Module Directory

The module will critically examine a range of issues that relate to financial and managerial decision-making, including incremental costing, cost volume profit analysis, budgeting, activity-based costing, capital structure and long term financing, capital investment appraisal, and financial analysis of commercial projects. Students will be expected to critically evaluate the issues outlined above and to engage actively in discussions.

The aim of this module is to provide students without a first degree in accounting or an accounting related subject with a sufficient grounding in management accounting and management control principles, investment appraisal and financial control principles, and market and managerial behaviours.

By the end of the module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Critically reflect on issues related to accounting and financial/managerial decision making.


2. Develop a critical understanding of short term decision making principles and techniques, such as incremental costing and cost volume profit analysis.


3. Critically evaluate the role of budgeting and management control in organisations and discuss the conflicting implications of budgeting decisions.


4. Demonstrate a critical understanding of how activities can form a basis for managerial decisions as opposed to traditional methods of costing.


5. Demonstrate a critical understanding of how the management of working capital such as inventories, the accounts payable, accounts receivable as well as cash conversion cycle can form a basis for short term financial decision making.


6. Demonstrate a critical understanding of whether long term investment and financing decisions should aim at maximising organisational profitability and owners’ wealth.


7. Develop a critical understanding of financial and non-financial performance measurement and management control methods.


8. Demonstrate an understanding of rational economic, interpretative and critical perspectives on accounting.


9. Develop presentation skills, critical thinking, and reflective analysis.

Skills for Your Professional Life (Transferable Skills)

By the end of this module, students should be able to demonstrate the following attributes:

1. Research Skills and techniques- to be able to use the coursework to demonstrate the ability to analyse critically and evaluate one’s findings and those of others, summarize findings and write a report, use the coursework to advance their knowledge of how to find and collect relevant background information linked to the coursework.


2. Enhance oral communication skills by using workshops and collaborative tasks to present information and ideas clearly and concisely, presents opinion and ideas in an open objective way.


3. Critical thinking- to be able to rely on the lectures, to review different points of view or ideas and make objective judgement, and investigating all possible solutions to a problem by considering the pros and cons.


4. Personal effectiveness- use the coursework to show initiative, work independently and be self-reliant, demonstrate the willingness and ability to learn and acquire knowledge.

Resources for the module will be made available through Moodle, where you will also be able to find notices and information about the module. Other useful resources can be found through the University Library and through indicated useful Internet sites.

This module will be delivered via:

• One 1-hour lecture per week.
• One 1-hour seminar per week.
• One revision lecture in the summer.
• One support (Q&A) class per fortnight.

Students will be expected to actively participate in lectures and seminars and
read the lecture and seminar materials assigned in this module outline before attending
each lecture/seminar session.