engleski

MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING AT CROATIAN PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Efficient management is nowadays one of the most important challenges of higher education institutions. That is especially highlighted in the conditions of increased demands in teaching and researching on the one side and decreased financial sources on the other side. Quality accounting information system is extremely important preconditions of the efficient management. However, accounting systems at higher education institutions are still dominantly focus on external reporting that is prescribed by the normative framework. Therefore, the main objective of this paper was to explore the importance of the management accounting for higher education institutions in the context of efficient decision-making process by analysing experiences of HEIs that have already developed management accounting as well as investigating the development at Croatian HEIs. Management accounting of higher education institutions in Croatia was analysed through surveys that were conducted in the year 2014 and 2016. Based on conducted research it was concluded that HEIs in Croatia have made a positive progress regarding usage of management tool especially regarding cost allocation of indirect cost on cost objects, price determination based on cost information and preparation of internal reports. However, this conclusion was based on opinions of Heads of Accounting at public HEIs and therefore it is unavoidable that in this paper, certain degree of subjectivity can be found. In the further research, more focus will be put on the managers knowledge about managerial and cost tools usage in terms of efficient decision- making.

cost, Croatia, higher education institutions, management accounting

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