Accounting for International Managers
| Module title | Accounting for International Managers |
|---|---|
| Module code | BEAM045 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Ms Joanne Abraham (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 160 |
|---|
Module description
Summary:
Business managers are ultimately responsible for organisation performance, position, and health. All decisions and activities have financial consequences. Questions are always being asked by a wide range of stakeholders: How successful is the business? Is it profitable? Is it stable? Is it growing? How is it financed? Is it the best? Should you invest in it? Work for it? Buy from it? Sell to it? Lend to it? Financial accounting information enables stakeholders to make decisions regarding their relationship with an organisation. It is useful to be able to understand and evaluate the accounting information businesses provide to make decisions.
Managers are also constantly making decisions: How much to charge for X? How much does Y cost to make? How much profit could be made if…? Should the business launch a new product? Enter a new market? Invest in a new venture or project? Management accounting provides information to support business decisions such as these. The module recognises that managers need to be able to appreciate and use a variety of accounting information and techniques in business decision-making. More importantly, good managers need to be able to understand and interpret accounting results, but also know the limitations of the methods used, and incorporate other considerations.
BEAM045 prepares non-accounting students to be able to add value to their business decision-making through the appreciation and application of financial and management accounting information. The module is taught and assessed to also develop and practice skills in research, financial analysis and evaluation, and to be able to effectively communicate advice to other stakeholders in consideration of the complexity of decision-making with limited / imperfect information, the usefulness and limitations of accounting tools and the relevance of non-financial information.
Additional Information:
Internationalisation:
- The concepts and techniques explored in this module have global application.
- International considerations for businesses are acknowledged within each topic. Learning material and tutorial questions are based upon global/multi-national organisations.
- Students are encouraged to share their knowledge of contexts, applications, and variations from their own and other countries.
Ethics and Corporate Responsibility:
- These are embedded within all topics studied: concepts and techniques are taught to reflect that it is the responsibility of all organisations to make ethical financial decisions and actions and to provide financial information so that stakeholders can make their own informed decisions.
Employability:
- The module is taught and assessed to develop awareness, understanding, and active appreciation of how to use accounting as part of business decision-making and performance evaluation. It aims to facilitate intelligent verbal and written conversations, both with accountants and other managers.
- A wide range of common accounting tools and concepts are introduced and used.
- Group discussion and information-sharing in study is actively encouraged. Assessment requires written professional communication and recommendations based upon accounting outcomes, plus other decision-making considerations.
- Report writing skills are developed throughout, with assessment on an evaluation of one or more active organisations, based upon a wide range of publicly available information to advise and enable decision-making by a range of stakeholders as the their future association with that/those organisation(s).
- The module content is linked with accreditation to CMI (Chartered Management Institute) and ICAEW (Institute or Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) professional bodies examinations.
Sustainability:
- Resources for this module are available on the ELE (Exeter Learning Environment). Topic documents are provided in Word (.doc) format for students to adapt and use electronically for their own study purposes.
Module aims - intentions of the module
In line with the FT Masters in Management programme rankings, this module is aimed at students who are studying MSc International Management in general management.
This module provides an active introduction to a range of basic accounting and financial concepts/techniques for managerial planning, control and decision-making. It is not intended to turn students into accountants. It is taught from a manager perspective and aims to provide a broad and useful appreciation of how managers can benefit from understanding accounting information and tools as part of decision-making.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Use and appraise a wide range of quantitative and qualitative information and accounting outcomes as part of management decision-making.
- 2. Communicate recommendations based upon financial and management accounting analysis, and advise on further considerations in the wider decision and business context.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Discuss the nature and purpose of accounting, the regulations and basic principles behind the accounting process, and how/why financial information is presented.
- 4. Interpret, evaluate, and advise on the range of information contained in financial statements and other sources for stakeholder decision-making.
- 5. Advise on cash management, working capital, and financing
- 6. Apply management accounting techniques for both short-term and long-term management decision-making
- 7. Demonstrate and evaluate management accounting techniques for costing and pricing decisions
- 8. Understand the construction of a financial plan
- 9. Evaluate organisation performance based on using a range of financial tools
- 10. Explain and appraise the roles of budgeting in organisations.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 11. Practice listening, note-taking, and information synthesis.
- 12. Manage own learning experience individually and in developing time-management skills
- 13. Develop self-awareness of own learning and effort needs to meet performance expectations.
- 14. Use a range of resources to obtain information, discuss issues and perspectives, and make recommendations
- 15. Demonstrate a range of professional written communication skills.
- 16. Organise work individually and collaboratively in learning and outcomes.
- 17. Evaluate outcomes and provide recommendations within a number of business contexts
Syllabus plan
- Introduction to accounting and international financial reporting
- Main financial statements: Income, Financial position, and Cash flows.
- Analysis and interpretation of financial statements
- Cash management and Financing
- Pricing and Costing
- Short-run decision making
- Long-run decision making
- Budgeting
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | 118 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | Lectures/Podcasts/Topic Documents |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 10 | Tutorials/Drop-In workshops |
| Guided independent study | 118 | Pre-Reading; Weekly Self-study packs (reading activities, web-based resources, practice questions; formative assessment opportunities) |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly pre-lecture/lecture exercises | 1-5 minutes each | 1-10 | In lecture |
| Basic and advanced-level weekly practice questions | 4-8 hours per week | 1-17 | Suggested answers within self study resources provided |
| Weekly tutorial problems for discussion | 1-2 hours preparation / review, 1 hour in-class discussion | 1-17 | Solutions provided and discussions in tutorials |
| Timed written task | 20 minutes | 1,2,5,11-17 | Peer review marking & feedback using feedback form |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 70 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Written Report | 30 | 1,000 words | 1-5, 11-17 | Mark and feedback form |
| Written examination | 70 | 2 hours | 1,2,5-17 | Indicative solutions and feedback on ELE |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Written Report /Written examination | Examination (2 hours) (100%) | 1-17 | August Examination Period |
Re-assessment notes
Overall module referral = exam in the August reassessment period (100%)
Deferred coursework = Individual assignment (30%)
Deferred written exam = Exam in the August re-assessment period (70%)
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
A suggested text to supplement core understanding (and for which guidance for study is provided in the weekly self-study packs):
Dyson, J. and Franklin, E. (2017) Accounting for non-accounting students, 9th ed., Harlow: Pearson
However, the common topics, concepts and tools considered in the module can be found in all accounting texts and in many articles and online resources.
Students are expected to supplement the module topic documents with their own reading from texts and articles as well as practitioner and real-world examples.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Further resources are advised within the weekly self-study packs and include:
- Articles, Text extracts, Internet media
- News articles, Annual reports and Case studies.
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
The weekly self-study packs provide reading, and questions for both core understanding and assessment preparation. Additional sources should also be identified and accessed by students as part of their own self-study.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 03/09/2007 |
| Last revision date | 21/08/2019 |