The emphasis of MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING, 4e is on teaching students to use accounting information in managing an organization. The text is known for its coverage of contemporary topics, its balanced use of Service/Retail/Nonprofit/Manufacturing companies, its use of chapter focus companies, and its engaging writing style. Each chapter is written around a realistic business that guides the reader through the topics of that chapter. Students learn about the issues facing service, nonprofit, retail and manufacturing firms and about the managerial practices that the businesses use. There is significant coverage of contemporary topics such as activity-based costing, target costing, and the value chain, while also including traditional topics such as job-order costing, budgeting and performance evaluation.