One of the most important tasks of management accounting is to provide quality and efficient accounting information to users. The effectiveness of management accounting is manifested through the implementation of its functions, so it is relevant and urgent to consider them. The aim of the article is to study the composition, number and content of the functions of management accounting. The research methodology was based on general scientific methods of cognition like historical, logical, systemic methods, induction, deduction, analysis, as well as the methods of classification and grouping. According to the results of the research, it is found that currently there is no unified, generally accepted approach to the composition and number of the functions of management accounting (on average, there are distinguished five functions). Almost all researchers indicate information and control functions; analytical, predictive and communication functions are also present in most of the authors' papers analyzed. In some works, there are not quite appropriate combinations of two separate functions in one, and also there are similar titles of one and the same function of management accounting. There is a separation of rather narrow, specific functions, which are inherent only in certain management processes. We have summarized 32 different functions of management accounting, analyzed their number and composition, covered more than 50 authorial meanings for each of them. It has been found that researchers determine the different composition and essence of the functions depending on the direction of the study, its object and the specifics of the industry. It is quite logical that most of the various interpretations are given to the content of the information function of management accounting. According to the Conceptual Framework for Management Accounting developed by the International Federation of Accountants, the following functions have only one definition: analytical (evaluation), control and analytical, scientific and cognitive, new scientific and cognitive, motivation, organization, organizational and communication, planning and control, prognostic, reputational and the functions of management accounting. Prospects for further research are to consider the relationship between the functions of management accounting and management functions and to establish the quality and features of the manifestation of the functions of management accounting under the influence of industry characteristics of enterprises.
Giving contingency theory of management accounting and control a critical edge
