In: Accounting
(Accounting and Control) The controller of a small private college is complaining about the amount of work she is required to do at the beginning of each month. The president of the university requires the controller to submit a monthly report by the fifth day of the following month. The monthly report contains pages of financial data from operations. The controller was heard saying, "Why does the president need all this information? He probably doesn't read half of the report. He's an old English professor and probably doesn't know the difference between a cost and a revenue." Required: a. What is the probable role of the monthly report? b. What is the controller's responsibility with respect to a president who doesn't know much accounting?
a. What is the probable role of the monthly report?
Ans: The monthly report is the report card for the University’s
internal accounting system, these monthly reports are a formal part
of the University’s information system, that provides data and
knowledge for decision making. These reports are part of a system
of controls, these controls force the organization to account for
their monthly transactions and the president needs to know this so
that he can defend and reconcile the position of his company. These
reports are useful to the president so that he can manage the
in-and-outflow of resources that keep the University’s board
members and employees interests aligned. For the president, the
role of these monthly reports are to provide information for
necessary planning and decision making and to also help motivate
and monitor people within the university.
b. What is the controller's responsibility with respect to a
president who doesn't know much accounting?
Ans: It is the controller’s responsibility to ensure the President understands what the reports depicts and in case of any difficult in understanding the report , the president should contact to controller.