Registry

Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2012 - 2013
Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title	Accounting for Decision-Making
Module Code	AC548
School	DCUBS
Online Module Resources
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

Description

This module aims to provide MBA students with an enhanced understanding of the role of accounting in organisations. It will consider how accounting contributes to common organisational activities such as cost management, budgetary control, performance management and decision making. The basic elements of external financial reporting, financial analysis and legal issues will also be examined.

Learning Outcomes

1. Describe the role of the accounting in organisations, with particular reference to the changes in management accounting.
2. Evaluate traditional and emerging approaches to producing accounting information for cost management. Prepare basic cost information and interpret information for cost management purposes.
3. Outline the context of budgetary control within an organisation and prepare and interpret basic accounting information for planning and control purposes. Appreciate the role of non-financial performance management and evaluate tools such as the Balanced Scorecard.
4. Ascertain common short-term decision making scenarios and apply common accounting tools such as CVP analysis and relevant cost analysis to these scenarios.
5. Recognise the fundamental principles as regards the preparation of financial statements, and how to analyse such statements using ratios for the purposes of assessing firm performance and position.
6. Ascertain key principles and concepts associated with Company Law.

Workload	Full-time hours per semester
*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Lecture	24	Lectures
Group work	36	Group work on continuous assessment
Independent learning	65	Independent study - revising lecture material, attempting assigned questions, reading assigned chapters/readings, revising for final exam.
Total Workload: 125

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

Accounting in organisations.
The nature and role of accounting; management accounting v financial accounting; alternative purposes of management accounting; changes in management accounting, the management accounting environment..

Cost Management.
Traditional approaches to costing; activity based costing; activity based management and customer profitability management; other developments in cost management..

Performance Management and Budgetary Control.
Budgetary control systems; budget setting within the organisation; role of variance analysis; behavioural issues and budgetary control; developments in performance management, including the Balanced Scorecard..

Decision Making.
Short-term decision making scenarios - routine and non-routine; CVP analysis; Relevant cost analysis..

Primary Financial Statements and Ratio Analysis.
An introduction to basic financial statements; interpreting performance using ratio analysis..

Company Law.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	40%	Examination Weight	60%

Course Work Breakdown
Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Group assignment	A written group assignment which will, firstly, address a mini-case which will require the preparation of cost information and consideration of related strategic issues. Secondly, the assignment will require some consideration of the literature concerning cost management and the evaluation of cost management issues in a practical situation.	40%	Week 12

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
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Collier: 2012, Accounting for Managers, 4th, Wiley,
Seal, Garrison and Noreen: 2009, Management Accounting, 3rd, McGraw-Hill,
Drury: 2008, Management and Cost Accounting, 7th, Cengage Learning Business Press,

Other Resources

None

Array

Programme or List of Programmes

MBA

Masters in Business Administration -GrpA

MBAE

Masters in Business Administration

PBSSA

PG Exchange(Business School)

PBSSAO

PG Study Abroad(Business School)