Management Accounting for Costs and Control

Abstract

This subject focuses on management accounting for cost and control purposes in an organisational context. It emphasises the use of quantitative techniques and computer software including spreadsheets. The subject includes an overview of management accounting perspectives with an emphasis on systems design and provides a framework for problem solving and analysis of conventional and modern cost accounting paradigms including job and process costing, standard costing and variance analysis, relevant costs for decisions, activity-based costing, kaizen costing, just-in-time, target costing, control systems, benchmarking, performance evaluation and balanced scorecard.

Syllabus

purposes of management accounting, ethics and management accounting, elements of management control, the Internet as a professional resource, spreadsheeting; cost benefit, responsibilities of the management accountant;history of management accounting, cost concepts, cost allocation, product costing, job costing, manufacturing overhead, lean accounting, TQM, Six Sigma;system design, overhead application methods, process costing, … For more content click the Read More button below.

purposes of management accounting, ethics and management accounting, elements of management control, the Internet as a professional resource, spreadsheeting; cost benefit, responsibilities of the management accountant;
history of management accounting, cost concepts, cost allocation, product costing, job costing, manufacturing overhead, lean accounting, TQM, Six Sigma;
system design, overhead application methods, process costing, weighted average, standard costs, just-in-time variable and absorption costing;
budgeting, variance analysis and control, kaizen budgeting systems, human aspects of budgeting, motivation;
service department cost allocation, joint products and by-products;
the design of cost accounting and control systems; activity based costing, quality management, target costing, theory of constraints, benchmarking;
preparation of reports for management decision making, responsibility accounting, decentralised organisations, performance measurement (including ROI, RI, EVA and balanced scorecard);
relevant costs and management decision making, special orders, make or buy decisions, outsourcing and further processing decisions;
strategic decisions, critical thinking and business reports, Panopticism and control systems.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:

be able to discuss and critique the historical and ethical development of management accounting;

be able to apply cognitive skills in the design and operation of costing systems;

be able to critically evaluate the design and operation of performance management systems;

be able to explain the role of management accounting in organisational contexts and the implications for management accounting of different paradigms;

be able to apply analytical and synthetical skills in report writing, and use quantitative techniques and computer software including using the Internet as a professional source;

be able to create and implement computerised decision models; and

be able to critique how managers make decisions.

Handbook

ACC512 - Management Accounting for Costs and Control

Abstract

Syllabus

Learning outcomes