Chapter 4 Flashcards
What are the two classes of decision makers?
Decision makers exist inside the firm (internal decision makers) and outside the firm (external decision makers)
What is the role of accounting for decision makers? (i.e. what does it help them do?)
Accounting helps decision makers measure the costs and benefits of decision options
What kind of decisions to external decision makers have to make?
Whether to invest in the firm, lend money or calculate taxes owed
What are the 3 issues that external decision makers have with information needs?
- Differ Across users
- Not cost effective to produce information
- Confidentiality issues
What are the solutions to the issues with external decision makers?
Comprehensive reports (financial statements), Defined rules (GAAP) with guidelines by organizations such as the IAS or the AcSB
What kind of decisions do internal decision makers have to make?
Whether to run promotion, what to purchase, who to hire
What are the 3 issues that internal decision makers have with information needs?
- Differ across users
- Need specific data for the “smaller” decisions
- Might need both financial data and non-financial data
What are the solutions to the issues with internal decision makers?
Decision specific data is produced, no-pre-set rules for how to process, produced as needed
What are the 7 factors that differentiate financial and managerial accounting? How do these factors differ for Financial and Managerial Accounting?
- Users (A: External persons, M: Managers Plan and Control)
- Time Focus (A: Historical Perspective, M: Future Oriented)
- Emphasis (A: Objectivity and verifiability, M: Relevance for planning and control)
- Importance (A: Precision of information, M: Timeliness of information)
- Subject Focus (A:Summarized data for the whole organization, M: Detailed segment reports of an organization)
- GAAP (A: Must follow GAAP and prescribed formats, M: Need Not follow GAAP)
- Requirement (A: Mandatory for external reports, M: Not mandatory)
What functions do managers need information to perform?
Strategy formulation, Planning, Control, Decision Making and Directing/Motivating
Describe a Vision Statament.
Describes the desired future position of the organization (i.e. be a market leader) and sets objectives based on this vision
Describe Strategic Management.
The art and science of formulating, implementing and evaluating cross-functional decisions that enable an organization to achieve its objectives.
Describe a Stratetigic Plan.
This is a company’s game plan that results from tough managerial choices from numerous good alternatives. Signals commitment to specific markets, policies, procedures and operations.
Describe the Planning Process for Managers.
Identify Alternatives –> Select alternative that does the best job of furthering objectives –> Develop budgets toward selected alternative
List the 4 keystones of directing and motivating.
- Employee work assignments
- Routine problem solving
- Conflict resolutions
- Effective communications
What does the control function ensure?
That plans are being followed
What is an essential part of the control function?
Feedback in the form of performance reports that compare actual results with the budget are an essential part of the control function.
What is Variance?
The difference between actual cost and budgeted cost.
What makes variance unfavourable?
If actual cost is greater than budgeted cost.
What makes variance favourable?
If actual cost is less than budgeted cost.
Describe a budget.
Detailed plan that sets out in monetatry terms plans for income and expenditure in a future period.
What are budgets based on when being planned?
The company objectives and strategy
What is the order in which budgets are planned?
Start with a sales budget and build up to a master budget.
What is a forecast used for?
Making predictions
Describe the order for the budget making process.
Forecast –> planning –> budget preparation
Desccribe the budget committee.
Senior managers who are responsible for designing strategy, they receive intial budgets from functional managers and suggest changes if needed to meet strategy
Describe the Accounting department
Works with operations managers to begin budget preparation, advise and assist in budget preparation, accounting staff must understand business operation
Go through the sequence of the budgetary process.
Communicate objectives and strategy –> Communicate procedures –> Prepare intial set of budgets –> negotiate budgets with line managers –> coordinate and review budgets –> accept budgets in final form –> ongoing review
What is a bottom up budget?
A budget that is started by inviting those who will implement the budget to be involved in setting the budget
What is a top-down budget?
Set by management and imposed on those who will implement the budget
Are are the 4 benefits of budgeting?
- Planning
- Control
- Communication and co-ordination
- Basis for performance evaluation
What is the 4-step framework for decisions?
Step 1: Specify the decision problem, including the decision maker’s goals.
Step 2. Identify Options.
Step 3. Measure benefits (advantages) and costs (disadvantages) to determine the value (benefits reaped less costs incurred) of each option.
Step 4: Make the decision, choosing the option with the highest value
What do effective decisions require?
Identify goals clearly, understand the factors that influence goals and their relative importance
Why do goals vary across individuals?
Goals depend on the importance the indivdual attaches to money, leisure, risk, fame, etc.