Swinburne Business School
Faculty of Business and Enterprise
Unit Outline
ACC80008
Managerial Accounting
Semester 2, 2015
(Version date: 25 June 2015)
Convenor:
Dr. Evangeline Elijido-Ten Room: BA1230 ? 9214 4471
Email: EElijidoten@swin.edu.au
This document is essential reading.
It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of the content of this document.
This Unit Outline includes:
PART A Unit summary
PART B Your Unit in more detail
PART C Further information
PART A: Unit Summary
Unit Code ACC80008
Unit Title Managerial Accounting
Duration One teaching period
Total Contact Hours 36 hours
Requisites:
Pre-requisites Nil
Co-requisites ACC60005 Accounting Principles
ACC60006 Accounting Information Systems
Credit Points 12.5 Credit Points
Campus/Location Hawthorn
Mode of Delivery A range of teaching methods are used including lectures & class discussion of issues & problems.
Assessment Summary
Test/s (Individual) 10-20%
Continuing Assessment (Individual) 5-15% Assignments (Group) 20- 30%
Examination (Individual) 50 - 60% (Hurdle Pass 45% on final exam)
Page 1 of 10
Aims and Unit Learning Outcomes
Aims:
This unit is designed to provide students with skills and practice that are critical to building their planning, decision making and performance evaluation capability to assist managers in making informed judgements. The unit aims to provide an understanding of the relevant management and cost accounting concepts necessary to evaluate a problem, source and use relevant information (both financial and non-financial) and make valid decisions to achieve sustainable value creation for the firm. Primarily, the thrust of this unit is to enhance the student’s critical and analytical ability through exposure to practical accounting problems and case studies. In so doing, the unit also aims to encourage students to develop the skills necessary for lifelong learning. Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Critically evaluate cost classifications and apply appropriate cost allocation methods and other key managerial accounting techniques.
2. Demonstrate a critical understanding and apply various performance measurement techniques/models in different business environments.
3. Apply appropriate transfer pricing techniques to a range of complex business situations to enhance accountability within organisations.
4. Solve a range of structured and unstructured problems/case studies including sourcing and applying the research process.
5. Articulate a range of results and evaluations to different stakeholder groups using a variety of presentation media.
Generic Skills Outcomes
This unit provides an educational experience that promotes an attitude of life-long learning. Specifically, our goal is to develop the following generic skills in our students:
• Teamwork skills
• Analytical and problem solving skills
• Communications skills
• Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems, and
• Ability to work independently
Content
The following topics are covered:
? Strategic Decision-making & Cost Concepts
? Cost-volume-profit Analysis
? Cost Allocation, Activity Based Costing & Activity Based Management
? Balanced Scorecard, Performance Evaluation & Reward System
? Relevant Costing & Tactical Decision Analysis
? Planning & Budgeting
? Flexible Budgets, Standard Costing & Variance Analysis ? Transfer Pricing
PART B: Your Unit in more detail
Unit Teaching Staff
Name Title & Role Room Phone Email Consultation Times
Dr. Evangeline Elijido-Ten Senior Lecturer & Convenor BA1230 9214 4471 eelijidoten@swin.edu.au
TBA (See BB)
Dr. Dina Wahyuni Lecturer BA1040 9214 5256 dwahyuni@swin.edu.au TBA (See BB)
Learning and Teaching Structure
Activity Total Hours Hours per Week Teaching Period Weeks
Weekly Class 36 hours 3 hours Weeks 1 to 12
One three-hour class. Lecture material will be presented weekly followed by a tutorial which works through assigned problems. It is the student’s responsibility to attempt all tutorial problems and to participate in tutorial discussion. In a Semester, you should normally expect to spend, on average, twelve and a half hours of total time (formal contact time plus independent study time) a week on a 12.5 credit point unit of study.
Week by Week Schedule
Week Week beginning Staff Lecture Topic Tutorial Topic Tutorial Work
1 3 Aug Dina 1. Intro to Management
Acctg & Business
Strategy
2. Cost Concepts No tutorial Nil
2 10 Aug Dina No lecture Intro to Mgt Acctg &
Business Strategy Cost Concepts See Handout PLUS
Horngren: 1.18; 1.28
1.30; 2.18; 2.28;
2.36; 2.37
3 17 Aug Eva 3. Cost Volume Profit
4. Cost allocation &
ABC No tutorial Nil
4 24 Aug Eva
No lecture Cost Volume Profit
Cost allocation and
Activity Based Costing Horngren: 3.21; 3.22; 3.25; 3.42; 3.45;
4.17; 4.39; 5.25; 5.39
5 31 Aug Eva 5. SPMS: Balanced Scorecard No tutorial – Test 1 Nil
6 7 Sep Dina
6. Financial Performance
Measures Balanced Scorecard
Horngren: 12.16;
12.34; 12.37 PLUS
Add’l Q on Handout
MID-SE MESTER BREAK: From 14th to 18th September 2015
ASSIGNM ENT DUE DATE: 21st Septe mber, 2015 at 12:00 no on
7 21 Sep Eva
7. Relevant Costing
Fin’l Performance Measures Horngren: 23.17;
23.22; 23.31; 23.34
8 28 Sep Eva
8. Planning & Budgeting
Relevant Costing Horngren: 11.19; 11.20; 11.28; 11.38
9 5 Oct Eva
9. Flexible Budgets and
Variance analysis Planning & budgeting Horngren: 6.22; 6.25;
6.29; 6.37
10 12 Oct Dina
10. Transfer Pricing
No tutorial – Test 2 Nil
11 19 Oct Dina
No lecture Flexible budgets and variance analysis & Transfer Pricing Horngren: 7.31; 7.36; 8.26; 8.29; Horngren:
22.25; 22.27; 22.31;
Add’l Q on Handout
12 26 Oct Dina
11. Revision Selected Questions - TBA
SWOTVAC & EXAM PERIOD
Assessment
a) Assessment Overview
Tasks and Details Individual or Group Weighting Unit Learning Outcomes that this assessment task relates to Assessment Due Date
Research Assignment Group 25% 1,3,4,5 21st September @ 12 nn
Class Tests Individual 20% 1,2,3,4,5 Two tests worth 10% each held in Week 5 and Week 10 respectively.
Class Preparation Individual 5% 1,2,3,4,5 Throughout the semester
Examination Individual 50% 1,2,3,4,5 During Formal Exam Period
Assessment Task 1: Major Assignment (25%) Due Date: 21st September 2015 @ 12:00 noon
Details of the assignment are provided on pages 8 to 10 of this unit outline. Please ensure that the answers are presented in the form of a business report, appropriately structured with headings and all detailed calculations and/or additional diagrams (if any) in appendices. Both hard copy and electronic submissions are required (refer to p. 5 of this document).
Assessment Task 2: 2 Tutorial Tests (10% each)
The first test to be held in Week 5 will cover Topics 1 to 4 and it will consist of 40 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). The second test to be held in Week 10 will cover Topics 5 to 8 and it will be a mixture of MCQs and short problem solving type of questions. These tests will be held in the first hour (or so) of your normal class before the lecture.
Assessment Task 3: Class Preparation (5%)
Class Preparation: Students need to BE PRESENT and reasonably attempt ALL the tutorial questions and hand-in their written solutions to their tutors for at least 5 tutorial sessions to achieve a full mark in this assessment piece. Attendance, by itself, does not entitle students to earn marks.
The lecturer reserves the right to award proportionate marks, i.e. based on satisfactory or unsatisfactory tutorial preparation and participation. (Note: Tutors could award 0, .25, .50, .75 or 1.00 per submitted tute work. Students, please ensure that you keep the marked tute work as evidence of your mark. At the end of the semester, tute marks will be totalled up and a maximum of 5.00 will be awarded for tutorial preparation.)
b) Minimum requirements to pass this Unit
To pass this unit, you must achieve:
• an aggregate mark for the subject of 50% or more; AND
• at least 45% in the final exam
These hurdles are strictly adhered to in this unit. If you fail to achieve these minimum requirements, you will receive a maximum of 44% as your total mark. There is no Conceded Pass (CP) in this unit. c) Examinations
As this unit has an official examination, you are expected to be available for the entire examination period including any Special Exam period.
Materials Allowed in the Exam:
The following materials/ equipment may be taken into the examination venue:
• Calculators
• Writing materials
Students are not permitted to take foreign language or translation dictionaries into an exam venue.
Exam Answering Instructions:
1. Answer ALL questions in the separate examination answer booklet provided.
a) Start each question on a new page.
b) Clearly label each question answered.
d) Group Assignment Submission Requirements
? Both hard copy and electronic submission are due on 21st September. Hard copy must be submitted on or before 12:00 noon on the 21st September in the designated assignment box (the location of which will be advised closer to the due date).
? For your hard copy submission, you are required to include an Assessment Cover Sheet, signed by ALL members of the group. The standard Assessment Cover Sheet is available from the Current Students web site (see Part C).Electronic submission must be done via the Blackboard and should be done before 8:00 pm on the 21st September. Only one member of the group needs to make an electronic submission. Please ensure you keep a photocopy of work as record, and back up any electronic data.
e) Extensions and Late Submission
? There will be no extensions. Late assignment will incur a penalty of 5% per day.
? Assessment due dates are published in Unit Outlines at the start of the teaching period and will not normally be extended except where students had their studies adversely affected by acute illness, misadventure or other extraordinary cause or circumstance reasonably beyond their control. Students who need to request an extension of time to the due date for a piece of assessment (excluding end of teaching period final examinations) should contact their Unit Convenor directly to discuss their circumstances.
f) Referencing
To avoid plagiarism, you are required to provide a reference whenever you include information from other sources in your work. Further details regarding plagiarism are available in Section C of this document.
Referencing conventions required for this unit should follow Harvard referencing style. Helpful information on referencing can be found at
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/lib/studyhelp/harvard-quick-guide.pdf
g) Groupwork Guidelines
A group assignment is the collective responsibility of the entire group, and if one member is temporarily unable to contribute, the group should be able to reallocate responsibilities to keep to schedule. In the event of longer-term illness or other serious problems involving a member of group, it is the responsibility of the other members to immediately notify the Unit Convenor or relevant tutor. Group submissions must be submitted with an Assignment Cover Sheet, signed by all members of the group. All group members must be satisfied that the work has been correctly submitted. Any penalties for late submission will generally apply to all group members, not just the person who submitted.
Required Textbook(s):
Textbook: Horngren, Datar, and Rajan; Cost Accounting A Managerial Emphasis, 15th edition, Prentice Hall,
New Jersey. 2015. (Note: Tutorial Problems will predominantly come from this text.)
Recommended Reading Materials
The Library has a large collection of resource materials, both texts and current journals. Listed below are some references that will provide valuable supplementary information to this unit. It is also recommended that you explore other sources to broaden your understanding.
Porter, M. E. 1980, Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, The Free Press, New York.
Pearce, J.A. and Robinson, R. B. (2007), Strategic Management, 10th edition, McGraw-Hill Irwin.
PART C: FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information and links to resources for the following topics, refer to Swinburne’s Current Students web page http://www.swinburne.edu.au/student/
Student Charter
Please familiarise yourself with Swinburne’s Student Charter. The charter describes what students can reasonably expect from Swinburne in order to enjoy a quality learning experience. As students contribute to their own learning experience and to that of their fellow students, the charter also defines the University's expectations of students.
Student behaviour and wellbeing
Swinburne has a range of policies and procedures that govern how students are expected to conduct themselves throughout the course of their relationship with the University. These include policies on expected standards of behaviour and conduct which cover interaction with fellow students, staff and the wider University community, in addition to following the health and safety requirements in the course of their studies and whilst using University facilities.
All students are expected to familiarise themselves with University regulations, policies and procedures and have an obligation to abide by the expected guidelines. Any student found to be in breach may be subject to relevant disciplinary processes. Some examples of relevant expected behaviours are:
• Not engaging in student misconduct
• Ensuring compliance with the University’s Anti-Discrimination, Bullying and Violence and Sexual Harassment requirements
• Complying with all Swinburne occupational health and safety requirements, including following emergency and evacuation procedures and following instructions given by staff/wardens or emergency response.
In teaching areas, it is expected that students conduct themselves in a manner that is professional and not disruptive to others. In all Swinburne laboratories, there are specific safety procedures which must be followed, such as wearing appropriate footwear and safety equipment, not acting in a manner which is dangerous or disruptive (e.g. playing computer games), and not bringing in food or drink.
Blackboard
You should regularly access the Swinburne Course Management System (Blackboard) available via http://ilearn.swin.edu.au. Blackboard is regularly updated with important Unit information and communications.
Communication
All communication will be via your Swinburne email address. If you access your email through a provider other than Swinburne, then it is your responsibility to ensure that your Swinburne email is redirected to your private email address.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the action or practice of taking and submitting or presenting the thoughts, writings or other work of someone else as though it is your own work. Plagiarism includes any of the following, without full and appropriate acknowledgment to the original source(s):
• The use of the whole or part of a computer program written by another person;
• the use, in essays or other assessable work, of the whole or part of a written work from any source including but not limited to a book, journal, newspaper article, set of lecture notes, current or past student’s work, any other person’s work, a website or database; • The paraphrasing of another’s work;
• The use of musical composition, audio, visual, graphic and photographic models,
• The use of realia that is objects, artefacts, costumes, models and the like.
Plagiarism also includes the preparation or production and submission or presentation of assignments or other work in conjunction with another person or other people when that work should be your own independent work. This remains plagiarism whether or not it is with the knowledge or consent of the other person or people. It should be noted that Swinburne encourages its students to talk to staff, fellow students and other people who may be able to contribute to a student’s academic work but that where independent assignment is required, submitted or presented work must be the student’s own.
Enabling plagiarism contributes to plagiarism and therefore will be treated as a form of plagiarism by the University. Enabling plagiarism means allowing or otherwise assisting another student to copy or otherwise plagiarise work by, for example, allowing access to a draft or completed assignment or other work.
Swinburne University uses plagiarism detection software (such as Turnitin) for assignments submitted electronically via Blackboard. Your Convenor will provide further details.
The penalties for plagiarism can be severe ranging from a zero grade for an assessment task through to expulsion from the unit and in the extreme, exclusion from Swinburne. Consequently you need to avoid plagiarism by providing a reference whenever you include information from other sources in your work.
Student support
You should talk to your Unit Convenor or Student Services, for information on academic support services available for Swinburne students.
Special consideration
If your studies have been adversely affected due to serious and unavoidable circumstances outside of your control (e.g. severe illness or unavoidable obligation) you may be able to apply for special consideration (SPC).
Applications for Special Consideration will be submitted via the SPC online tool normally no later than 5.00pm on the third working day after the submission/sitting date for the relevant assessment component. Special needs
Sometimes students with a disability, a mental health or medical condition or significant carer responsibilities require reasonable adjustments to enable full access to and participation in education. Your special needs can be addressed by Swinburne's Disability Services, who can negotiate and distribute an 'Education Access Plan' that outlines recommendations for university teaching and examination staff. You must notify the University Disability Liaison Officer of your disability or condition within one week after the commencement of a unit of study to allow the University to make reasonable adjustments.
Review of marks
An independent marker reviews all fail grades for major assessment tasks. In addition, a review of assessment is undertaken if your final result is a marginal fail (45-49) or within 2 marks of a grade threshold.
If you are not satisfied with the result of an assessment you can ask the Unit Convenor to review the result. Your request must be made in writing within 10 working days of receiving the result. The Unit Convenor will review your result against the marking guide to determine if your result is appropriate.
If you are dissatisfied with the outcomes of the review you can lodge a formal complaint.
Feedback, complaints and suggestions
In the first instance you may discuss any issues with your Unit Convenor.
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the discussions with the Unit Convenor or would prefer not to deal with your Unit Convenor, then you can complete a feedback form.
Advocacy
You are advised to seek advice from the staff at the Swinburne Student Amenities Association (SSAA) if you require assistance with any academic issues.
ACC80008:
Managerial Accounting
Group Assignment: GROUP OF 4
Weighting: 25%
Due Date: 21st September, 2015 @ 12:00 nn
With the introduction of various climate change related legislations in Australia, many companies are now incorporating social/environmental/sustainability measures in their multi-perspective Strategic Performance Measurement Systems (SPMS). An increasing number of Australian companies have shown willingness to publicly disclose their SPMS adoption (see Elijido-Ten, 2011; 2013) thereby enabling various stakeholders to evaluate both financial and non-financial performance of the firm. There is, however, mounting criticism that such public disclosures are no more than ‘green-washing’ mechanisms particularly if the SPMS targets/measures are not linked to rewards system or compensation plans. This is in line with various motivational theories making the favourite quote, “what gets measured gets done,” self-fulfilling.
Specific Requirements:
A: LITERATURE REVIEW (Word Count – 1,500 to 1,800) (Weighting- 35%)
1. Multi-perspective SPMS Research
Conduct a review of literature on the use of multi-perspective SPMS such as Balanced Scorecard or Triple (or Quadruple) Bottom Line. Briefly discuss its salient features. Cite academic research discussing real companies’ experiences (i.e. benefits/pitfalls or challenges; advantages/disadvantages) from their SPMS adoption.
2. Motivation Theories and Reward System Research
Discuss briefly one theory of motivation and explain how this theory relates to rewards system. Cite academic research discussing the effective forms of rewards/compensation given to top executives and nonexecutive employees used by real companies. Your discussion should be well supported by relevant academic research. (Hint: Do not rely on your textbook.)
B: COMPANY RESEARCH (Word Count – 1,500 to 1,800) (Weighting- 35%)
1. Company Profile & Disclosure of SPMS
You are required to select two companies from the Top 100 publicly listed companies in Australia that provide disclosure of their SPMS adoption. One firm must come from an environmentally sensitive industry (e.g. mining, energy/utility, chemical) while the other must be from a non-environmentally sensitive industry (e.g. insurance, financial firms). Briefly outline the profile of the companies chosen. Based on the relevant literature, discuss the criteria chosen in deciding whether the chosen companies adopt a multi-perspective SPMS (see for example Elijido-Ten & Tjan, 2011). Then, examine their SPMS disclosure from publicly available reports such as annual reports, shareholder reviews, sustainability reports, corporate responsibility policies and company websites for 2 years, 2013 and 2014. Over the 2-year period (2013-2014), discuss whether there has been any change in their SPMS disclosure in terms of the perspectives, objectives, measures and targets set.
2. Company Performance & Link to Rewards/Compensation Plan
Analyse the companies’ 2013 and 2014 financial performance using appropriate financial measures. Investigate whether the two chosen companies link their SPMS measures/targets with executive rewards/compensation plans. Your analysis and discussion should explain how the companies have either succeeded or failed to strengthen their competitive advantage over the 2-year period you have examined.
C: PRESENTATION (Word Count for Introduction & Conclusion – 800 to 1,000) (Weighting - 30%)
• Present your assignment in a research paper format with approximate word length of 4,000 to 4,500 words. The standard procedure is that the assignment will be marked up to the specified word count only.
• Your report must have an Abstract (about 300 words), Table of Contents, References, Appendices (Note: These are not included in your word limit of 4000 to 4,500 words.)
• Use Harvard referencing style throughout your report.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
• Students are advised to form their group of 4 as early as possible (latest by Week 3 of the semester). Ideally, it’s better to form groups with students in your own tutorial class. However, you are allowed to find group mates from other tutorial classes. If you are having difficulty finding group mates, please post a message on Blackboard’s Discussion Board and inform your tutor as early as possible. This is a group assignment. Under no circumstances would an individual assignment be accepted.
• The written component of this group assignment will be marked as a group (i.e. all members will receive the same mark overall). In case of dispute among group members, it is possible to mobilise the “teamwork option” (see Part D of the Assignment Feedback Sheet on p. 10).
• There will be no extension allowed. Late submission will be penalised at the rate of 5% per day. Late penalty will apply to ALL hard copy submissions received after 12 noon on 21st September, 2015.
• Important Sources of Information:
o For Section A, useful references can be found from various academic journals through library electronic databases such as Elsevier, Emerald, Ebscohost, Google Scholar, etc. (An examination of between 10 to 20 articles is a guide to the level of research required.)
o For Section B, you may use annual reports, sustainability report, shareholder reviews, company websites and library databases such as FinAnalysis, DatAnalysis and Factiva. (Another 10 to 20 articles are expected.)
• You may find the following academic research papers useful (take note of the format and content) :
[1] Elijido-Ten, E (2011), ‘The Impact of Sustainability and Balanced Scorecard Disclosures on Market Performance: Evidence from Australia’s Top 100’, Journal of Applied Management Accounting Research, vol.9, no. 1, pp. 59-73. Available on:
http://www.cmawebline.org/joomla4/images/stories/JAMAR_2011_Winter/JAMARv9.1-BSC_in_Aust_Top_100.pdf
[2] Elijido-Ten, E. (2013), ‘Determinants of Strategic Performance Measurement System Disclosures in Australia’s Top100 Publicly Listed Firms’, Journal of General Management, Vo 38, No. 4, pp. 57-73. Available on EBSCOhost:
http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=2b92d16e-1d5d4551-a401-a711b22292f6%40sessionmgr114&vid=1&hid=115
[3] Elijido-Ten, E. and Tjan, Y. (2011) “Sustainability Balanced Scorecard Disclosures: An Australian Investigation,” a paper presented to the 10th Australasian Conference on Social and Environmental Accounting Research (CSEAR), Tasmania. Available on:
http://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/188442/ElijidoTen_Tjan.pdf
ACC80008: ASSIGNMENT FEEDBACK SHEET
STUDENT NUMBER STUDENT NAMES:
1.
2.
3.
4.
CRITERIA / REQUIREMENT MARK
(Max) 0
No
Attempt 1
Very Limited
Attempt 2
Limited
Attempt 3
Adequate Attempt 4
More than Adequate
Attempt 5
Excellent
Attempt
A: Literature Review 35
1. SPMS Research
= clear discussion of salient features
= academic research on real companies’ experience re: benefits/pitfalls/advantages/disadvantages 2. Motivation Theories & Rewards System
= clear & brief discussion of motivation theory
= its relation to rewards system
= research discussing real companies’ forms of rewards/compensation plans to top executives and nonexecutive employees.
3. Proper references used (cite as you write) 6
10
4
4
8
3
B: Company Research 35
1. Company Profile & Disclosure of SPMS
= brief discussion of 2 companies’ profile
= criteria used to identify SPMS adoption
= comparison of two companies’ SPMS disclosure
2. Company Performance & Link to Rewards System
= Financial performance analysis
= Investigating link to rewards system
= Explaining whether companies succeed/fail to strengthen competitive advantage
3. Proper references used (cite as you write) 6
4
6
6
4
6
3
C: Overall Structure and Presentation 30
1. Overall readability: flow/links/grammar/ spelling
2. Proper presentation
= Abstract; Table of Contents;
= Introduction & Conclusion - clear & succinct
= Body – appropriately divided into sub-topics;
= Proper use of tables, figures (labelled); = References & Appendices (in proper format ; clearly labelled and referred to in the report) 10
4
6
3
2
5
D. Teamwork-Dispute Option (Note: As a group assignment, it is expected that the overall assignment mark is awarded to all group members. However, in case of disputes, each member’s work may be marked separately.) In the interest of transparency and full disclosure, the following conditions must be met:
a) The convenor must be informed prior to submission deadline of the reason for dispute and provide
documentary evidence (e.g. emails, schedule of meetings attended/not attended, etc.)
b) A “Teamwork Feedback Sheet” must be submitted together with hard copy assignment submission. ALL
GROUP MEMBERS SHOULD SIGN THE TEAMWORK
FEEDBACK SHEET providing details of:
? Who wrote which part of the assignment
AND, WHERE APPLICABLE, mark each other on the:
? Quality of research content
? Group meeting attendance (state total number of meetings & number attended by each member) ? Cooperation/willingness to help groupmates
? Proper references provided in correct format.
TOTAL 100
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