Students

ACCG3030 – Strategic Management Accounting

2021 – Session 1, Special circumstances

Notice

As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group activities on campus, and most will keep an online version available to those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.

To check the availability of face-to-face and online activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Kevin Baird
Room 209 / 4 Eastern Road
Lecturer
Nandini Krishna Kumar
Room 220 / 4 Eastern Road
Lecturer
Carmel Emanuel
Room 211 / 4 Eastern Road
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(ACCG200 or ACCG2000) and (ACCG301 or ACCG3001)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit further develops the concepts and techniques covered in ACCG2000 and ACCG3001. This unit provides a systematic and critical analysis of the issues related to the integration of management accounting and control systems with strategy implementation. Strategy is initially discussed as a topic in its own right, followed by an examination of how various strategic choices affect management accounting techniques such as activity-based accounting, variance analysis, and performance evaluation. By the end of this unit students will be able to analyse complex situations and develop approaches that are logical, consistent and defensible from a strategic perspective. The unit uses case studies extensively to develop graduate capabilities centred upon higher order critical analysis skills and the ability of students to generate a range of effective alternative options and innovative solutions to case based scenarios.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Critically evaluate different organisational strategies and develop approaches that are logical, consistent and defensible from a strategic perspective.
  • ULO2: Explain the influence of strategy on the design of management accounting systems.
  • ULO3: Recognise the important role of advanced costing systems, performance evaluation, and incentive systems within organisations.
  • ULO4: Present clear and justified viewpoint(s) through the use of effective oral and written communication skills and proper analysis and interpretation of case based scenarios.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Final Examination 40% No Final exam period
Participatory tasks 15% No Ongoing
Weekly assignments 15% No Weeks 2-11
Report 30% No Friday 14th May, 5pm; Week 12 tutorial

Final Examination

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Final exam period
Weighting: 40%

A two hour final examination will be held during the university examination period. All material covered in the unit will be examinable.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically evaluate different organisational strategies and develop approaches that are logical, consistent and defensible from a strategic perspective.
  • Explain the influence of strategy on the design of management accounting systems.
  • Recognise the important role of advanced costing systems, performance evaluation, and incentive systems within organisations.
  • Present clear and justified viewpoint(s) through the use of effective oral and written communication skills and proper analysis and interpretation of case based scenarios.

Participatory tasks

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 15%

This assessment task requires students to complete the weekly assignment questions and participate in weekly activities conducted during tutorials. Marks will be awarded based on student’s performance in relation to these weekly tasks.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically evaluate different organisational strategies and develop approaches that are logical, consistent and defensible from a strategic perspective.
  • Explain the influence of strategy on the design of management accounting systems.
  • Recognise the important role of advanced costing systems, performance evaluation, and incentive systems within organisations.
  • Present clear and justified viewpoint(s) through the use of effective oral and written communication skills and proper analysis and interpretation of case based scenarios.

Weekly assignments

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Weeks 2-11
Weighting: 15%

Weekly case based assignments will be submitted online. 3 out of 10 (chosen randomly) will be marked against the rubric that is available on iLearn.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically evaluate different organisational strategies and develop approaches that are logical, consistent and defensible from a strategic perspective.
  • Explain the influence of strategy on the design of management accounting systems.
  • Recognise the important role of advanced costing systems, performance evaluation, and incentive systems within organisations.
  • Present clear and justified viewpoint(s) through the use of effective oral and written communication skills and proper analysis and interpretation of case based scenarios.

Report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Friday 14th May, 5pm; Week 12 tutorial
Weighting: 30%

Students are required to investigate, submit a report, and participate in a group presentation on a company other than Australia Post or Telstra. The groups of 4-5 must consist of students registered in the same tutorial. The assessment consists of two parts; a 2,500 word written report (15%) and a group presentation (15%).


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically evaluate different organisational strategies and develop approaches that are logical, consistent and defensible from a strategic perspective.
  • Explain the influence of strategy on the design of management accounting systems.
  • Present clear and justified viewpoint(s) through the use of effective oral and written communication skills and proper analysis and interpretation of case based scenarios.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

The teaching structure in this unit will consist of a one hour pre-recorded lecture and a two hour tutorial each week. 

No textbook is required. Assigned readings are available through the library.

Unit Schedule

ACCG3030 Strategic Management Accounting

 

 

Week commencing)

Topic

Readings

(see unit webpage)

Week 1

Tutorial 1

(22nd February)

Introduction and course overview Introduction to Strategic Management Accounting

Unit Guide

Hopper, Northcott & Scapens (2007)

Week 2

Tutorial 2

(1st March)

 

Strategic Process and Strategic Analysis

Porter (2008)

Week 3

Tutorial 3

(8th March)

 

Strategy and Management Control

Su et al. (2017; 2015; 2013)

Week 4

Tutorial 4

(15th March)

 

Strategic change and strategic flexibility

Beyond budgeting

 

Hope and Fraser (2003);

Steele and Albright (2004)

Week 5

Tutorial 5

(22nd March)

Incentive compensation systems

Activity based costing

Optional Revision*

Week 6

Tutorial 6

(29th March))

Assessing and managing performance over the value chain

Atkinson et al. (2007)

 

 

SESSION BREAK (2nd – 18th April)

 

Week 7

Tutorial 7

(19th April)

Financial measures of performance

Optional Revision**

Week 8

Tutorial 8

(26th April)

 

Non-financial measures of performance

 

Optional Revision***

Week 9

Tutorial 9

(3rd May)

 

Strategic and behavioural aspects of capital expenditure evaluations

Clancy et al. (1982); Shank and Govindarajan (1992)

Week 10

 

(10th May)

 

NO CLASSES WILL BE HELD THIS WEEK TO GIVE STUDENTS TIME TO WORK ON THE GROUP REPORT (DUE FRIDAY 14th MAY, 5pm)

 

Week 11

Tutorial 10

(17th May)

Revision

 

Week 12

Tutorial 11

(24th May)

Group research proposal presentations

 

Week 13

 

(31st May)

 

NO CLASSES

 

  • You can refer to Chapters 8*, 13** and 14*** of the following text or any other management accounting textbook
    • Langfield-Smith, K. Thorne, H., Smith, D. and Hilton, R. (2012 or 2015). Management Accounting: Information for Creating and Managing Value, McGraw-Hill, Sydney.  NB This was the text used in ACCG200.

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Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

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Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

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Changes since First Published

Date Description
10/02/2021 Unit schedule added

Unit information based on version 2021.03 of the Handbook