Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Exam | 3 Hours Semester Exam | 60% |
| Semester Exam | 1.5 Hours In class test (1.5 hours) class test | 40% |
| Supplementary Exam | 1.5 Hours Supplementary in class Test (2 hours, Students must take elements of assessments equivalent to those that lead to failure of the module) | 40% |
| Supplementary Exam | 3 Hours Supplementary Exam (Students must take elements of assessments equivalent to those that lead to failure of the module) | 60% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Discuss and evaluate how costs are constructed by organisations, and analyse, select and calculate the appropriate costing method in a given situation.
Discuss and evaluate how the choice of costing techniques impacts on accountability and performance measurement.
Explain and evaluate the behavioural aspects of management accounting, and critically evaluate the limitations of accounting techniques.
Discuss and evaluate the impact of working capital management.
Apply analytical techniques to managerial and financial problems, including the analysis and evaluation of a decision scenario using an appropriate accounting technique.
Brief description
This module extends knowledge of the key concepts and techniques of management accounting, and develops operational research models with applications to management accounting. The module focuses upon aspects of accounting which support the exercise of management control and decision making. A thorough grounding in costing techniques provides the foundation for examination of accounting techniques appropriate to pricing and strategic decision making, cost management, planning and control. An analysis of the uses and limitations of management accounting techniques draws on theory and practice, and supports the critical analysis of specific accounting problems and the broader role of accounting.
Content
• Control and/or construction of the organisational environment; social and behavioural considerations in management accounting and performance management
Decision Making Theory
• Use of accounting information
• Incremental costs and decision making
• Decisions under uncertainty
• Pricing decisions
Costing
• Classification and behaviour
• Dealing with overheads using absorption costing, marginal costing and activity-based costing
• Cost accounting - job costing and process costing
• Effect of costing methods on stock valuation and profit
• Cost estimation and pricing
• Cost minimisation problems (linear programming)
• Shadow prices and sensitivity analysis
• Duality and the simplex algorithm
Working capital management
• The role of stock management
• EOQ, JIT and lean operation
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | • Develop an easy familiarity with numerical data sources and numerical data. • Apply numerical data to problem solving with care and accuracy. • Assess the reasonableness of and interpret numerical solutions. • Support assertions/arguments with appropriately developed and presented numerical data. • Calculate and use descriptive statistics. |
| Communication | • Develop confidence and clarity of oral communication via example class/tutorial participation. • Develop clarity and focus of written communication via development of answers to tutorial questions. • Develop and use appropriate subject-specific vocabulary in oral and written communication. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | • Identify and distil the key issues covered by lectures and tutorials. • Identify and use a range of learning resources. • Investigate benefits of small group working on tutorial preparation. • Structure study to accommodate intensive learning. |
| Information Technology | • Use a variety of electronic web- and library-based resources to review available information and retrieve pertinent information. • Use software (Excel) to complete elements of the tutorial questions (e.g., spreadsheets for ease of tabulated numerical calculations, production of summary statistics, production of graphs, etc.) |
| Personal Development and Career planning | • Develop skills in management costing and decision making which are essential to the aspiring management accountant. • Identify a variety of potential career routes within the accounting professional services sector. |
| Problem solving | • Identify the precise problem to be solved. • Assess which data are pertinent to the problem. • Recognize that alternative solution methods might be available. • Apply analytical techniques to managerial and financial problems. • Select and apply appropriate methods for solving the problem. • Assess the reasonableness of problem solutions and interpret those solutions. |
| Research skills | • Develop basic information accessing and reaching skills. • Properly reference/attribute information sources. • Select the most pertinent information for retrieval. • Retrieve information. • Re-assess the pertinence and assess the credibility of retrieved information. |
| Subject Specific Skills | • Develop competence in understanding and appropriately applying investment/financial mathematics. • Understand, analyze, interpret and synthesize between financial accounting, management accounting and market-based financial information. • Make well-based financial recommendations and decisions. • Bring financial analysis and decision making skills to the service of the business – in strategizing, marketing, operating, etc. |
| Team work | • Develop experience of team work and develop team working skills via small group working on tutorial preparation. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5