Accounting for Managers

Aims and objectives

• Discuss and critically evaluate the role that accounting information plays in practice within an environment of business decision making;
• Understand the importance of revenue and costs in decision making; 
• Recognise and select financial information that is relevant to particular business decisions;
• Explain and apply techniques related to operational (short-term) decision making ;
• Describe and apply the fundamental principles of accrual based accounting to a given transaction data set;
• Construct a simple balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement; and explain the relationships that underlie the preparation of these financial reports;
• Analyse and interpret financial reports; and calculate ratios in order to make meaningful comparisons between businesses and also to analyse a business’ performance from year to year;
• Understand the role of financial and non-financial measures in performance evaluation of both the business unit and managers;
• Demonstrate an ability to work both independently and as a team member, and to effectively access, organise and then communicate information, supported by well-reasoned arguments as appropriate. 

Assessment

Generic skills outcomes

• Teamwork skills - group work and tutorial participation
• Analysis skills - by tackling tutorial problems and completing assessment
• Problem-solving skills - group assignment
• Communications skills - class participation
• Ability to tackly unfamiliar problems - completing assigned tutorial problems and assignment
• Ability to work independently - self-study and individual assessment