| In the accounting profession, it is evident that | | | | statement does not say is who will be making |
| difference is made between bookkeepers and | | | | decisions and informed judgments? How does an |
| accountants. Whether you work in a small business or | | | | accountant identify, measure and communicate the |
| large corporation, it will again make a difference. Are | | | | information? Who is interpreting the accounting |
| you an accountant or a bookkeeper? Is the | | | | information? |
| consideration of the bookkeeping role appropriate? | | | | Bookkeeping consists of various mechanisms used to |
| We will discuss here both roles that have evolved | | | | identify and accumulate the information, in order to |
| over time, and their principal differentiation, depending | | | | measure and provide financial results. A proficient |
| on roles within small businesses or large corporations. | | | | bookkeeper will have sufficient expertise to provide |
| Accounting positions in large corporations often consist | | | | analysis of value to the audience. So, is there a |
| of day-to-day recordkeeping. Junior Accountant, | | | | difference with accountants? |
| Expense Accountant, Revenue Accountant, Accounts | | | | I would associate most of the "accounting" positions is |
| Payable Specialist, General Ledger Accountant, and | | | | large corporations to what a "bookkeeper" in a small |
| much more titles invented to attract clerical personnel | | | | business is. Large numbers of accountants today has |
| whose work is primarily performed with | | | | no accounting education and are solicited to provide |
| well-developed systems, detailed procedures and | | | | the expertise in fields such as accounts payable, |
| professionally designed training programs. Within just | | | | accounts receivable, revenue recognition, etc. This is |
| weeks, large corporations can benefit of highly | | | | dangerous. |
| educated individuals in record keepers' positions that | | | | Primarily, I expect accountants to be organization's |
| will do the clerical side of accounting. | | | | goalkeepers, deal with internal and external |
| On the other side, a "bookkeeper" working in a family | | | | requirements so to reflect what is happening in the |
| ran business, will be involved in resolving important tax | | | | organization and outside and help the individuals who |
| matters, evaluating the efficiency of operations and | | | | are not able to understand the results of operating |
| managing the broad range of complex accounting | | | | activities make the informed judgments. |
| transactions. | | | | Both, bookkeeping and accounting involve preparing |
| I, like most of my peers, think that the segregation of | | | | and understanding of organizations' activities. |
| duties within large corporations does not help the | | | | The criteria that guides decisions made to hire a |
| individuals in their personal development. For those | | | | bookkeeper versus accountant will be the level of |
| individuals working in large corporations who are | | | | education. Wrong! Working experience and the use of |
| frustrated by the low pace, impatient to learn more, | | | | computer systems, ethics, and behavior, will prevail in |
| and bored of doing routine tasks, the enthusiasm for | | | | my decision making process for engaging a "record |
| learning more fades away. Either they go out and look | | | | keeper"! Be proud to be a bookkeeper. Not the |
| for different jobs, or they lose self-confidence for | | | | bookkeepers are only to perform their day-to-day, |
| doing anything else. | | | | timely, and accurate, transactional system entries but |
| Lack of controls, almost inexistent in family ran | | | | they are to keep their education at a level adequate to |
| businesses, will however stimulate the individuals to | | | | perform all accounting paperwork. The increasing |
| make great sacrifices to achieve success. | | | | demand on accountants makes the daily work ever |
| Whether we discuss the information issued by an | | | | challenging and interesting for all involved professionals. |
| accountant or a bookkeeper, the information is used | | | | Bookkeepers shall be more then welcome to join large |
| for a decision making process. A means to an end! | | | | corporations since the need for stable and efficient |
| "In a broad sense, accounting is the process of | | | | working environment is apparent. To choose between |
| identifying, measuring, and communicating the economic | | | | the qualified "presenteeism", in other words, highly |
| information about an organization for the purpose of | | | | educated individuals bored with daily recordkeeping |
| making decisions and informed judgments" (2003, | | | | work, and involved and productive recordkeeping |
| Marshall, What the Numbers Mean). What this | | | | professionals, the choice has no alternative. |