Preface
 Welcome to the Sixth Edition of Managerial Accounting. Our book presents managerial accounting in the context of a big-picture, decision oriented, business setting. It integrates traditional coverage with cutting-edge topics, and does so with an eye toward the general business student because a book is not useful if it is not read. An overriding aim of our book is to engage students to read further and understand the materials presented.
APPROACH AND EMPHASIS
Managerial accounting focuses on using financial and nonfinancial information by managers and associates of a firm to make strategic, organizational, and operational decisions. Our book provides a framework for identifying and analyzing decision alternatives and for evaluating success or failure in accomplishing such organizational goals. Although accountants are important in the managerial accounting process, managerial accounting is more about managerial tools than processes. In our era of global competition, continuous improvement, process reengineering, and employee empowerment, the tools of managerial accounting are used by decision makers at all levels, rather than just by “managers.” One goal of our book is to introduce students to this reality.
Our book is written for all students—not just accounting students. We place managerial accounting in a broad business context, relating it to other business areas. We also avoid details that are appropriate for advanced cost accounting books. Like the trunk of a tree, our book serves as a strong base for students’ future knowledge growth and as a means of unifying the branches of business management.
We emphasize the use of managerial accounting information for decision making within the context of organizational strategy. The organization and content of our book reflect our belief that students who understand the big picture are better learners, are better decision makers, and are better able to apply what they learn.
ETHICS
Managerial ethics receives extensive coverage in this edition. For example, ethics is introduced in the context of measurement and management in Chapter 1 and discussed further in Chapters 4 and 9. “Business Insight” features and numerous end-of-chapter problems and cases in Chapters 1, 3, 8, 9, 10, and 11 include a variety of decision situations involving ethical dilemmas.
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