This course provides students with an appreciation of management accounting concepts related to decision-making, planning and control. The course introduces a range of management accounting tools, including job and process costing, activity based costing, budgeting and variance analysis, and the balanced scorecard. The course also introduces the application of management accounting tools for the purpose of pricing, cost allocation, budgetary control, and performance evaluation.  Students will learn how to assess these through cost-benefit analysis.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. demonstrate an understanding of the management accounting tools, including cost accounting system, budgeting system and performance measurement system;
2. apply management accounting tools for the following purposes: cost allocation, budgetary control, performance evaluation, pricing and cost management;
3. appraise the costs and benefits of different conventional and modern costing systems (e.g., absorption and variable costing, standard costing, activity-based costing);
4. demonstrate an appreciation of the need for a balance between financial and non-financial information in decision making, control and performance evaluation applications of management accounting;
5. collaborate with team members for successful completion of assigned tasks.

Research-Led Teaching

This course draws upon business practices, case studies and the research experience of the convenor. The team assignment is set in a practical business context and requires students to conduct research and refer to past empirical accounting research.

Examination Material or equipment

Details regarding materials and equipment that is permitted in an examination can be found on the ANU website:

http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/examination-conduct

Information regarding permitted examination materials for the course will be available on the examination timetable website when the examination timetable is released:  http://timetable.anu.edu.au/

Required Resources

Horngren, C., Datar, S., Rajan, M., Wynder, M., Maguire, W. and Tan, R. (2018) Cost Accounting. A Managerial Emphasis, 3rd Australian Edition, Pearson Education.

Students are expected to have access to a copy of the prescribed book for the duration of the semester. A few copies of the text are available for 2 hour loan in the reserve loan section of the Chifley Library. An ebook version of the text is available from the Chifley Library (http://library.anu.edu.au/record=b4744387).

Recommended Resources

Other References (available from the Chifley Library)

Cielens, M. and Aquino, M. (1999). The Business of Communicating, 4th edition, McGraw-Hill/ Irwin.

Dwyer, J. (2009). Communication in Business: Strategies and Skills, 4th edition, Pearson Education.

Eunson, B. (2012). Communicating in the 21st Century. 3rd edition, John Wiley and Sons.

May, C. B. and May, G. S. (2003). Effective Writing: A Handbook for Accountants, 6th edition, Prentice Hall.

Windschuttle, K. and Elliot, E. (1999). Writing, Researching, Communicating: Communication Skills for the Information Age, 3rd edition, McGraw-Hill.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups and individuals

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS

Any student identified, either during the current semester or in retrospect, as having used ghost writing services will be investigated under the University’s Academic Misconduct Rule.

COMMUNICATION

Email and the Wattle Course Website

Email and the Wattle course website are the preferred ways of communication.

If necessary, the lecturer and tutors for this course will contact students on their official ANU student email address. Students should use this email address when contacting staff as spam filters used by ANU may not allow other email addresses to be received. Information about your enrolment and fees from the Registrar and Student Services' office will also be sent to this email address.

 

Announcements

Students are expected to check the Wattle site for announcements about this course, e.g. changes to timetables or notifications of cancellations.

Scaling

Your final mark for the course will be based on the raw marks allocated for each of your assessment items. However, your final mark may not be the same number as produced by that formula, as marks may be scaled. Any scaling applied will preserve the rank order of raw marks (i.e. if your raw mark exceeds that of another student, then your scaled mark will exceed the scaled mark of that student), and may be either up or down.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction to Cost Terms and Concepts
2	Cost Behaviour & CVP Analysis
3	Job and Process Costing Systems (1)
4	Job and Process Costing Systems (2) & Inventory Costing Methods	Quiz 1
5	Activity-Based Costing & Activity-Based Management
6	Enterprise Information System	Mid-Semester Exam
7	Budgets and Flexible Budgets
8	Variance Analysis	Team Case Study Due
9	Allocation of Support Department Costs
10	Performance Measurement Systems	Quiz 2
11	Decision Making (Pricing and Relevant Costing)
12	Sustainability & Management Accounting

Tutorial Registration

Please see Wattle for tutors’ information.

In addition to pre-recorded lectures and tutorials, this course offers workshops which will be available face-to-face or through live Zoom classes. Enrolment for the various workshop options, and times of the classes will be made available on Wattle. When workshops are available for enrolment, follow these steps:

1.          Log on to Wattle, and go to the course site.

2.          Click on the link “Workshop enrolment”

3.          On the right of the screen, click on the tab “Become Member of ……” for the workshop class you wish to enter.

4.          Confirm your choice

If you need to change your enrolment, you will be able to do so by clicking on the tab “Leave group…” and then re-enrol in another group. You will not be able to enrol in groups that have reached their maximum number. Please note that enrolment in ISIS must be finalised for you to have access to Wattle.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Tutorial Work	5 %	01/03/2021	02/06/2021	1,2,3,4,5
Quizzes	5 %	15/03/2021	22/03/2021	1,2,3,4
Mid Semester Examination	20 %	29/03/2021	07/05/2021	1,2,3
Team Assignment (Case Study)	20 %	30/04/2021	28/05/2021	1,2,3,5
Final Examination	50 %	03/06/2021	01/07/2021	1,2,3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Integrity . In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Tutorial Work

Purpose: To engage students and encourage students to take responsibility in the learning process.

Form and submission: Tutorial work is a combination of a pre-recorded tutorial and a live workshop. For pre-recorded tutorials, students refer to "Reading materials, self-study, and tutorial questions" that provides the reference numbers of tutorial questions for all weeks (available on Wattle by Week 1). Students access the textbook for the tutorial questions and submit, online via Wattle Turnitin, their prepared work before each tutorial (commencing in Week 2). The live workshops are available face-to-face or through live Zoom classes. 

Due Date: The due date listed in the assessment summary is the earliest possible date.

Assessment: Tutorial marks are based on the evaluation of work submitted through Turnitin. Using the following rubric, students receive preparation marks. Each preparation is worth a maximum of 1 mark and the overall tutorial preparation mark is the sum of top five preparation marks.

Rubric:

0/1 no evidence of preparation.

0.5/1 Limited evidence of preparation, mostly incomplete responses.

1/1 Evidence of thorough and complete preparation on all questions.

Feedback: Progressive feedback will be provided on tutorial work preparation at two points of time. One is by the end of Week 6 for the first four tutorials. The remaining tutorial work marks will be provided by 02/06/2021 (i.e., before the final exams start). The marks will be released on Wattle gradebook.

Rubric

Assessment Task 2

Quizzes

Purpose: To engage students in the learning process and prepare students for the examination styles in the mid-semester and final exams.

Form and submission: Online quizzes through the Wattle Quiz.

Due date: Week 4 and Week 10 in class quizzes. Each quiz opens at the beginning of the first workshop and closes at the end of the last workshop in the corresponding week.

Duration: 10-15 minutes each

Content: Week 4 Quiz covers lectures and tutorial questions related to Topics 1, 2, and 3. Week 10 Quiz covers lectures and tutorial questions related to Topics 7, 8, and 9.

Assessment: Overall quiz mark is the average of two quiz scores.

Feedback: Feedback for each quiz will be provided in workshops in Week 5 and Week 11.

Assessment Task 3

Mid Semester Examination

Purpose: To engage students in the learning process and give feedback on students' learning.

Form and submission: Online mid semester examination will be provided through the Wattle Quiz.

Content: Topics covered from Weeks 1 to 5 up to, and including, “Activity-Based Costing & Activity-Based Management”.

Administration: Centrally administered examinations through Examinations, Graduations & Prizes will be timetabled prior to the examination period. Mid-semester exams will be held in either Week 6 or Week 7. The due date listed in the assessment summary is the earliest possible date. Please check ANU Timetabling for further information. Information regarding exam script viewing will be provided on the Research School of Accounting webpage in due course.

Assessment Task 4

Team Assignment (Case Study)

Purpose: Apply understanding of management accounting practices to cases studies.

Form and submission: This is a team assignment to be completed in teams of 3 to 4 students. Further details will be available on Wattle latest by the end of Week 4. Assignments are submitted using Turnitin in the course Wattle site.

Due Date: 30th April 2021 (Week 8)

Presentation requirement: Assignments are to be word-processed, using the Times New Roman font size 12 (or equivalent). The line spacing must be at least a line and a half and there must be a minimum page margin 2.5 cm on all sides. The use of strict and professional expression is expected.

Assessment Task 5

Final Examination

Details of the final exam will be provided no later than Week 12.

Administration:

Centrally administered examinations through Examinations, Graduations & Prizes will be timetabled prior to the examination period. The due date listed in the assessment summary is the earliest possible date. Please check ANU Timetabling for further information. Information regarding exam script viewing will be provided on the Research School of Accounting webpage in due course.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. Submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

The team assignments will be returned to students through Turnitin by the end of Week 12.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

This course does not accept resubmission of assignment.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students