Applied Management Accounting

Module Title	Applied Management Accounting
Module Code	25-5002-00S/L
Semester of Delivery	See Module Information Tables
Mandatory/Elective/Option	See Module Information Tables
Level	5
Credit Points	20
Assessment Mode Weighting	Coursework	25%
	Examination	75%
Pre-requisites	Introduction to Management Accounting
Co-requisites	None
Class Contact Hours
Average Weekly	2.5
Directed Learning
Average Weekly
Module Leader	Nick Payne
	Sheffield Business School
Module Banding	A
Approval Status	Validated

Rationale

The subject matter of this module will develop an awareness of techniques in Management Accounting and the application of these techniques in organisations.

This will give the student an appropriate technical back-ground to facilitate working in an accounting environment.

The focus of the module is also to provide students with the necessary technical knowledge to develop their critical skills, using wider appropriate academic literature in Business Strategy and Management Accounting.

Summary of Aims

1. To assess the organisational/behavioural context within which management accounting functions.
2. To evaluate the information produced by using management accounting techniques and methods at a foundation level.
3. To enable the student to apply management accounting techniques within an organisational problem solving environment.
4. To develop an appreciation of the needs of decision-makers and the information relevant to them.

Anticipated Learning Outcomes

On completion of the module, the student should be able to:

1. Manipulate relevant data recognised and extracted from the substantive environment;
2. Recognise management problems within an organisational context, and identify appropriate techniques applicable to such problems;
3. Explain, describe and discuss the methodology of management accounting techniques, and evaluate their suitability in various and changing organisational contexts;
4. Identify the difference between short and long term decision-making;
5. Identify how computer software might facilitate the application of management accounting techniques and methods.
6. Critically evaluate the methods and techniques used in Applied Management Accounting.

Indicative content

The module covers:-

• Joint products and relevant costing methods;
• Advanced variance analysis, sales variances, mix and yield variances;
• Short term decision-making; limiting factors, cost behaviour, learning curve;
• Pricing strategies, target pricing/costing;
• Long term decision making, capital budgeting, evaluation techniques, Net Present Value, Accounting Rate of Return, Cash Pay Back, Internal Rate of Return, etc.
• Sensitivity analysis, risk analysis, probability, expected values.

The above will be applied to service, non-manufacturing and public sector organisations.

Skills Integration

Skills developed in this module will include the ability to recognise, manipulate and evaluate data relevant to the possible solutions to organisational problems, and to communicate with other group members.

Teaching and Learning

Topics will be introduced through directed study material.

Lectures will be driven to cover areas requested by students which they wish to be explained/developed further.

Tutorials will be used to reinforce topics through using case studies and exercises by application, demonstration and participant presentations.

Students will be expected to complete and present tutorial activities. Several activities will be set each week but only some will be covered in the tutorial, the balance being self learning.

Where applicable computer software applications will be identified and used in the preparation of solutions to the problems set.

EC/International aspect

Students will be made aware of the international nature of modern business organisations and their concomitant problems.

Students will be encouraged to explore issues from different international perspectives and to develop an awareness of the sourcing and application of ,modern management techniques.

Assessment Strategy

Progress in achieving the desired learning outcomes will be monitored and measured by:

1. Feedback to students during seminar/tutorial activities;
2. The use of coursework enabling a deeper, more thorough knowledge of the topic areas;
3. The use of time constrained examinations covering the whole of the learning outcomes over a period;
4. Feedback on coursework and examination using E-mail.

Module Assessment Criteria

Mark	<40%	40 < 49%	50 <59	60 <59	70+
Outcome 1 Manipulate relevant data recognised and extracted from the substantive environment;	Poor ability at manipulating relevant data	Some ability in manipulating relevant data	Good understanding at of manipulating relevant data	Very good knowledge on manipulating relevant data	Excellent insight into manipulating relevant data
Outcome 2 Recognise management problems within an organisational context, and identify appropriate techniques applicable to such problems;	Limited recognition of problems and poor identification of relevant techniques	Some understanding of problems and limited identification of techniques	Good understanding of problems and identification of techniques	Very good understanding of problems and identification of techniques	Comprehensive of problems and identification of techniques
Outcome 3 Describe and discuss the methodology of management accounting techniques, and evaluate their suitability in various and changing organisational contexts;	Little understanding of methodology and poor evaluation of their applicability	Some understanding of methodology and fair evaluation of their applicability	Good understanding of methodology and evaluation of their applicability	Very good understanding of methodology and evaluation of their applicability	Comprehensive understanding of methodology and rigorous evaluation of their applicability
Outcome 4 Explain the impact of different organisational structures on the information available to, required and supplied by the management accountant;	Little understanding of the impact of structures on information	Some understanding of the impact of structures on information	Good understanding of the impact of structures on information	Very good understanding of the impact of structures on information	Excellent understanding of the impact of structures on information
Outcome 5 Appreciate the difference between short and long term decision-making	Little appreciation of the difference	Some appreciation n of the difference	Good understanding of the difference	Very good understanding of the difference	Comprehensive understanding of the difference
Outcome 6 Appreciate how computer software might facilitate the application of management accounting techniques and methods	Poor understanding of the use of accounting software	Some understanding of the use of accounting software	Good understanding of the use of accounting software	Very good understanding of the use of accounting software	Comprehensive understanding of the use of accounting software