ACM003: Management Accounting: Theory and Practice

Module code: ACM003

Module provider: Business Informatics, Systems and Accounting; Henley Business School

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Ms Sue Blackett, email: s.blackett@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): Minimum second-year undergraduate experience of management accounting, accounting for decision-making or accounting for planning and control (Open)

Co-requisite module(s): IN THE SAME YEAR AS TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE ACM014 (Compulsory)

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 28 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Purpose:

Management accounting is a collection of diverse techniques used to measure and analyse the resources, processes and outputs of organisations. While it is important to understand the techniques, it is equally important to study how those techniques are used. A good understanding of costing techniques is assumed as the module explores beyond these to their application in practice and questions their use(s) and role(s) in organisations from a theoretically informed perspective. Much of the research in management accounting and sustainability explores the role of the management accountant and the application of management accounting techniques in practice, through a variety of theoretical lenses. The module will draw on published case studies to analyse contemporary management accounting in practice.

Aims:

This module aims to provide students with an advanced understanding of the concepts relating to the provision and use of financial information in organisational decision-making, planning, control and performance management. Students will consider the contribution of different theoretical perspectives to critically evaluate the role of management accounting.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Critically evaluate theoretical perspectives commonly used in management accounting research.

2. Critically assess the strengths and limitations of theoretical perspectives.

3. Use appropriate theoretical approaches to analyse case studies of management accounting practice.

4. Critically evaluate the changing and different roles of the management accountant.

5. Organise and communicate information clearly, succinctly and in the required format, both under timed conditions and in assessed work.

Additional outcomes:
Students should be able to demonstrate advanced knowledge of theoretical perspectives used in management accounting, and then apply management accounting knowledge and skills to real-life and simulated scenarios for planning, control, performance management and decision-making purposes.

Module content

Theoretical perspectives may include: agency theory; accounting symbolism; the labour process view; normative models, theories of co-operation in organisations and issues connected to sustainability.  These perspectives may be applied to cases involving, for example, the use of standard costing, strategic management accounting, decision-making by divisional managers, performance measurement of organisations and of managers and the design of incentive systems. The contribution of the management accountant to organisational performance and factors influencing that role in organisations.

Basic bibliography:

• Seal, W., Rohde, C., Garrison, R. H. and Noreen, E. W. (2019). Management Accounting. 6th ed. London:McGraw-Hill Education.
• Drury, C. (2021). Management and Cost Accounting. 11th ed. Andover:Cengage Learning.

Global context 

Collaborative working and appreciation of differing viewpoints and use of international research and  case studies.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

A range of teaching and learning methods will be employed, but will focus largely on lectures, small group work and independent student self-guided learning. The case study approach will be used as a basis for analysis, application and discussion of lecture topics in student-centred seminars.

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students are expected to complete activities on Blackboard to receive formative feedback.
Students will be required to prepare and lead discussions and to present the results of group discussion to other students in seminars /workshops. Formative feedback opportunities during seminars / workshops will help students prepare for summative assessments.

Reassessment

Additional costs