The Role of Management Accountants in Accounting for Sustainable Development
Journal Title: IOSR journal of Business and Management - Year 2018, Vol 20, Issue 12
Abstract
When the Brundtland Commission offered its famous definition of sustainable development -“to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”, it presented several challenges to policy-makers. One of these is the question: how do we measure progress towards sustainable development? In the wake of the Brundtland Commission’s report, sustainable development has been interpreted as a three dimensional concept which combines economic, social, and ecological perspectives. The foundation for this concept is a set of assets that underpin and support the development process. The aim of the paper is to present a conceptual review of the business case for accountants to engage in accounting for sustainable development. The paper presents a framework for sustainable development and uses argument from literature to identify the role of management accountants in accounting for sustainability. To achieve the basic objective of the paper, a qualitative research methodology was employed. Some of the findings are that, although there is an overwhelming support for a movement towards sustainable development, little empirical evidence exists supporting the roles of management accountants in accounting for sustainability. Also, the availability of literature suggesting adequate management accounting practices is limited and very little has been done to provide the steps that ought to be taken to facilitate decision making of organisations. The paper recommends, among others, that management accountants in organisations should provide alignment mechanisms and collaborate with senior management in providing fully integrated reports reflecting sustainable strategies adopted by organisations which fulfill the needs of stakeholders.
Authors and Affiliations
Alfred Agada
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP422297
- DOI 10.9790/487X-2012027074.
- Views 81
- Downloads 0
A Review of Free Cash Flow Hypothesis on the Investment Firms Listed in Kenya
Free cash flowsrefer to the amount of cash available to a firm net of expenses, including capital expenditure.It is the difference between cash flows from operating activities and cash flows from investing activities (Af...
The Influence of Psychosocial Work Environment on Job Satisfaction of Nurse and Its Implication on Turnover Intention in Bahteramas Hospital of Southeast Sulawesi Province
The importance of the hospital to pay attention to job satisfaction nurse because it will impact on the performance of the hospital. The nurse's dissatisfaction with the hospital's hospital treatment and policy will have...
Stakeholder Management and Project Performance of Open Air Market Projects in Nyeri County, Kenya
Project performance is evaluated differently by various stakeholders of the project based on their expectations in relation to the actual quality, cost and time. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of...
A Study on The Role of Money Lenders In Guntur District A.P
Moneylenders have always been known for explorative practices and prices in lending poor.They have strengthened since liberalization; their share in the decade following it has risen substantially.This study has designed...
An Assessment of the Roles of Micro Financing On the Income Generation of Small Scale Farmers in Kenya: A Case of Trans Nzoia County
Small scale farming in Kenya and the world at large contributed to economic growth and sustainable livelihood of their families and society. Small scale farmers in Trans Nzoia County are undergoing a vicious circle as po...