Guide to Financial Management : Principles and Practice

Managers are constantly expected to make decisions that reflect a full understanding of the financial consequences. In the absence of formal training, few people are prepared for the responsibilities of dealing with management reports, budgets, and capital proposals, and find themselves embarrassed by their lack of understanding.

This book is a practical guide to understanding and managing financial responsibilities. Each chapter examines actual tasks managers have to do, from “how to assemble a budget,” ”how to read variances on a report,” ”how to construct a proposal to invest in new equipment,” exploring the range of principles that can be applied to each task, illustrating practical ways these principles are used, and providing guidance for implementation

The Economist Guide to Financial Management will help the reader understand financial jargon, financial statements, management accounts, performance measures, budgeting, costing, pricing, decision-making and investment appraisal. This second edition has been fully revised and expanded with detailed examples from 100 leading businesses around the world.

John Tennent is co-author of The Economist Guide to Business Modelling and The Economist Guide to Cash Management. He is an accountant, who for the past 20 years has been involved in training and consultancy with firms such as Unilever, BOC, BAE, Kraft, Thomson Corp, Cable & Wireless, BT, St Gobain and EMI.