Managerial accountants are found throughout an organization and work on cross-functional teams

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Cross-functional teams help integrate organizations and enhance decision making by bringing together people with different perspectives who perform different functions in the organization. The IMA Practice Analysis, Counting More, Counting Less, revealed that nearly three-fourths of management accountants work in companies where they and their colleagues are members of cross-functional teams. Company size doesn't matter: For every 100 management accountants who are on a team in companies with large finance departments (more than 50 professionals), there are 75 on teams in smaller finance departments (one to nine professionals).

The business position that accountants play on the team is straightforward. They can be involved in anything, from simply doing the budgeting or accounting for the team to researching alternatives to being a business advisor. Their roles on the teams are rich and varied. This month's column focuses on the roles that management accountants play.

Leadership Role. Management accountants are increasingly taking on the team leadership role. When not leading, they often become key players on the team. Why?

Part of the reason, according to a management accountant at a Caterpillar production facility is "because the finance people have more of a grasp of the total operation." Management accountants do more than simply "work with all departments." To build or monitor a department's control system, management accountants need a thorough understanding of what that department is supposed to do and how it should do it. Compared to people in other disciplines, management accountants have more business information available to them and a better understanding of how departments should be working together.

One management accountant provided an historical perspective. "We used to be on teams where, for example, an engineer would talk with a product manufacturing guy or a purchasing guy about a future project. There might also be a quality-type person or logistics person. And the accountant was in the middle of all this. Because of our discipline and the debit/credit mentality, we often became the...

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Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2000 Institute of Management Accountants

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  • Chapter01.the Changing Role of Managerial Accounting in a Dynamic Business Environment

Managerial accountants are found throughout an organization and work on cross-functional teams

Chapter01.the Changing Role of Managerial Accounting in a Dynamic Business Environment

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Multiple Choice Questions 1. Which of the following statements about managerial accountants is false? A. Managerial accountants more and more are considered "business partners." B. Managerial accountants often are part of cross-functional teams. C. An increasing number of organizations are segregating managerial accountants in separate managerial-accounting departments. D. In a number of companies, managerial accountants make significant business decisions and resolve operating problems. E. The role of managerial accountants has changed considerably over the past decade. Answer: C LO: 1 Type: RC 2. The day-to-day work of management teams will…show more content…
C. Payoff matrix. D. Decision tree. E. Chart of operating performance (COP). Answer: B LO: 3 Type: RC 12. Which of the following perspectives is normally absent in a balanced scorecard? A. Financial. B. Customer. C. Internal operations. D. Learning and innovation/growth. E. None of the above. Answer: E LO: 3 Type: RC 13. Managerial accounting: A. focuses only on historical data. B. is governed by GAAP. C. focuses primarily on the needs of personnel within the organization. D. provides information for parties external to the organization. E. focuses on financial statements and other financial reports. Answer: C LO: 4 Type: RC 14. Managerial accounting: A. is unregulated. B. produces information that is useful only for manufacturing organizations. C. is based exclusively on historical data. D. is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). E. generally focuses on reporting information about the enterprise in its entirety rather than by subunits. Answer: A LO: 4 Type: N 15. Which of the following would likely be considered an internal user of accounting information rather than an external user? A. Stockholders. B. Consumer

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Why managerial accountant must have a cross functional perspective?

Cross-Functional Perspective: A cross-functional perspective helps us to see the forest, not just one or two of the trees. This broader vision allows managers to increase quality, reduce the time required to service customers and improve efficiency.

What is the role of managerial accounting?

The main objective of managerial accounting is to assist the management of a company in efficiently performing its functions: planning, organizing, directing, and controlling.

What are the two types of managerial accounting?

Types of Managerial Accounting.
Product Costing and Valuation..
Cash Flow Analysis..
Inventory Turnover Analysis..
Constraint Analysis..
Financial Leverage Metrics..
Accounts Receivable (AR) Management..
Budgeting, Trend Analysis, and Forecasting..

What is managerial accounting quizlet?

managerial accounting. the gathering and preparing of accounting information that is used within a company to help ensure the organization's goals are met effectively and efficiently. internal users.