness and leading a normal life becomes difficult. (Longman, dictionary of Contemporary English). It ranges from mild sadness feeling of being left-out to more serious depression where a person loses all contact with the reality and stops responding to stimuli.

Abnormal Psychology Essays - Psychiatric Diagnosis,

Abnormal Psychology In a world full of fears, perhaps the worst one a human being should haveis that to be afraid of his fellow man. The human that should be mostfeared is the one that has Anti-Social Personality Disorder or in laymen'sterms the psychopath. The psychopath is probably the most deviant mindthat exists and treatment is not very successful because there is not a cureor drug to control it. The solution in my mind to control the problem ofsociopaths is to let them live in colonies with each other. Through myresearch I will develop an understanding of this personality disorder andconvince you the reader that my solution might be a viable solution. Thesociopath is a combination of other mental illnesses that are incurred inchildhood as a result of heredity, trauma and the lack of emotionaldevelopment. The lack of moral or emotional development which gives asociopath a lack of understanding for other people's feelings whichenables them to be deceitful without feeling bad about whatever they do.T he under developed emotional system as explained in the video "TheWorld of Personality Disorders volume 5" says the sociopath is"emotionally retarded" . The sociopathic behavior problems that start as achild have links to heredity, a family with a pre-disposition to performcrimes, alcoholic parents that do crimes, irresponsible behavior thatpersists and parents that do not discipline. The child that will eventually bea sociopath exhibits certain feeling inside that they are inadequate, shamedand because of that they are teased and made fun of. The childcharacteristics of a future sociopath consist of being incapable offollowing the rules. The youngster will skip school, bully, steal! , tormentanimals, run away from home and the child is likely to develop AttentionDeficit \Hyperactivity Disorder or AD|HD. At an earlier age than theirpeer group the child will smoke drink, do drugs, and become sexuallyactive. The diagnoses of Anti-Social Personality Disorder is not used forpeople under the age of 18. The Psychopath is defined in the dictionaryas a person suffering from, especially a severe mental disorder withaggressive antisocial behavior which is a nice way of saying a really badand mean person. There are many characteristics of a sociopath and eachsociopath has their own special traits. A sociopath gets great gratificationin the act of hurting someone for absolutely no reason. The behavior of asociopath is so close to normal it is extremely hard to diagnose. Asociopath is a person that acts against society and their sole purpose itseems is to act against the laws of the given land their end. The sociopathwill in most cases become violent and abuse drugs and alcohol to facilitatethe violent behavior. The violence in many cases is the result ofsub-concious decisions that might lead to murdering or assaultingsomeone for no reason. When a sociopath is attacking someone they willinflict more pain if the victim fights back. The lack of moral developmentlets the pers on feel no guilt or pain for what they did and quite possiblyfeel great about their actions. A sociopath has little self regard forthemselves and pays little attention to their own personal safety whenpicking fights. Quite often they will be outsized and get hurt. Somesociopaths are non-violent and stay out of prison by doing small crimeslike swindling and insurance fraud. It is possible that a sociopath willcome from a normal home but their are more that do not. A sociopath hasthe opposite morals of society and by doing things like beating up peoplethat are stronger than them they feel like they did something positive. Apsychopath is very reactive and will blow their cool because of little thingsand no doubt assault the person they are reacting to. There is a possibilitythat saratonin a chemical that is linked to behavior has something to dowith the disorder but is not the major cause. The type 2 male sociopathdrinks heavily no matter what, has a history of frequent fights and arre sts,they are impulsive risk takers, curious, excitable, quick tempered,optimistic and independent. Characteristic List ? be glib or superficial ?have a grandiose self image ? be deceitful or manipulative ? lack ofremorse ? lack of empathy ? be impulsive ? be irresponsible ? be easilyangered or frustrated ? have serious problems as a child or teenager ?shows callous unconcern from other's feelings ? disregard social norms

Mary Cassatt Biography - Painting History

Mary Cassatt Biography - Painting History Born on May 22, 1844, Mary Cassatt was one of the very few women who were part of the French Impressionist movement in art, and the only American during the movements productive years; she often painted women in ordinary tasks. Her help to Americans collecting Impressionist art helped bring that movement to America. Biography of Mary Cassatt Mary Cassatt was born in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, in 1845. Mary Cassatts family lived in France from 1851 to 1853 and in Germany from 1853 to 1855. When Mary Cassatts oldest brother, Robbie, died, the family returned to Philadelphia. She studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy in Philadelphia in 1861 to 1865, which was among the few such schools open to female students. In 1866 Mary Cassatt began European travels, finally living in Paris, France. In France, she took art lessons and spent her time studying and copying the paintings at the Louvre. In 1870, Mary Cassatt returned to the United States and her parents home. Her painting suffered from a lack of support from her father. Her paintings in a Chicago gallery were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Fortunately, in 1872 she received a commission from the archbishop in Parma to copy some Correggio works, which revived her flagging career. She went to Parma for the job, then after study in Antwerp Cassatt returned to France. Mary Cassatt joined the Paris Salon, exhibiting with the group in 1872, 1873, and 1874. She met and began studying with Edgar Degas, with whom she had a close friendship; they apparently did not become lovers. In 1877 Mary Cassatt joined the French Impressionist group and in 1879 began exhibiting with them at the invitation of Degas. Her paintings sold successfully. She herself began collecting the paintings of other French Impressionists, and she helped several friends from America acquire French Impressionist art for their collections. Among those she convinced to collect Impressionists was her brother, Alexander. Mary Cassatts parents and sister joined her in Paris in 1877; Mary had to do the housework when her mother and sister fell ill, and the volume of her painting suffered until her sisters death in 1882 and her mothers recovery soon after. Mary Cassatts most successful work was during the 1880s and 1890s. She moved from impressionism to her own style, significantly influenced by Japanese prints that she saw at an exhibition in 1890. Degas, upon seeings some of Mary Cassatts later work, was said to have stated, I am not willing to admit that a woman can draw that well. Her work was frequently characterized by depictions of women in ordinary tasks, and especially with children. Though she never married or had children of her own, she enjoyed visits from her American nieces and nephews. In 1893, Mary Cassatt submitted a mural design for display at the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exhibition in Chicago. The mural was taken down and lost at the end of the fair. She continued to care for her ill mother until her mothers death in 1895. After the 1890s, she did not keep up with some of the newer, more popular trends, and her popularity waned. She put more of her efforts into advising American collectors, including her brothers. Her brother Gardner died suddenly after Mary Cassatt returned with him and his family from 1910 trip to Egypt. Her diabetes began to create more serious health problems. Mary Cassatt supported the womens suffrage movement, both morally and financially. By 1912, Mary Cassatt had become partially blind. She gave up painting entirely in 1915, and had become totally blind by her death on June 14, 1926, in Mesnil-Beaufresne, France. Mary Cassatt was close to several female painters including Berthe Morisot.  In 1904, the French government awarded Mary Cassatt the Legion of Honor. Background, Family Father: Robert Simpson Cassatt (banker)Mother: Katherine Johnston CassattSiblings: fiveAlexander was president of the  Pennsyvlania  Railroad Education Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, 1861 - 1865Studied under Chaplin in Paris (1866) and Carlo Raimondi in Parma (1872) Bibliography: Judith A. Barter, editor. Mary Cassatt, Modern Woman. 1998.Philip Brooks. Mary Cassatt: An American in Paris. 1995.Julia M. H. Carson. Mary Cassatt. 1966.Cassatt and Her Circle: Selected Letters, New York. 1984.Nancy Mowll Mathews. Mary Cassatt: A Life. 1994.Nancy Mowll Mathews. Cassatt: A Retrospective. 1996.Griselda Pollock. Mary Cassatt: Painter of Modern Women. 1998Frederick A. Sweet. Miss Mary Cassatt, Impressionist from Pennsylvania. 1966.Forbes Watson. Mary Cassatt. 1932.Mary Cassatt: Modern Woman. (Essays.) 1998.

Capital Punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Capital Punishment - Essay Example Capital punishment raises many issues concerning morality, where some people support it claiming that it is morally justified while others do not (BBC 2013). This paper will contend to show the reasons why capital punishment should be allowed based on the evidence given in the paper. Capital punishment is a legal process approved by a country, which permits for the termination of a criminal’s life, especially one who has committed murder. Capital punishment has been abolished in many countries including the United Kingdom. The United States of America is the only Western country that has not abolished capital punishment. The main questions raised about capital punishment concern the morality and whether the act deters crime. It is also debated that the act could possibly bring more good than harm, therefore, bringing an intense debate between its supporters and those who oppose (Janet and Oxley 2). Capital punishment is only utilised by the state, therefore, making it use by n on-state organisations like the Al shabaab, illegal. It is exclusively utilised as a penalty for especially heinous crimes such as murder, adultery, fraud, treason, and rape depending on the country. Many people find capital punishment morally unjustifiable but in the event of an atrocity towards their families, they support the process. Many countries have decided to abolish capital punishment due to the extended network of activists and lobby groups, who over the years have seen to it that capital punishment is abolished. The places which have not ceded to the demands of these activists are some Muslim countries like Iran and Iraq and some states of the United States of America. The United Nations does not support capital punishment as it stands for an individual’s right to life. Countries that have not succumbed to International pressure to ban capital punishment insist that the act is non-discriminatively and unarbitrary, therefore, helps keep everyone off some crimes due to its deterring effect (Dezhbakhsh and Shepherd 512). There are many people who consider capital punishment to be morally impermissible. Some debate that it is unconstitutional, barbaric and cruel. They claim to oppose capital punishment because it violates the human right to life, which is a fundamental right. They believe that human life is so important such that even the murderers’ lives should not be destroyed even after conducting heinous atrocities. Other people oppose capital punishment on the grounds that it the justice system is at time marred by mistakes, therefore, accusing some people falsely, which leads to the loss of innocent lives. They claim that the damage that is committed upon such individuals and their families would be irreversible, thus opposing capital punishment (BBC 2013). There are people who are opposed to capital punishment based on the theory that it reflects arbitrariness and discrimination. The antagonists contend that there is evidence parti cularly in America, where those charged with killing white people are four times more likely to be sentenced to capital punishment compared to those people who are charged with killing non-white people. This is evidence of racial discrimination and it is used to oppose the need for capital punishment in a country (Sunstein and Vermeule 2). Vengeance and retribution have been viewed as morally unjustifiable acts that cannot be used to support capital punishment. This is particularly common in religions where they do not justify the taking of

Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Process - Essay Example l stage of the scientific method involves observation and since curiosity leads to new knowledge, the method of observation, which is simple, is considered as the process that defines the question (OConnor and Faille 6). Observations are directed at phenomena that cannot be explained by simply relying on the existing knowledge. Therefore, the observation process looks into phenomena that can be explained by explained by knowledge that has already been collected but can also be explained differently. What follows then is seeking to explain the particular phenomenon and the reasons influencing its occurrence. The step that follows entails researching the existing knowledge on the question that has been formed from the observation. For example, if a person observed that their car is not starting, the question will then be why that car is not starting. The knowledge that may be possessed by the individual concerning cars will be used in trying to figure out what may be the problem. The individual might also look into the manual or on the internet for information that may be related to the problem. If a scientist was in a situation such as this, he or she would look for more information from scientific journals that have previously published research that has been conducted by other scientists. Research on existing knowledge is carried out since the question that seeks to be answered might have been dwelled on before, or information that is associated with it may assist in coming up with a hypothesis. Establishing a hypothesis is the next part of the procedure of using scientific methods in solving problems. A hypothesis can be explained as a probable explanation for the phenomenon that was observed during observation. It is usually more than a simple guess since it is founded of a comprehensive review of the current knowledge associated with the subject. A good hypothesis postulates a cause-effect connection such as the reason why the car will not start is because

Transculture Final Essay Example for Free

Transculture Final Essay The movie Hotel Rwanda focuses on the story of a man named Paul Rusesabagina, a manager of a European-owned hotel in Rwanda. By creating a seret refuge camp in the hotel, Rusesabagina was able to help save the lives of 1, 200 Tutsis from the Hutus during the brutal genocide in 1994.   The gist of the film is depicted in the underlying genius of how the film was able to portray a hellish event without using too much distressing scenes just to be able to show the audience the brutality of the genocide, the narrative of political criticism and comments from the lines spoken by the artists   served as a replacement for these scenes   leaving it to one’s imagination on how severe the true event was. Many social issues were touched in the film. For one, the indifference of the West towards the African lives is believed to be the reason behind the genocide. (Theis, 2004). Another is that the social structure as to who should be on top and who should have the power is discussed all through out the film since the genocide was planned by the Hutus long before to take in effect the   â€Å"one man-one vote† which served as an opportunity for them to kill as many Tutsi Christians. (â€Å"Hotel Rwanda†), this is not only in a political sense but in a religious perspective as well. Many of these issues exist not only in Africa but also in other countries which remain unresolved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most straining parts of the movie is the presence of the peacekeepers and their inability to intervene because they were told not to and this makes the situation more devastating for the hopeful Tutsi. The tension showed in the film address the inability of some to be able to help in giving out solutions to the problem even if it already requires personal judgment. What really makes me uncomfortable is the inequality shown in the film and the brutal solutions done. It is also frustrating to see that while most of the foreign nationals were saved from the holocaust many of the Tutsi are left hoping to be saved by the intervention of others and relying only in the abilities of one man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This film allowed me to reflect more on my social responsibilities the way it has challenged Paul to help his family and still be able continue to saving lives of others without questioning personal judgment. Moreover, the film was able to show me how one man can make a difference during desperate times and create measures that may appear as inevitable to others. References Theis, P. 2004. Hero. Off Off Off.   Retrieved June 18, 2008 from http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2004/hotelrwanda.php Hotel Rwanda. Frontline Fellowship. Retrieved June 18, 2008 from http://www.frontline.org.za/articles/hotel_rwanda.htm