ACCT 302 - Accounting Performance Management

Note: revised points system being introduced in 2007.

(first semester)  0.15 EFTS   18 points

The course is intended to broaden students’ appreciation of the role of management accounting and control in organisations. It builds on the student’s existing accounting and management knowledge through further integration of management, organisational behaviour and accounting principles. The course blends theoretical and practical work to examine social (group norms and cultural attitudes) and psychological (employee motivation and commitment) issues related to the design and implementation of management accounting and performance management and control systems.

With the ever accelerating pace of change in the business world, students need to know how to learn as well as what to learn. Thus, the course is also designed to encourage the skills and attitudes necessary for life-long learning.

ACCT 302 gives you a really good insight into the way that business and organisations actually work. This course encourages you to seek out and interview people from real organisations and gain a good understanding of the way theory is applied (and misapplied) in the real world. This was invaluable in performing the roles of OUSA Treasurer and council member of the University of Otago. It also gives you a chance to work in groups, which is invaluable experience going into professional accounting - particularly auditing.
Simon Gilmore 2005 Graduate

Prerequisite: ACCT 222

Class Contact
Seminar: Two 2-hour seminars per week (4 streams – subject to student numbers)

Objectives
• To expose students to accounting literature concerned with performance management (i.e. management control systems), rather than the more traditional accounting for general purpose financial reports.
• To integrate management accounting into the overall management framework. The course highlights that accounting often serves purposes that are organisational in nature rather than technical, so human and social factors are clearly important aspects in the design and operation of any management accounting system.
• To address the limitations of traditional management accounting techniques (e.g., ROI) in coping with the environment of modern businesses. This includes examining new techniques (e.g., EVA, Balanced Scorecard).
• To explore ways of developing management accounting systems which facilitate an organisation’s ability to define and achieve its goals more effectively.

Assessment
Essay 10%
Topic summaries 10%
Group-led seminar facilitation 20%
Group-led case presentation 15%
Exam 45%

Readings
Click onto the following link for the University Bookshop. An updated book list will be available on this site in due course. http://www.unibooks.co.nz/lists.ihtml

Required Text
Anthony, R. & Govindarajan, V., Management Control Systems, 11th Edition, Irwin, 2004.

Readings as assigned for each topic
The readings assigned can be sourced from close reserve at the library or the library's copy shop can supply copies of the entire set. Course Outline coming soon.

Supplementary readings
Additional references may be prescribed in class.

Course Outline ACCT302 Course Outline Semester 1 2008