The importance of accounting in decision making

: Nors Group case study

Abstract

In an era where the Management Accountants role has gained increasing prominence in large corporations, this Maters Final Assignment examines how companies value MAs and their contributions to the Decision-Making Process. This study focuses on Nors Group, a leading automotive retail company with over 90 years of experience. In this report we look at how the analytical skills and deep business knowledge of MAs are essential for enhancing the profession value proposition, and how it can influence decision making. This report employs a qualitative methodology, combining interviews with a questionnaire, to explore the perspectives of Norshare, MAs and CEOs of the various companies, and the Group Planning and Management Control Department. It aims to address the research question: "What is the role of historical and prospective accounting information, converted by Management Accountants in the Decision-Making Process by Managers at Nors Group?". A discrepancy was identified between CEOs perceptions on MAs and MAs self-perception. This highlight diverging perspectives on the role of MAs and the importance of Norshare contribution to decision making. This study contributes to the understanding of the evolving MAs role and the perception gap between CEOs and MAs. It also serves as a foundation for future research on Nors Group, Norshare, and the value that MAs have for CEOs. By emphasizing the need for greater recognition of MAs strategic role, this research assists companies in reflecting about the role of MAs in the Decision-Making Process.

Date of Award	23 Oct 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	José Miguel Pereira dos Santos de Oliveira (Supervisor)