What are the most important issues facing management accountants in the next three years?
Minter: Without question, the ability to keep up with the pace of change. We’ll also emphasize helping finance professionals–a term I generally prefer to “management accountants”–become more accepted and recognized as members of the management team of the corporations where they work. CPAJ: Do management accountants and IMA have any specific concerns about SEC “activism” in the area of earnings management? Minter: Arthur Levitt is the most active SEC chair in history. He’s been critical of the accounting profession, and in my personal opinion to some extent we’ve been guilty. I think the term “earnings management” is unfair because management has a responsibility to run the business. “Earnings manipulation” would, I think, focus more clearly on the improper activities that are at issue. I think a great deal of what the SEC has done under Levitt has probably been necessary. But I am concerned about how far the SEC might go, and I’m not sure we want to paint everyone with the same bad
