Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Management accountants are no longer merely score-keepers of past performance. Rather, they are expected to be value-adding members of management teams who gather, organise and present information that is vital for decision-making, planning and control, and enhancing operational excellence. In the past, management accountants were traditionally thought of as the recorders and preparers of accounting information. They were typically separated from the rest of the management team and were rarely involved in the decision-making. In today's very competitive, global economy, management accountants have become part of the management team, actively participating in formulating and implementing business strategy.

Accordingly, it is useful for management accountants to:
· develop a general framework for analysing organisational problems that is applicable both in Australia and internationally;
· possess an understanding of the internal processes of an organisation and the role of accounting in organisational performance; and
· understand the role of management accounting, within a model that explains the existence of organisations using the finance economics paradigm.

This unit ensures students can identify problems and apply important analytical skills they will need when making and supporting decisions within firms.

Aims

Strategic Management Accounting aims to provide students with a systematic, comprehensive framework for analysing organisational problems (both Australian and international), and an understanding of the current international research in this area. Further, this unit aims to help students to develop a better understanding of the internal processes of an organisation and the role of accounting in organisational performance, including decision-making, planning and control. Finally, the unit develops an understanding of contemporary management accounting practices, including activity-based costing (ABC), the balanced scorecard (BSC), and sustainability; and an appreciation of the research on the benefits and problems with ABC and BSC.

Objectives

Course Learning Goals (Undergraduate)
The QUT Business School has established the Assurance of Learning (AOL) Goals to meet contemporary industry needs and standards. Achieving these learning outcomes will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT - aligned with other internationally renowned business schools. Students will develop the following capabilities relevant to a contemporary global and sustainable business environment:

Have knowledge and skills pertinent to a particular discipline (KS)
1.1 Integrate and apply disciplinary theory and skills to practical situations
1.2 Incorporate the use of technology appropriate to the discipline and context
Be critical thinkers and effective problem solvers (CTA)
2.1 Identify, research and critically analyse information relevant to a business problem or issue, be able to synthesise that information in order to evaluate potential solutions, make recommendations or otherwise effectively address the problem or issue

Be professional communicators in an intercultural context (PC)
3.1 Communicate effectively through written tasks appropriate to varied contexts and audiences
3.2 Communicate effectively through professional oral presentations appropriate to varied contexts and audiences

Be able to work effectively in a Team Environment (TW)
4.1 Demonstrate effective team skills in order to contribute appropriately to the production of a group output

Have a Social and Ethical Understanding (SEU)
5.1 Apply ethical reasoning, standards or codes of practice relevant to the discipline and make decisions that are informed by social and cultural understanding

Unit Objectives
Upon completion of this unit, you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate coherent, extensive, current, theoretical and practical content knowledge in strategic management accounting.
2. Apply strategic management accounting knowledge to real situations.
3. Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of organisational problems, the internal processes of an organisation and the role of accounting in organisational performance, including decision-making, planning and control.
4. Develop an awareness of the boundaries of current management accounting knowledge.
5. Demonstrate an appreciation of current research in strategic management accounting.

The specific course learning goals and unit objectives that apply to this unit are shown in the assessment section of this unit outline.

Content

The following provides a brief overview of topics to be covered. These topics are international in nature and will include the latest international research where relevant.

- Introduction to strategic management accounting, including the role of the strategic management accountant, management accounting systems, and strategy formulation.
- Organisational Architecture
- Decision rights, the reward system and the performance evaluation system
- Budgetary systems
- The Balanced Scorecard (BSC)
- Activity-Based Costing (ABC)
- Transfer Pricing
- Sustainability
- Pricing & product mix decisions
- The Process of Management Innovation
- Ethics

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The teaching and learning strategies used in this unit are designed to facilitate the achievement of the aims and objectives of the unit. Each week there will be a 2-hour lecture which will explain and develop the concepts contained within readings and/or lecture notes. This will be illustrated through an examination of some case studies.

It is important for students to attend lectures. Although there are comprehensive readings and power-point slides available on the Blackboard site, the reading of these is not sufficient to obtain a good understanding of the unit. Listening to the material aids in understanding difficult concepts. As well, these concepts are illustrated by case studies, both from the text and recent Australian material.

Lectures are further supported by weekly one-hour tutorials. Tutorials commence in week 2. The approach taken in the tutorials involves students reviewing the specified readings from the unit texts and other sources, and completing written answers to the tutorial problems in preparation for class discussion.

All of these approaches are supported by integral assessment.

Assessment

Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester which may include:
· Informal: worked examples, such as verbal feedback in class, personal consultation
· Formal and Direct: formal feedback will be provided to each student by way of written comments on each presentation.
· Direct: to individual students, either in written form or in consultation
· Indirect: to the whole class in tutorials, particularly during discussion of tutorial problems.

Assessment name: Tutorial Assessment
Description: Tutorial assessment consists of two parts: (i) Discussion leadership involves each student leading the discussion on one pre-assigned tutorial question during the semester. This will occur in tutorials in weeks 2-13 (tutorials 1-12). Each student will have between 10 and 12 minutes to lead the discussion of their assigned question. (ii) General participation involves each student being assessed on the quality of their contribution to class discussion during tutorials from week 2 to week 12.
Weighting: 20% (10% for discussion leadership and 10% for participation)
Length/Duration: Discussion leadership is to be of 10 to 12 minutes duration.
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and AOL goals: KS (1.1), CTA (2.1), PC (3.2), SEU (5.1).
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: During weeks 2-13

Assessment name: Mid-Semester Case Study
Description: The case study and questions will be available on the Blackboard site by the end of Week 4.
Length/Duration: 1,500 words
Individual or Group: Either individual or group
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives: Relates to learning outcomes:Unit objectives: 1, 2, 3 and AOL goals: KS (1.1), CTA (2.1), PC (3.2), SEU (5.1)
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 9

Assessment name: End of Semester Examination
Description: The final examination will be held in the formal examination period at the end of the semester, with the date and time of the exam set by Central Examinations. The exam will cover the course content from weeks 6 to 12, and will consist of theoretical questions and cases. A passing grade will be awarded in AYB321 Strategic Management Accounting if a student has achieved an overall pass when the results of all three assessment items are added.
Length/Duration: 2 hours plus 10 minutes perusal.
Formative or Summative: Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 1, 2, 3 and AOL goals: KS (1.1), CTA (2.1), PC (3.1), SEU (5.1)
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Central Exam Period

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Text
Strategic Management Accounting Combined Text. Note: This is a customised text for this unit. The content is taken from two text books (both included in 'Other Resources', below): Langfield-Smith, Thorne and.Hilton (9 chapters) and Brickley, Smith and Zimmerman (5 chapters). The full texts will be available in the library in the course reserve section.

Other Resources
Kim Langfield-Smith, Helen Thorne and Ronald W. Hilton (2012). Management Accounting An Australian Perspective 4e. McGraw Hill
J. Brickley, C. Smith and J. Zimmerman (2009). Managerial Economics and Organizational Architecture, Fifth edition, Irwin, McGraw-Hill (BSZ)
Robert Kaplan and Anthony Atkinson (1998) Advanced Management Accounting 3rd edition, Prentice Hall (KA)
Steve Jackson and Roby Sawyers. (2006). Managerial Accounting: A Focus on Decision Making 3e. Harcourt College Publishers.
Jerold L. Zimmerman. (2006). Accounting for Decision Making and Control. McGraw-Hill Irwin

Risk assessment statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with lectures or tutorials in this unit. You should, however, familiarise yourself with evacuation procedures operating in the buildings in which you attend classes and take the time to
view the Emergency video.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 24-Jan-2013