Outline

Overview

This unit examines the role of management accounting practices and the use of management controls in organisations. Students learn how management accounting practices and control tools contribute to a variety of firm and strategic objectives. This includes developing an understanding of how such practices and controls are used differently by various groups within an organisation - sometimes at the detriment of said goals. Drawing from interdisciplinary streams of research, students gain insights from research conducted through a range of methods to expand their understanding of the three main components of any management accounting - measurement, incentivisation and communication. This unit is intended for students who are interested in the behavioural implications of accounting use and who favour analytical and critical approaches to solving organisational problems.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	ACCT3020
Academic unit	Accounting
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	ACCT3012
Prerequisites ?	ACCT2011 and (ACCT2012 or ACCT2019)
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	Students are assumed to have competency with the basic tools, techniques and methods of cost and management accounting and an ability to analyse non-directed, comprehensive business/accounting problems.
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Chang-Yuan Loh, chang.loh@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Chang-Yuan Loh, chang.loh@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Max Baker, max.baker@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam (Take-home extended release)	Final take-home exam Written exam to be submitted via Turnitin on Canvas.	40%	Formal exam period	24 hours
Outcomes assessed:
In-semester test (Open book)	Mid-semester exam Written exam to be submitted via Turnitin on Canvas	20%	Week 07 Due date: 24 Apr 2021 at 11:00	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Group research paper Written research essay	20%	Week 11 Due date: 21 May 2021 at 17:00	2500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Individual presentation In-workshop presentation of assigned case study	10%	Weekly	30 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Vlog critique Video blog critique of assigned presentation	10%	Weekly	10 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ? = Type C in-semester exam ? = Type E final exam ?

Assessment summary

Individual presentation: In Workshop 1 (week 2), students will be assigned to present in a workshop between weeks 3 and 13 (presentations and critique commence from Workshop 2). Students will be required to present once during the semester. The presentation will have two components: an in-class presentation and a response to the vlog critique (see below). Responses will also be submitted in the form of a vlog on Canvas. Presentation topics will be based on selected workshop cases. Students allocated to present in a given week will be designated specific case study questions to address and to lead class discussion via their presentations. Students should draw on management accounting concepts from the relevant chapter(s) as a foundation and apply them towards solving the designated case problems.
Vlog critique: Starting from week 3 Workshop 2, before each student’s presentation, one student in the audience will be assigned to prepare a critique of that presentation via a video blog (vlog). The vlog function will be available on Canvas. Critique marks are awarded on the basis of the quality of the contributions and discussion points raised in relation to the other students' presentations. Guidance for the vlog and assessment criteria will be available on Canvas. Students will have one week to complete the vlog. Students will be asked to critique at least once per semester.
Group research paper: Students will pair up to write and submit a research paper via Canvas Turnitin. A source article will be provided from which student groups will need to conduct research on relevant management accounting issues and write up their findings and recommendations in the form of a research paper. There are two main required components to the research paper. First is a review of the research literature. Students will conduct a review of research relevant to the management accounting issues identified. Students are then required to discuss the research, making reference to theories and methods used. This review will be properly referenced and focused on drawing out key insights from the literature for practice. This leads to the second component of the research paper, where groups will discuss the insights drawn from the literature in order to make five well-considered and justified recommendations to practice.
Mid-semester exam: The two hour exam will examine all material covered in the workshops from weeks 1 to 6 inclusive.
Final take-home exam: The final exam will be in take-home format. Students will have 24 hours to complete the exam after the release of the exam. The final exam must be submitted via Canvas Turnitin. The final exam is listed as having a HURDLE TASK which means you must complete the assessment and achieve at least 45% of the available marks in this assessment in order to pass the unit. Students who fail to achieve this minimum standard, even when their aggregate mark for the entire unit of study is above 50%, will be given a Fail grade for this unit. As a result, a student's academic transcript will show a Fail grade and the actual mark achieved if the final mark of the unit is between 0-49 and a Fail grade and a capped moderated mark of 49 for all other final marks

Replacement exams: The Business School has determined that second replacement exams (both mid-semester and final) will not be offered for this unit of study should a student submit two special considerations for the same exam as this unit forms part of the professional accounting accreditation pathway. Should a student be granted a replacement exam via special consideration, and is then unable to attend or does not complete the replacement exam, any subsequent special consideration will result in a DC grade (Discontinue Without Fail).

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Any assessment submitted after the due time and date will incur a late penalty of 5% of the total marks per 24 hour period, or part thereof, late (note that this is applied to the mark gained after the submitted work is marked). Since submission is electronic, weekends and public holidays count as days in the same way as working days. Any assessment submitted after the due time and date will incur a late penalty unless excused by special consideration, special arrangement or disability services adjustment. Any assessment submitted after the “Closing Date” noted in the Unit of Study Outline will not be marked or assessed.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to Advanced Issues in Management Accounting	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Management Controls I: Results control	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Workshop 1: Welcome and Introduction. Case analysis and discussion.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 03	Management Controls II: Action and people controls	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Workshop 2: Results control. Case analysis and discussion (presentations and critique commence).	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 04	Management Controls III: Costs of control	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Workshop 3: Action and people controls. Case analysis and discussion (presentations and critique).	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 05	Management Control IV: Control design and tightness	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	Workshop 4: Costs of control. Case analysis and discussion (presentations and critique).	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 06	Financial Results Control I: Financial responsibility centers and budgeting	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	Workshop 5: Control design and tightness. Case analysis and discussion (presentations and critique).	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 08	Financial Results Control II: Financial performance measures and incentivisation	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	Workshop 6: Financial responsibility centers. Case analysis and discussion (presentations and critique).	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 09	Financial Results Control III: Addressing issues with incentivisation	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	Workshop 7: Financial performance measures and incentivisation. Case analysis and discussion (presentations and critique).	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 10	Management Accounting Research and Practice I: Management control in Not-For-Profits	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	Workshop 8: Addressing issues with incentivisation. Case analysis and discussion (presentations and critique).	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 11	Management Accounting Research and Practice II: Corporate governance and management control	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 11	Workshop 9: Management control in NFPs. Case analysis and discussion (presentations and critique).	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 12	Management Accounting Research and Practice III: Management control-related ethical issues. Case analysis and discussion (presentations and critique).	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	Workshop 10: Corporate governance and management control. Case analysis and discussion (presentations and critique).	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 13	Unit review and exam preparation	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 13	Workshop 11: Management control-related ethical issues. Case analysis and discussion (presentations and critique).	Workshop (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

All lectures are recorded and will be available on Canvas.

Given workshop content are practice for exam content and directly assessed via presentation and critique, it is important that students prepare for, and participate in all their timetabled workshops.

Students should ensure that the Business School referencing guidelines are followed for all submitted work.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Management Control Systems: Performance Measurement, Evaluation and Incentives, 4th Edition, by Kenneth Merchant and Wim Van der Stede, Pearson Australia.

Physcial and eBook copies can be obtained directly from Pearson:

https://www.pearson.com.au/9781292110554

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. understand and explain the role of management accounting in managerial decision making and control
LO2. develop an understanding of the intricacies of organisational management and control, and analyse the impact of the use of management controls in different organisational settings
LO3. use management accounting tools to analyse business problems in a range of contexts, explore potential solutions and discuss any shortcomings of these solutions
LO4. conduct research on management accounting topics and be able to analyse and present the findings in both presentation and research paper formats
LO5. offer relevant and substantive critique on fellow students' presentations by drawing on examples from contemporary business
LO6. critically evaluate how management accounting is used in practice by comparing and contrasting the use of different management accounting tools, and conversely, discuss the potential unintended consequences of using these tools in business.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Additional information

Business School Policies

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

ACCT3020: Advanced Issues in Management Accounting

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect