Semester 1, 2006
Description
In Fundamentals of Management Accounting (ACCG200) students
were introduced to several management accounting concepts and techniques
(such as costing and variance analysis). In Organizational Planning
and Control (ACCG201) students needed to consider the context in
which these techniques are used (for example, whether variance analysis
helps or hinders managers' motivation or the process of decentralization).
This unit develops these concepts and techniques further but the main
objective is to make students think more carefully and critically about
applying these techniques to one aspect of the context; namely, the organization's
strategy. In particular, this unit demonstrates how management accounting
information that is relevant to one strategy can be irrelevant (and even
misleading) to another (strategy) and students need to develop skills
which enable management accounting information to be viewed through a
strategic 'lens'. This process enables students to cut through much of
the ambiguity that characterizes business decisions and will help them
in the future to make more informed decisions . Consequently, this unit
seeks to equip students with the skills to analyse complex situations
and to develop positions that are logical, consistent and defensible
from a strategic perspective.
More specifically, the unit explores at greater length three topics
that were introduced in ACCG200 and ACCG201; namely: (i) strategic management;
(ii) advanced costing issues; and (iii) performance evaluation and incentive
schemes. These topics were chosen because surveys indicate that employers
regard them as important areas where graduates are traditionally weak.
[Back to top]
Topics covered
The learning outcomes of this unit are to provide students with skills
that enable them to:
- critically analyse and evaluate different organizational strategies;
- be able to solve problems creatively by appropriately designing advanced
costing systems, performance evaluation and incentive schemes;
- understand how strategy influences the design of the management accounting
system; and
- develop generic communication skills.
[Back to top]
Assessment
The assessment is weighted more towards tutorial related work than perhaps
previous 100 and 200 level units because of the need to apply concepts
and to argue them through in an interactive forum whereby the communication
and generic skills are developed in conjunction with technical and application
skills. In other words students need to not only know what they are talking
about, but need to be able to convince others (including the tutor) that
they know what they are talking about.
| Assessment
| Value
| Description
|
|
End of Semester Examination
|
| |
2 hours |
55 % |
Students must pass a
two hour final exam to satisfactorily pass the unit. |
Tutorial related work |
|
Assignments |
20 % |
Collected weekly |
|
Participation |
21 % |
|
|
Presentations |
4 % |
Two short, personal
presentations |
[Back to top]
Workload
The unit is taught through lectures and tutorials. There will be a one
hour lecture each week and a two hour tutorial The lecture component
provides students with the main concepts and techniques and these will
be more meaningful if students have already read the prescribed readings.
Tutorials will focus primarily on case discussions. Students are expected
to prepare written (typed) answers before tutorials so they can participate
in meaningful discussion. Discussion will take place in a group setting
as well as on a individual basis.
The cases for tutorial discussion require students to use the tools
introduced in the lectures, in the text book and in combination with
concepts and techniques learned in ACCG200 and 201, to be applied to
a real-world setting. This is not easy because any application of a concept
or technique needs to take account of the setting. Regular class attendance
and assignment preparation are essential if satisfactory progress is
to be made. Students typically find that they only start to understand
how to answer the cases by about Topic 4. This should not be of
great concern as it is all part of the learning experience. The assessment
process takes this into account by ensuring students work steadily each
week but marks for content are weighted towards work that is completed
at the end of the semester.
[Back to top]
Pre-requisites and times when unit is offered
See this
unit's details in the Macquarie University Handbook.
[Back to top]
Textbooks
Required text:
ACCG330Strategic Management Accounting Prepared by Herb
Schoch
This book consists of a package of readings from the following textbooks:
- Anthony, R.N. and Govindarajan, V.J. (11th ed). Management control
systems. (McGraw-Hill).
- Blocher, E.J., Chen, K.H., and T.W. Lin. (3rd ed.) Cost management:
a strategic emphasis (Irwin).
- Kaplan, R. & Norton, D. (1996):The balanced scorecard: McGraw-Hill)
- Langfield-Smith, K., Thorne, H. & Hilton, R. (4th ed.). Management
accounting: Information for managing and creating value. (McGraw-Hill).
- Thompson, A.A. and A.J. Strickland. (14th ed.). Crafting and
executing strategy. (McGraw-Hill).
Supplementary text
Students may also find the following useful. Kaplan, R.S. & A. A.
Atkinson. (1998) Advanced Management Accounting. 3rd ed. (Prentice-Hall).
[Back to top]
Contact Unit convenor:
Associate Professor Herbert Schoch,
telephone 9850 8517;
email hschoch@efs.mq.edu.au.
[Back to top]
|
