Effectiveness and uses of accounting information for decision making in public sector organization

INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
One of the most effective uses of accounting
information is decision making. Decision making has being
described as a purposeful choosing from a number of
alternative causes of action.
The accounting information provides managers with
the necessary information they need. In this case, it is the
accountants that provide the information with which the
management uses for its decision making. Managements
can only come up with a good decision if they are able to get
correct accounting information from the accountant. In a
situation where the accountant does not provide correct
information: this is bond to affect the decision making of the
management adversely.
The question now is, how business executive know the
company is embarking on a favorable decision or
unfavorable one. The answer to this question is based on
the management and the accounting information.
According to Ray (1996), most top level business
executives have background in accounting and finance than
in any other field. The essence of using accounting
information is to enable managers make wise decision. It is
also used (accounting information) to set up system of
internal control to increase efficiency and prevent fraud in
companies.
Accounting information aids in profit making,
budgeting and cost control. In a company, it is the duty of
the management accountant to see that his company keeps
good records and prepare proper financial regulations.
Management accountants also need to keep up with the
latest development in the use of computers and in the
computer system design. Accountants provides many
special reports for management, decision making. This
function requires the gathering of both historical and
projected data.
Indeed only a limited number of studies in
international management research have focus on the role
utilization of accounting information in the holistic context
of decision making strategies, processes and preferences
(Carr etal 1994; woutersan and Verdaasdonk 2002).
Green wood and Hinings (1996) there is evidence
which reveal the influence of accounting information in
decision making process. it emphasize the important of a
holistic context and which led to the integration of other
institutional influence and multiple logics. It is in this
context that the research wishes to evaluate the
effectiveness and uses of accounting information for
decision making in public sector.
In summary, accounting information is primarily
concerned with data gathering from internal and external
sources analyzing, processing, interpreting and
communicating the result (information) for use within the
organization so that management can make more effective
plan, decisions and control operations.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The central concern of management is decision. In
making a sound decision the management needs some
valuable and accurate information from the accountant. The
accountant is at the services of the management by
providing the management with the necessary information
which they need for decision making.
In recent times, it was observed that cases of
mismanagement, fraud and irregularities prevail in the
organization.
What then is the role of accounting information in
Bank of agriculture? Has the role been affective? Does
accounting information control fraud, mismanagement and
irregularities? Does accounting information ensure the
efficiency and effectiveness of management? This study is
aimed at providing answers the above questions.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This research is aimed at examining how effective and
efficient management apply accounting information in
making business decision in public sector organizations.
The main objectives of this study are;
1. To identify how accounting information controls
Fraud, mismanagement and irregularities.
2. To determine how useful and effective accounting
information are to decision making in public sector
organization.
3. To determine the relationship between the neglect of
accounting information and decision making in
public sector organizations.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION
The purpose of the study is to highlight the use of
accounting information in Bank of agriculture and disclose
the obstacles involved in the demand and supply of
information. This therefore propels the following research
question for this study:
1. How does accounting information control fraud,
mismanagement and irregularities?
2. How useful and effective is accounting information to
decision making in public sector organizations?
3. What are the effects of in availability of accounting
information in public sector organizations?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
The null hypothesis is the one stated in a no difference
form in effect of one or more independent variables on the
dependent variable and is denoted as Ho. Alternative
hypothesis is the one which predicts a difference and
indicate the expected direction of that difference and is
denoted as H1. The hypothesis to be tested in this study are
as follows:
Ho: Accounting information does not control fraud,
mismanagement and irregularities.
H1: Accounting information controls fraud,
mismanagement and irregularities.
Ho: Accounting information is not effective in decision
making in public sector organizations.
H1: Accounting information is effective in decision making
in public sector organizations.
Ho: There is no relationship between the neglect of
accounting information and decision making in public
sector organizations
H1: There is relationship between the neglect of accounting
information and decision making in public sector
organization.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Accounting information is very important in the life of
any business. It is based on this information that the
management will be able to make wise decisions. The
accountants present the accounting information in such a
way as to assist management in policy and decision making
in the day to day operations of the company.
Based on the information produced, the management
will have the benefits on using it to plan and control their
current and future operations. Based on it also they will
come up with their management decision and information of
long term plans. The information also will help the
management report historical information to outsiders
The account manager, based on the management plan
(target/standards) will analyze the performance of the
organization and access whether the organization actually
attained the standard set by the management or not, if
there is any variance, the management in charge of
accounts will look into it to find out the causes of the
variance and the report to the management based on that
report. The management can make a wise decision that will
take the cause of the variance into consideration. The use of
accounting information is so important that the
management of any organization cannot do without it.
Any organization that does not makes use of
accounting information for their decision making is bound
to be running into difficulties that lead to a setback.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope will take into consideration the uses and
effectiveness of accounting information for effective
decision-making.
Decision making exist in every organization, for the
purpose of this research the research will be considering
only Bank of agriculture (i.e. taking into consideration
Calabar branch).
Accounting staff and manages of their co-operation will
be interviewed for the purpose of getting relevant useful
information for decision making, also to determine how
effective to use the accounting information for their decision
making. the recommendation and the conclusion will be
based solely on the information gathered.

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Time factor: This was one of the major problems I
encountered in the course of the study since the data
collected was partly by personal interviews and persons to
be interviewed had limited time to attend to me. Also the
researcher has to allocate part of her time to class room
work one and other activities.
Finance: Another factor that limited the scope of the study
was the financial cost which consisted mostly of travelling
expenses, cost of materials to be used for the study, cost of
inputting the information collected into the computer, cost
of diskette, cost of printing the hard copies and binding of
the report. This consisted to limitation of my study.

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Decision making: This is a process of choosing specific
cause of action from among many possible alternatives.
Determine ways and means for accomplishing the line
of action decided upon is also a part of the decision
making process.
Accounting: This means the act of recording,
classifying and summarizing in a significant manner
and in terms of money, transaction and events which
are in part at least of a financial character and
interpreting the result thereof.
Information: Data that has been processed to produce
meaning relating to a field.
Accounting information: Those processed information
relating to accounting.
Management: This is a group in a business who have
overall responsibility for achieving the company’s goals
Inventory: This is the stock of goods which a firm
posses within a accounting period
Cost centre: This is the smallest of activities of areas of
responsibilities where costs are accumulated.
Profit centre: This is a segment of a business that is
responsible for both its revenue end expenses, providing
information for such an entity.
Planning: The use of information supplied by
accountants in making decision by which management
formulate objectives for future business of the firm.
Control and Coordination: A process of ensuring that
the cause of actions is maintained and that the desire
aims are achieved. This is done through the use of
budgets and actual data.
Cost Decision: This is the application of and cost of
principles, methods and techniques in the
ascertainment of cost and analysis of savings and or
excess as compared with the previous experiences or
with standard.
Decision: Alternative lines of action which are often
irrevocable.
Organization: In organization the managers decide how
best to put together the organizations human and other
resources in other to carry out establishment.
Cost Accounting: This refers to the determination and
control of cost.
General Accounting: This is the overall records keeping
preparation of financial statements and reports and
control at all business activities.
Budgeting: This is the planning of financial aspect of
business operations.
Questionnaire: This is a method of data collection in
which the research questions and questions on other
relevant issues are put down in a systematic manner.