Management Control Systems, 5th edition

Published by Pearson (October 22, 2024) © 2025

  • Kenneth Merchant University of Southern California
  • Wim Van der Stede London School of Economics

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In this eTextbook — More ways to learn

  • More flexible. Start learning right away, on any device.
  • More supportive. Get AI explanations and practice questions (select titles).
  • More interactive. Bring learning to life with audio, videos, and diagrams.
  • More memorable. Make concepts stick with highlights, search, notes, and flashcards.
  • More understandable. Translate text into 100+ languages with one tap.
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Details

  • A print edition

Title overview

The market-leading textbook in understanding management control systems

Management Control Systems, 5th edition is the latest edition of the bestselling textbook in management accounting, renowned for its authorship and excellently researched material. An essential learning resource presenting a wealth of international examples from real companies, this text will help you gain a solid grasp of this important subject.

Whether or not you have a background in management, the book's clear style introduces the authors’ leading framework, explaining a wide variety of performance measures and controls, as well as how to use them – while the extensive range of 75 case studies shows what this looks like in real businesses.

Table of contents

  • Section I: The Control Function of Management
  • Chapter 1: Management and Control
  • Section II: Management Control Alternatives and Their Effects
  • Chapter 2: Result Controls
  • Chapter 3: Action, Personnel and Cultural Controls
  • Chapter 4: Control System Tightness
  • Chapter 5: Control System Costs
  • Chapter 6: Designing and Evaluating Management Control Systems
  • Section III: Financial Result Control Systems
  • Chapter 7: Financial Responsibility Centers
  • Chapter 8: Planning and Budgeting
  • Chapter 9: Incentive Systems
  • Section IV: Performance Measurement Issues and Their Effects
  • Chapter 10: Financial Performance Measures and Their Effects
  • Chapter 11: Remedies to the Myopia Problem
  • Chapter 12: Using Financial Result Controls in the Presence of Uncontrollable Factors
  • Section V: Objectives Beyond Profit Maximization
  • Chapter 13: Management Control Implications Stemming from the Broader Goal of Stakeholder Welfare Maximization
  • Chapter 14: Management Control in Not-for-profit Organizations
  • Section VI: Corporate Governance, Important Control-Related Roles, and Ethics
  • Chapter 15: Corporate Governance and Boards of Directors
  • Chapter 16: Controllers and Auditors
  • Chapter 17: Management Control-Related Ethical Issues
  • Index

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