Registry

Module Specifications

Archived Version 2015 - 2016

Module Title
Module Code
School
Online Module Resources
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	15
Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

Description

The purpose of this module is to bring students' knowledge of the principles and practice of management accounting to an advanced level. It seeks to integrate the study of management accounting with the study of strategy, behavioural science and organisation theory. It also aims to develop students' ability to interpret and communicate management accounting information, including knowledge of underlying information systems tools and software. The modules examines, from both research and practice perspectives, issues relating to the role of management accounting in organisations, cost management, control and performance management and decision support

Learning Outcomes

1. Critique the role of management accounting in modern organisations
2. Ascertain current developments (research and practice) in cost management and illustrate the applicaiton of various costing approaches and techniques
3. Examine traditional budgetary control techniques and calculate and interpret advanced variances
4. Appraise current developments (research and practice) in control and performance management and evaluate their relevance and usefulness to modern organsations
5. Evaluate advanced decision-making theory and tools and apply various techniques to complex scenarios
6. Understand and apply knowledge of information systems and tools within the management accounting field, for example spreadsheets, ERP software and other decision-support systems.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	88	Held during semester 1 and semester 2
Directed learning	215	Revising class material; reading assigned articles/chapters; attempting assigned questions; revising for final exam
Directed learning	3	Final exam (3 hours)
Laboratory	10	Computer lab sessions using software and decision support tools
Assignment Completion	20	Software assignment
Directed learning	39	Regular readings
Total Workload: 375

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

The changing environment of management accounting
Multiple roles of management accounting; Changes in external and internal environments and implications for management accountants; Criticisms of management accounting and pressures for change; Conceptual foundations of management accounting and the importance of interdisciplinarity; The accounting profession, professional competence and professional responsibilities and ethics.

Cost management
Problems with tradtional cost allocation; Activity-based analysis - ABC and ABM; Value analysis, cost reduction, customer profitability analysis, target costing, life cycle costing, theory of constraints, total quality management.

Management control and performance management
Budgetary Control - the role of budgets, budgeting setting, criticisms of budgets, activity-based budgets, zero-based budgeting; Standard costing and variance analysis - criticisms of standard costing, calculation of advanced variances, interpretation, disposition and investigation of variances, planning and operating variances, opportunity cost approach; Management control frameworks - designing control systems, contingency theory; Behavioural issues - motivation theories, use of quantified targets, dysfunctional behaviour, style of evaluation, target difficulty, participation; Performance management within organisations - non-financial factors, KPIs and the balanced scorecard, the beyond budgeting debate, interpreting conflicting performance measures.

Decision making
Decision making framework; Decision making scenarios including consideration of scarce resources using linear programming, theory of constraints and throughput accounting; Uncertainty, decision tree analysis, expected value of perfect information, utility functions, maximin and regret criteria; Qualitative factors in decision making. Responsibility centres and performance evaluation, centralisation v decentralisation of decision-making accounting mmeasures and alternative measures of performance, including use of return on investment, residual income and economic value added; Transfer pricing - context, issues, methods/approaches of calculating transfer prices, varying scenarios and dealing with conflict.

Conclusion
Future roles of management accountants as value-adding members of organisations; Challenges and potential conflicts.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	%	Examination Weight	%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown

Reassessment Requirement
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; 1 = A resit is available for all components of the module 2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module 3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
Unavailable

Indicative Reading List

Burns, Quinn, Warren, Oliveira.: 2013, Management Accounting, 9780077121617
Blocher, E. Stout, D, Cokins, G. and Chen, K.: 2008, Cost Management: A Strategic emphasis. , 4th, McGraw Hill.,
Colin Drury,: 0, Management and Cost Accounting, 8th, 978-1-4080-4180-2
Emmanuel, C.R., Otley, D.T. and Merchant, K.A: 1990, Accounting for Management Control, Chapman Hall,
Johnson, H.T & Kaplan, R.S.: 1987, Relevance Lost: The Rise and Fall of Management Accounting, Harvard Business School Press,
References to other books will provided during lectures and seminars: 0, Various,

Other Resources

None

Programme or List of Programmes

Archives: