Students

ACCG3030 – Strategic Management Accounting

2022 – Session 1, In person/Online-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Kevin Baird
kevin.baird@mq.edu.au
Cissy Zhan
cissy.zhan@mq.edu.au
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
Participatory tasks 15% No
Weekly assignments 15% No
Report 30% No
Final Examination 40% No

Participatory tasks

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due:
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: 36 hours
Due:
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: 37 hours
Due:
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.

Final Examination

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due:
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.

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

Unit Schedule

ACCG3030 Strategic Management Accounting

 

 

Week commencing)

Topic

Readings

(see unit webpage)

Week 1

Tutorial 1

(21st February)

Introduction and course overview Introduction to Strategic Management Accounting

Unit Guide

Hopper, Northcott & Scapens (2007)

Week 2

Tutorial 2

(28th February)

 

Strategic Process and Strategic Analysis

Porter (2008)

Week 3

Tutorial 3

(7th March)

 

Strategy and Management Control

Su et al. (2017; 2015; 2013)

Week 4

Tutorial 4

(14th March)

 

Strategic change and strategic flexibility

Beyond budgeting

 

Hope and Fraser (2003);

Steele and Albright (2004)

Week 5

Tutorial 5

(21st March)

Incentive compensation systems

Activity based costing

Optional Revision*

Week 6

Tutorial 6

(28th March))

Assessing and managing performance over the value chain

Atkinson et al. (2007)

Week 7

Tutorial 7

(4th April)

Financial measures of performance

Optional Revision**

 

 

SESSION BREAK (11th-25th April)

 

Week 8

Tutorial 8

(26th April)

 

NO CLASSES WILL BE HELD THIS WEEK DUE TO ANZAC DAY AND TO GIVE STUDENTS TIME TO WORK ON THE GROUP REPORT (DUE FRIDAY 13th MAY, 5pm)

 

 

Week 9

Tutorial 9

(2nd May)

 

Non-financial measures of performance

Optional Revision***

Week 10

 

(9th May)

 

Strategic and behavioural aspects of capital expenditure evaluations

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

Week 11

Tutorial 10

(16th May)

Revision

 

Week 12

Tutorial 11

(23rd May)

Group research proposal presentations

 

Week 13

 

(30th 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 ACCG2000.

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Unit information based on version 2022.02 of the Handbook