ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONS AND ITS ROLE IN THE SOCIETY

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The aim of this research project is to look into in detail the accounting profession and then remunerate its functions and rise in society. The accounting profession is regarded in the course of history as social institution that when ever people met in the economic arena a references is needed to keep scare, this is accounting.

Since the turn of the 19th century, the accounting profession has grown tremendously all over the world. In fact, during the first sixty years of the 20th century, major economic and social force have thrust the accounting profession to new frontiers and responsibilities. The factor contributing to this growth are the increase of the large corporate business in number, size and complexity in addition to government influence in the affairs of business by taxation and regulation. Technological advance especially in the filed of computer, which has rapidly change the process of data accumulation and interpretation, are also factors contributing to the growth of the accounting profession.

The role of the computer in accounting profession has facilitated the traditional accounting function, such as payroll, cost accounting, and general book keeping. It is also used for analytical purpose such as cost benefit analysis. Etc.

New types of work are added to the practice of the accounting profession, installation of accounting system, management of social activities, auditing and a host of other activities relating to financial production and organizational problem and government units. The accountant apart from the examining, supplying and communicating financial information to this various, uses, gives his opinion on wide variety of representation such as sales, statistic, lease agreement advice on financial mobility and tax matters budgeting, cost control planning etc. he had also contributed immensely quota in a complex society in ways other then the ones stated above such as attacking problem of urban congesting, medicine, crime control, economic development etc.

The accounting profession is a wide based and complex profession this is because the above activities performed by accountant conflict complex problems and this creates the need for a high degree of specifies to enable him solve some of the problem created by management and society. New kinds of problems like auditing and installation of accounting system can also be added.