Advanced Management Accounting

Overview

Management accounting, both in businesses and in not-for-profit organisations, serves the purpose of identifying, measuring and communicating economic information to permit management and employees in an organisation to make informed judgements and decisions. Thus, it is concerned with the provision of both financial and non-financial information to decision makers. Implicit in the understanding of management accounting is the requirement to appreciate both decision-making processes and the different information needs of the users of accounting information in various organisation types. This module builds upon previous study of the area and begins by setting management accounting within an economic, political, social and cultural context. The module focuses on information for planning, control and performance measurement. Key issues faced by many organisations that will be examined in this module relate to: the extent (if any) of decentralisation; the measurement of divisional performance; and transfer pricing (including the performance measurement and behavioural aspects). Moreover, in the light of changes within the business environment including deregulation, globalisation, reducing product life cycles, continuous improvement objectives, sustainability, increasing customer sophistication, digitalization and internationalisation, the module also looks at management accounting from a change perspective and a strategic perspective. This is achieved by considering strategic cost management approaches, performance measurement and management, behavioural implications and exploring management accounting change.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this module students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate the technical, analytical and evaluative skills required in the field of management accounting.
2. Critically evaluate management control issues.
3. Discuss the synergy between the role of management accounting and other roles in an organisational setting.
4. Discuss, critically evaluate and apply the financial and non-financial aspects of management accounting theory and methodology to a management accounting role within an organisation through the medium of case study/group work/examination.
5. Engage with current and likely future research into the field of management accounting given the ever-evolving business environment.

Skills

Students will develop and enhance their abilities to work in small groups and make presentations.

Assessment

Students must achieve an overall mark of 40% in the module to pass