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Management Accounting Performance Evaluation

A list of articles relevant to P1 Management Accounting Performance Evaluation are available to download below.

Reading widely is an important part of preparing for the exams – so use these articles as part of your study.

Some of the articles were written for the old 2000 syllabus. We have reviewed each article and those relevant to Management Accounting Performance Evaluation are listed.

You will need Adobe Acrobat software to view the PDF files. If you do not have this installed on your computer, you can download it free from the Adobe website.

• Increased investments in capital equipment (PDF 130KB) by Ian Herbert (March 2008)
  Ian Herbert considers the effects of increased investments in capital equipment and lower direct labour content on standard costing.
• Comparing budgeting methods (PDF 155KB) by Grahame Steven (November 2007)
  Grahame Steven compares budgeting methods and considers whether the activity-based approach provides a basis for better financial planning.
• Beyond Budgeting (PDF 118KB) by Bob Scarlett (September 2007)
  Bob Scarlett charts the rise of the Beyond Budgeting movement and explains how it differs from traditional approaches to financial control.
• Supply chain management (PDF 102KB) by Bob Scarlett (July/August 2007)
  Bob Scarlett reviews the theories and practices of supply chain management and explains the effects of virtual integration on relationships among linked companies.
• Responsibility centres (PDF 150KB) by Bob Scarlett (April 2007)
  The use of internal markets encourages responsibility centres to make decisions that benefit the organisation as a whole. That's the idea, at least, writes Bob Scarlett.
• Operational gearing (PDF 151KB) by Grahame Steven (September 2006)
  Although it's hard for investors to calculate it reliably from a company's published accounts, operational gearing is a useful measure of risk, writes Grahame Steven.
• Limitations of backflush accounting (PDF 184KB) by Grahame Steven (May 2006)
  Traditional accounting methods still have their place in a modern manufacturing environment. Grahame Steven examines the limitations of backflush accounting.
• Management Accounting papers (PDF 121KB) by Victor Sheahan (May 2006)
  Even holy matrimony isn't sacred when it comes to the application of cost theory. Victor Sheahan explains why a small wedding could prove to be a false economy.
• Process costing (PDF 281KB) by Tim Thompson (February 2006)
  Tim Thompson presents a sample self-test question that explains what process costing does - and does not - tell us when it comes to evaluating joint products.
• A price for every customer (PDF 86KB) by Bob Scarlett (November 2005)
  Not all customers will pay the same for the same product, so how can a seller set prices to maximise revenue? By using 'price discrimination' writes Bob Scarlett.
• Answer to question posed in above article (PDF 19KB).
• Analysing cost variances (PDF 102KB) by Falconer Mitchell (October 2005)
  Analysing cost variances is no easy task, because a single variance may contain four different elements. Falconer Mitchell offers his guide to interpreting them.
• Break even and variance analysis techniques (PDF 1.03MB) by Janet Walker (June 2005)
  Break even and variance analysis techniques can be used in any case where a standard unit cost and selling price can be determined.
• Guidance on how to use your additional 20 minutes reading time (PDF 85KB) by Martin Taylor (May 2005).
• Advice on how reading the business pages of quality newspapers can make your exam answers far more insightful (PDF 366KB) by Graham Pitcher (April 2005).
• Article (PDF 163KB) by the examiner for Paper P1 (March 2005)
  'McDonaldisation' is the term used to describe how other sectors are adopting ingredients of the fast-food firm's business model. Are they doing the right thing?
• Opportunity Knocks (PDF 361KB) by Bob Scarlett (April 2004)
  If you want the most equitable and neutral transfer pricing system for strategic business units, there's a clear choice - but it's not always the most practical one.
• Question time again (PDF 88KB) by Grahame Steven (April 2004)
  The difference between the absorption cost and marginal cost approaches to variance analysis is quite straightforward, but which one is more appropriate?
• Overhead projections (PDF 433 KB) by Samuel Idowu (February 2004)
  The traditional approach to overhead absorption is now more than 80 years old - and it really shows its age when compared with activity based costing.
• Ask a simple question (PDF 367KB) by Grahame Steven (December/January 2003/04)
  If you can understand the straightforward logic behind variances, you won't have to waste time and effort remembering the relevant formulas when you come to revise.
• Paramount pictures (PDF 452KB) by Bob Scarlett (December/January 2003/04)
  It's a simple idea: identify who's best at an activity that your organisation needs to improve and learn from what they do. SO why isn't everyone benchmarking?
• Means testing (PDF 409KB) by Bob Scarlett (September 2003)
  The difference between efficiency and effectiveness in a not-for-profit organisation is fine, but crucial - as it's possible to be both efficient and ineffective at the same time.
• Here's mud in RIs (PDF 394KB) by Grahame Steven (March 2003)
  It can be dangerous to depend on the residual income approach on its own when determining the relative merits of project proposals, especially over the short term.
• ABB Fab (PDF 381KB) by Bob Scarlett (May 2002)
  Advice on how to use activity based techniques to improve decision making - and an explanation of why a significant proportion of ABC implementation fails to achieve the desired results.
• Lessons from history (PDF 663KB) by Grahame Steven (May 2002)
  Why management accounting should stop following the lead of financial accounting and concentrate on modern requirements.
• Part of the furniture (PDF 416KB) by Janet Walker (November 2002)
  The concept of using the standard hour as an overhead absorption base in a standard absorption costing system is not as confusing as it may seem at first.
• Costing the earth (PDF 379KB) by Ruth Prickett (February 2002)
  More and more companies in crowded national markets are deciding that the only serious option for re-growth is to venture across international borders. But many pitfalls await a company with global ambitions, as Ruth Prickett explains.
• Dividing line (PDF 354KB) by Bob Scarlett (June 2001)
  A look at the pitfalls of transfer pricing.
• Piece of cake (PDF 373KB) by Grahame Steven (April 2001)
  This article explains why understanding material mix and yield is a recipe for success.
• Sales variances: time for the hard sell (PDF 53KB) by G J Steven (September 2000).

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