A Research on Determining Accountants' Roles and Their Level of Participation in Strategic Management Process

Abstract

While the traditional role of accountants is limited to providing necessary information and data for the decision-makers, accountants' duties and responsibilities have broadened and they have begun to participate in strategic management process since the emergence of management accounting. In this study, investigating the accountants working in 109 companies which are based in Istanbul whether they act as passive information providers, or active players in decision-making process, we aim to expose the degree of participation of accountants in strategic management process. We used a survey questioning the accountants' basic duties and responsibilities, knowledge and skills and their ways of participation in decision-making mechanisms on the basis of strategic management process. Also, the degree of participation in strategic management is investigated for different sectors. The survey findings indicate that accountants participate in strategic management process and those working at companies in manufacturing sector participate the most.