22705 Management Planning and Control
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): 22753 Cost Management and Analysis
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
This subject examines the role of management accounting and control practices in achieving organisational objectives. A focus of the subject is on the behavioural implications of practices such as budgets, performance measurement systems, and managerial incentives, and why the design and use of these practices varies between firms. Students also learn about how information and communications technology influences management accounting and control processes in contemporary organisations.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 1. | explain how management accounting and control practices contribute to the achievement of organisational objectives |
|---|---|
| 2. | critically analyse the design and use of management accounting and control practices in resolving organisational control problems |
| 3. | evaluate the effectiveness of the management accounting and control practices for organisations in different contexts |
| 4. | demonstrate how information and communications technology influences management decision-making and control |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the following program learning objectives:
- Critically analyse, adapt, and apply accounting practices to address complex business problems (1.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject provides foundation knowledge for effective planning and control of contemporary organisations and the consequent measurement and evaluation of individual and organisational performance. It builds off the fundamental management accounting concepts and techniques introduced in 22753 Cost Management and Analysis. The subject contributes to the objectives of the core of the course by focusing the program learning goal: Intellectual rigour and innovative problem solving - be able to apply and demonstrate critical and analytical skills, and innovation in business practice. Specifically we focus on the program learning objective: Apply innovative problem solving processes to address business issues. It also focuses on the development of professional skills in the use of management accounting for planning, controlling and evaluating the performance of contemporary organisations, in Australia and internationally; with appropriate consideration of organizational sustainability, ethical issues and effective communication skills.
Teaching and learning strategies
The subject is delivered through a three-hour seminar each week. Pre-assigned materials (readings, case studies and audio-visual) and learning tasks will be made available for students to complete prior to seminars. To encourage student engagement, several learning tasks will form part of the assessed learning portfolio.
The three-hour seminars comprise a combination of lectures, group in-class activities and exercises and individual exercises. In order to give students practice-related experiences, where possible, in-class exercise will emulate professional practice and hone necessary professional skills. Students are strongly encouraged to participate actively in the course.
The course material includes a significant number of case studies. The cases provide a wide range of settings where the practical consequences of the various topics studied can be further understood and evaluated.
An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills to succeed at university and in the workplace. During the course of this subject, you will complete a milestone assessment task that will, in addition to assessing your subject-specific learning objectives, assess your English language proficiency.
An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills to succeed at university and in the workplace. During the course of this subject, you will complete a milestone assessment task that will, in addition to assessing your subject-specific learning objectives, assess your English language proficiency.
Content (topics)
- Management control and organizational control problems
- Management control design and the organizational context
- Planning and budgeting
- Performance measurement systems
- Performance evaluation and incentives
- Information systems and internal control
- Digitalization of management accounting and control
- Decision-making and ethics
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Individual Learning Portfolio (Individual)
| Intent: | The purpose of this assessment is to encourage engagement in active learning throughout the subject. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1 and 4 |
| Weight: | 25% |
| Length: | The individual learning portfolio is comprised of multiple formative tasks that vary in length depending on the content and complexity of the task. |
| Criteria: | This assessment will be graded on the following criteria:
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Assessment task 2: Research Assignment (Group)
| Intent: | The purpose of this assessment is for students to work collaboratively to address a contemporary business problem through the critical application of management accounting and control concepts and effectively communicate findings or solutions to relevant stakeholders. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2 and 3 |
| Weight: | 25% |
| Length: | The assignment may contain a report and/or presentation. Length of the report and presentation is dependent on group size and topic. |
| Criteria: | This assessment will be graded on the following criteria:
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Assessment task 3: Final Examination (Individual)
| Intent: | The purpose of this assessment is to evaluate students’ overall understanding of subject content. This assessment task is a compulsory component of the subject. A student must attain no less than 40% of the marks in this assessment to pass the subject irrespective of the subject’s total marks. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 4 This addresses program learning objectives(s): 1.1 |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | The final exam is typically two hours in duration. Exact length is confirmed each session through in-class and online announcements. |
| Criteria: | This assessment will be graded on the following criteria:
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Minimum requirements
A student must achieve 50% or more of the subject’s total marks AND achieve 40% or more in the final exam to pass the subject.
A Fail (X) Grade is awarded to a student who attains 50% or more of the overall subject assessment marks but attains less than 40% of the final exam marks. To pass the subject, the student must then attain 50% or more of the marks in the supplementary task, in which case the student is awarded an overall mark of 50P.
Required texts
Course textbook: Merchant, K.A. and Van der Stede, W.A. (2017), Management Control Systems: Performance Measurement, Evaluation and Incentives, 4th edn, Prentice Hall, Harlow, England.
Readings and cases: Most cases are contained within the course textbook. Additional readings and cases will be provied on Canvas. You should check Canvas for updated material at least once each week.
For assignment and essay writing students should refer to: UTS Business School Writing Guide: www.uts.edu.au/node/50946/