An Introduction to Business Accounting for Managers

An Introduction to Business Accounting for Managers, Third Edition reviews developments in the business accounting arena, including the crystallization of accounting thought on how to deal with escalating rates of inflation, culminating in the proposals for Current Cost Accounting; the acute cash crisis, itself an offshoot of inflation, faced by many companies in the mid-1970s leading to a greater need for awareness and control of cash flow; the specter of several major company collapses and scandals leading to a growing demand for accounting standards; and the growing use of value added within accounting and reporting systems. This book is comprised of 17 chapters and begins with a discussion on the use and abuse of accounting, with emphasis on financial accounting and cost accounting, management's use of accounting, and the reliability of accounting service. The reader is then introduced to the principles of bookkeeping, marginal costing, and corporate taxation; accounting concepts and accounting standards; preparation of balance sheet and ascertainment of a company's profit or loss and financial position; and annual accounts of a limited company. A comparison of profit and cash flow is also presented, and the use of accounting as an aid to management planning and control is explained. This monograph will be a valuable resource for accountants and business and financial managers.