n this opening chapter we begin by considering the role of accounting.
We shall see that it can be a valuable tool for decision-making. We shall identify the main users of accounting and financial information and discuss the ways in which this information can improve the quality of decisions that those users make. We shall then go on to consider the particular role of financial accounting and
the differences between financial and management accounting. Since this book
is concerned with accounting and financial decision making for private-sector businesses, we shall also examine the main forms of business enterprise and consider what are likely to be the key objectives of a business.