THE ROLE OF MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING INFORMATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOL IN EKITI STATE

THE ROLE OF MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING INFORMATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOL IN EKITI STATE

ABSTRACT

This study was aimed the role of management accounting information in
secondary school of Ekiti State. And to assess the extent the principals
possess and apply the identified competencies. The researcher posited five
research questions which guided the study. The research drew heavily from the
competency management theory and competency identification models as a
framework and used descriptive survey research design. The study was conducted
in two phases using two sets of questionnaires. The first phase was on
competency identification while the second was on competency possession and application.
The samples for the identification phase was 30 supervisors and 100 secondary
school principals while the samples for the second phase consisted of the study
were 6 supervisors, 10 principals and 14 teachers at a random. The data
collected were analysed using mean, t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).
The study found, amongst others, that management, leadership,
human/interpersonal relations, cognitive and curriculum competencies, in this
order, were the competencies generally identified by the principals and
supervisors as highly essential for principals’ administrative effectiveness.
The principals possessed the five competencies to high extent but had moderate
cognitive competencies. Principals’ application of three of the five
competencies was high while cognitive and leadership competencies were the
least applied. Principals were found to apply all the competencies to a lesser
degree compared t their possession of the essential competencies. Equal
proportions of external and internal factors affect principals’ application of
the competencies. The implications of these findings, recommendations and
suggestions for further studies were presented.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page                                                                                          i

Certification                                                                                                ii

Dedication                                                                                         iii

Acknowledgement         s                                                                           iv

Table of content                                                                                ix      

CHAPTER ONE

2.0      Literature review

          References

          Questionnaire

 

CHAPTER ONE

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

One of the marks
of the executive is the ability to decide. One of the obligations of free men
is the willingness to decide. One of the qualities of effective people is the
courage to decide. Making decisions is part of our every day’s lives.
Considering organizational life, it is often one of the main functions and
tasks of management, as underlined also in the statement above.

Indeed,
management and decision-making are often regarded as belonging together, as
management usually makes the major decisions of the organisation.
Decision-making involves the selection of the best course of action. In order
to decide on the best option, management has to judge the effectiveness of
various alternatives. Therefore they need some guidance that is usually
provided in form of data and information.

 For this reason they often rely on management
information in accounting and economic information gathered by management
accounting. Management accounting can be defined as the process of
identification, measurement, accumulation, analysis, preparation,
interpretation, and communication of information that assists executives in
fulfilling organizational objectives a formal mechanism for gathering and
communicating data for the ends of aiding and coordinating collective decisions
in light of the overall goals or objectives of an organization.”6

As can be
derived from this definition, accountants play a crucial role in providing
information for making accounting and financial decisions. These decisions are
an important element for the organisation. Implementing the wrong ones can
affect the company in a very negative way and may sometimes also lead to its
bankruptcy. Young, J.even goes so far to claim that “The road to bankruptcy is
paved with poor decisions.” As the outcome of a decision cannot always be
predicted with certainty, management often faces the risk of choosing the wrong
ones. Hence, management always needs to have some courage as well when facing
decisions.

Apparently, good
decisions are important and ensure the wellbeing and also the survival of an
organization leading to the supplier of professional users, has to assure its
future by implementing the right decisions.

In most
developing countries including Nigerian government participation in economic
activity is usually significant. One of the ways through which government has
intervened in Nigerian economy is through the establishment of management
information centre and statutory bodies operating service of an economic or
social character on behalf of the government and public enterprise.

Since the
colonial era, especially after independence 1960, Nigerian secondary schools
have witnessed a steady growth and increase in numbers per unit, recently. Its
Olisa (2008-133) pet it. Beginning as a trickle in the period between this era
of the second world war and Nigeria risen to flood level since independence the
establishment of public secondary school in Nigeria are many add to available
rational capital for the support of development and welfare programme, making
to be controlled by a few individual, it possible for important profitable to
be controlled by a few individual or group organization certain critical
activities national survival and economic stability and providing employment
opportunities (Ademolukun 2003). However, after a long period of growing starts
intervention in the Nigeria economy through public institution, the 1980’s
onwards had witnessed a reversed which has sometimes been dramatic in public
opinion therefore public policy.

This has been
brought by the persistent losses which state enterprises that trivet been
running over fears. Consequently, there has been a willingness to look at
alternative policy strategies for the achievement of economic development. At
the forefront of these strategies is the minimization privatization of public
secondary school.

In Nigeria,
public secondary schools are engaged in a while spectrum of economic activities
including agriculture, science, administration, commerce and services. The
classification of public secondary schools in Nigeria has been made according
to varieties of criteria by different authorities. The public service review
commission for education and national policy on education.

The rational for
the establishment of private secondary schools are numerous just like
establishment of public secondary school. They include amongst others;
provision of employment opportunities generating income for the owner of the
schools interest in profit growth of the schools which performance of the
private sector and regulates through competition. Moreover, the general public
is concerned with contribution which makes towards social enlistment which is
exhibit to the environment in which the business is loaded and its willingness
to contribute to the development of the environment.

1.2 Statement of   Problem 

In order to
circumvent accounting disasters through wrong and ineffective decisions, there
is nowadays a vast pool of the role of management information in accounting for
secondary school in ekiti state with tools available which can be used to
support the decision-making process. Nevertheless accounting tools applied vary
from organisation to organisation. One tool that proved to be very effective in
one organisation, might fail in another. Different information are required for
these diverse purposes, therefore organizations have to focus on different
accounting tools to support their decisions-making process uses its own tools
and techniques. At present, its operation quite successfully.

Hence, it can be
assumed that without making the right decisions this position would hardly be
possible. Management accounting tools applied in might have contributed to some
extent to these beneficial decisions

1.3 Purpose
of Study

This study aims
at investigating the role of management accounting information in secondary
school of ekiti state. The purpose of this study include among others:

1. To determine
the extent to which accounting records has controlled the effect of
expenditures in secondary school in ekiti state.

2. To find out
factor that affects the management accounting information department preventing
them from carryout their function as expected.

3. To determine
government policies which promote accountability in secondary school of ekiti
state in Nigeria?

1.4 Significance
of the Study

In this study,
the researchers have set out to examine the role of management accounting
information the public secondary school of ekiti state in this country. Nigeria
with the aid of highlighting the inherent problem encountered in the account
department of most organizations. It is expected that this work will be of
interest to the owners of private schools, the government, students and the
general public.

To shareholders,
owners of enterprise, interested persons and the government, this study is
expected to en kindle their interest the more and they will take note of
various recommendations mentioned here and help steer the management team
towards forming a study organizations to present an accurate financial
information of their firm.

This study will
also help to serve as literature to individual or corporate bodies into want to
carry on further research on the role of management accounting information in the
public secondary school of ekiti state, in Nigeria.

1.5 Scope of
the Study

Scope of the
study shows extent of coverage done in the study. The research topic suggests a
study on the role of management accounting information in secondary school of
Ekiti state in Nigeria. The focus of the study is on secondary school of Ekiti
state I take this to be a fair representative of Ekiti state secondary school
that is either avoidable or hard to come by.

There are
factors as constraints that normally follow this research work, some of them
are;

1.6 Research
Questions

1. What extent
does accounting information has control in affecting the expenditure of public
secondary school of ekiti state?

2. What are the
factors that affect accounting department of most school which makes them not
to function effectively as expected?

3. What are
these governments polices which promote accountability in ekiti state public
secondary state?

1.7 Research
Hypotheses

This research
hypothesis is to know the findings or result of this research;

1. H0 – Good
accounting information has no control effect on expenditure of secondary
school.

H1- Good
accounting information has control effect on expenditure of public secondary
school precisely.

2. H0-
Corruption does not affect the quality of service rendered by accounts officer
in secondary school of ekiti state.

H1- Corruption
affects the quality of service rendered by accounts officers in secondary
school of ekiti state.

3. H0-
Government accounting policies do not aid in promoting accountability in
Nigeria public Enterprise

H1- Government
accounting policies aid in promoting accountability in Nigeria Public
Enterprises.

1.8 Definition
of Terms

1. TIME:
This which was a major problem was adequately not managed by the researcher.
There is not enough time for the research to get the project time, get it
approved and within a short time we will be talking about our exams assignment
and continuous assessment

2. LACK OF
MATERALS: The un co-operative of most people working in the library and
other offices where the research needed to get materials posed great problem to
the research. Some of the staff does not feel safe letting have access to some
materials while other will change you more than double the cost of Photostat before
one can get what he wants.

3. FINANCE: Before
now our project use to be a joint project of a group of four-ten people but now
it has to be on individual student. So finance hinders the projects in one way
or the other. Cost of transportation to where to get the materials or where to
obtain the necessary information and search for empirical materials online.

MANAGEMENT:
Its function, it is centered on the running and controlling of the
organization, the way the directors perform their function to attain a
successful operation.

ACCOUNTING: In
this context, an accountants records, classify and summaries all public
expenditure in the Central Bank of Nigeria in a significant manner and in terms
of monetary events and transaction which are in part at least financial
character and to interpreter the result thereof.

FINANCIAL
STATEMENT: An accountant makes an accounting report issued by a school to
describe its financial affairs and results of the operations for a period of
year.