Course Resources Archive

This module aims to support the student's development of his/her ability to select and apply relevant financial techniques in supporting the management of a business or non-business organisation, and to interpret and explain the results. It aims to facilitate the acquisition by students of a balance of skills and knowledge including skills in applying quantitative techniques; the ability to interpret and explain the results of these calculations; the ability to critically evaluate the techniques; and a recognition that management accounting, like other areas of management, is context-dependent, and has to be put into the context of the particular organisation and its own strategy, culture and management style.

1. Appraise the objectives of management accounting, its role as part of a business information system and its link to the strategy of the organisation.
2. Identify relevant costs and apply appropriate techniques for decision-making to a wide range of management decision situations including short-term decision making and CVP in a multi product situation, long-term decision making  and the use of investment appraisal techniques, those involving uncertainty and conflicting demands for resources.
3. Discuss and evaluate the various pricing strategies which may be adopted by organizations and their effects.
4. Critically evaluate the alternative methods available of transfer pricing within a divisionalised organisation and evaluate their respective strengths and weaknesses on a range of alternative scenarios.
5. Utiliise advanced techniques of standard costing including mix and yield, operational and planning and market share and size in order to provide detailed information for cost control.
6. Identify potential multi-dimensional performance measures appropriate to a variety of business situations and recommend methods of implementation.
7. Evaluate the usefulness of cost management techniques in furthering the strategy of the organization
8. Assess the main recent and current developments in management accounting and relate these to the wider business environment.

A student passing this module should be able to:

1. Evaluate the contexts in which management accounting operates within an organisation and its link to the external environment; (PLO1)
2. Apply the technical language and practices of management accounting; (PLO2)
3. Select the correct tools to aid management decision making and present the information in an appropriate format; (PLO3)
4.  Evaluate the contemporary theories and empirical evidence concerning management accounting; (PLO4)
5. Critically evaluate and analyse management accounting techniques, showing the ability to draw reasoned conclusions; (PLO5)
6. Manage their learning independently, including being able to find, extract and analyse data from many different sources; (PLO6)
7.  Apply appropriate communication and numerical skills, including the ability to present quantitative and qualitative information, together with analysis, argument and commentary, in form which will be understood by its intended audience. (PLO8)

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.