Sarawak Campus

Faculty of Business and Design

Higher Education Division

Unit of Study Outline

ACC10007 / HBC110N
Financial Information for Decision Making /
Accounting for Managers
Semester 1, 2016
Version date (26 February, 2016)
Unit of Study Outline

Unit of study code ACC10007 / HBC110N

Financial Information for Decision Making /

Unit of study name
Accounting for Managers

Teaching Term/Semester & Year Semester 1, 2016

4 contact hours per week
Contact Hours (hrs/wk) or total contact hours
One 2-hour lecture & One 2-hour tutorial

Prerequisites No prerequisites

Co-requisites No co-requisites
Credit Points 12.5

Teaching Staff
Campus & Phone Consultation
Name Role Email Address
Room No. No. Times

Unit Convenor, Sarawak 416353 By

Kevin Tan ktan@swinburne.edu.my
Lecturer & Tutor Room B332 Ext 7618 appointment

Sarawak 416353 By
Chan Soon Hua Tutor schan@swinburne.edu.my
Room B340 Ext 7712 appointment

Aims & Learning Outcomes

The aim of this unit is to provide a framework for students to learn basic accounting concepts and
show how these concepts can be applied to financial reports (for both internal and external use) that
provide useful information for business evaluation and decision making. The unit has been
designed to meet the needs of two broad categories of students. For those intending to take further
studies in accounting, this unit will serve as an essential foundation and preparation for that
continued study. For those who do not intend to take further units in accounting, the experience
gained from this unit will be invaluable to their future business career. Whatever aspect of business
students intend to specialise in, they will need to be familiar with the concepts and principles
underlying the practice of accounting. Such knowledge will enable students to understand the
importance of financial information in decision making and thereby provide them with the necessary
financial literacy for their future role in the world of business.

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Discuss and evaluate the role that financial information plays in practice within an environment
of business decision making;
2. Apply accounting tools to prepare financial reports for both external and internal business use;
3. Research and interpret financial information in order to analyse problems and aid business
decision making;
4. Organise and communicate financial information, supported by well-reasoned arguments as
appropriate; and
5. Work both independently and as a member of a diverse team.
Page 2 of 10
Overview of Content
• Business Reporting - Financial reporting – Introduction to financial reports and their use in
decision making
• Business Reporting - Recording & reporting business transactions using accrual accounting
• Business Reporting - Preparation and use of Cash Flow Statement
• Performance Assessment - Analysis & Interpretation of Financial Reports
• Performance Assessment - Introduction to Performance Evaluation – business unit &
business unit manager
• Business Planning - Role of Budgets & Budget Preparation – focus on cash budget
• Business Planning - Revenue & Cost Determination
• Business Planning - Cost Behaviour & Cost Volume Profit Analysis (CVP)
• Business Planning - Operational Decision Making

Swinburne Graduate Attributes:

The graduate attributes which relate to this unit help to produce graduates who are:

• Capable in their chosen professional, vocational or study areas;

• Entrepreneurial in contributing to innovation and development within their business,
workplace or community;
• Effective and ethical in work and community situations;
• Adaptable and able to manage change; and
• Aware of local and international environments in which they will be contributing (e.g. socio-
cultural, economic, natural).

Key Generic Skills for this Unit of Study

You will be provided with feedback during the assessment for this unit of study on your progress in
attaining the following generic skills that contribute to the development of these graduate attributes:

• Problem solving skills • Oral communication • Teamwork skills

skills
• Analysis skills • Ability to tackle • Ability to work
unfamiliar problems independently

Learning and Teaching Structure

2 hour lecture and 2 hour tutorial per week.

In a semester, you should normally expect to spend, on average, twelve and a half hours of total
time (formal contact time plus independent study time) a week on a 12.5 credit point unit of study.

Page 3 of 10
 ACC10007 / HBC110N
Semester 1, 2016 Programme
Topic Guide for Lecture
Week Beginning Tutorial Guide: Questions and Problems
(Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. @ L001)
Topic 1: Starting a business /
1 29 Feb. Introduction to Financial Reports No tutorials this week.
Chapters 1, 2 & 3

Topic 2: Business Reporting – Topic 1

measuring and reporting financial Review: 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.12, 3.1
2 7 March position Discussion: none
Chapter 3, 4, & 5 Assignment group formation

Topic 3: Business Reporting – Topic 2

measuring and reporting financial Review: 3.12 - 3.15, 3.26, 3.42,
3 14 March performance 4.4, 4.6, 4.12, 4.13, 4.21, 4.26
Chapter 4, 5 & 6 Discussion: 4.20, 4.27(a), 4.35, LI - Swin Ltd Yr 1

Topic 4: Business Reporting – cash Topic 3

4 21 March flow management Review: 6.3, 6.4, 6.8, 6.11, 6.14, 6.23; Whitely Sounds
Chapter 7 Discussion: LI - Mobile Life, Swin Ltd Yrs 1 & 2

Topic 5: Performance Assessment & Topic 4

5 28 March Company Analysis briefing Review: 7.2, 7.5, 7.11 - 7.13, 7.15, 7.16; Mobile Life
Chapter 8 & 14 Discussion: 7.40(a), 7.42, 7.45, 7.48; LI - Swin Ltd Yr 2

6 4 April Mid-Semester Test (Topics 1 to 4) No tutorials, time to be used for consultations.

11 April Mid-semester break. No lecture and tutorials.

Topic 6: Role of budgets and budget Topic 5

7 18 April preparation (cash budget) Review: 8.2, 8.5, 8.27, 8.28(b), 8.31,
14.1, 14.2, 14.3, 14.5, 14.14, Fulton Fabricators
Chapter 9
Disc.: 8.1, 8.29, 8.40, 8.43, Swin Ltd, 14.39, 14.46

Topic 7: Cost behaviour and CVP
8 25 April
Chapter 10 (pages 415 - 430)
Topic 8: Operational Decision Making
9 2 May
Chapter 10 (pages 431 - 438)
Topic 6
Review: 9.1, 9.4, 9.11, 9.12, 9.14 - 9.16, 9.19, Elvstrom
Discussion: 9.23, 9.34, 9.36, LI - Manx Pty Ltd
Topic 7
Review: 10.1 - 10.6, 10.16, 10.17, 10.18, 10.30, 10.33
Discussion: 10.19, 10.41, 10.47, 10.50

Topic 9: Costing concepts - ABC vs. Topic 8

10 9 May Conventional Costing Review: 10.8 - 10.11, 10.25, 10.26, 10.35, 10.37, 10.44
Chapter 11 Discussion: 10.40, 10.43, 10.45, 10.46

Group Presentation Briefing and Topic 9

Guest Lecture
11 16 May Review: 11.1, 11.2, 11.4, 11.13, 11.21, 11.30
Company Analysis Report due, on
16/5/2016 by 12pm Discussion: 11.18, 11.26, 11.29, 11.31, 11.35

12 23 May Unit Revision Lecture Group presentations

* Schedule above is subject to change.

Page 4 of 10
Blackboard Site for this Unit of Study
Important information concerning this unit of study is placed on a website on the Swinburne course
management system (Blackboard), accessible via http://blackboard.swinburne.edu.my
It is your responsibility to access on a regular basis
• the Blackboard site for your unit of study,
• the Announcements section on Blackboard, and
• any emails sent by the teaching staff to your email address via Blackboard.
• It is your responsibility to ensure that your email address on Blackboard is set to your preferred
email address. To set your email address on Blackboard, go to My Institution, click on TOOLS
> PERSONAL INFORMATION > EDIT PERSONAL INFORMATION.

Assessment
a. Assessment Task Details:

Individual/ Related Aims &

Assessment Task Weighting Due Date
Group Task Objectives

Company Analysis 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 30% Report: 16 May by 12 noon

Group
(report & presentation) (Topics 1 to 5) (20% + 10%) Presentation: Week 12

1 to 4
Mid-Semester Test Individual 15% Study Week 6
(Topics 1 to 4)

1 to 4
Final Examination Individual 55% End of Semester
(Topics 1 to 9)

Detailed information is available on Blackboard under “Assessments”. An overview of each task follows:

Assessment Assessment Task Details

Your group will be required to prepare a report and carry out a

1. Company Analysis
presentation on the financial performance of a company along with
(report & presentation)
recommendations following the analysis of its performance.

You will be required to sit for a mid-semester test that consists of 20

2. Mid-Semester Test
multiple-choice questions and 2 case-related questions during week 6.
The exam will focus on most of the semester’s work, consisting of both
3. Final Examination
theoretical and practical questions.

b. Minimum requirements to pass this unit of study:

In order to achieve a pass in this unit of study, you must:

 obtain at least an aggregate mark of 50%.

Page 5 of 10
c. Participation requirements

Lecture preparation
Ensure that you have read and familiarised yourself with the lecture slides and illustrations
prior to attending the lecture. All lecture illustration questions/materials are available for
download from Blackboard.

Tutorial questions and participation

Tutorial Program Questions

There are two sets of questions (refer tutorial programme guide).

The topic review questions have been selected to further assist with your understanding of
the topic and the preparation for other selected tutorial questions. The solutions for all
topic review questions will be made available on Blackboard prior to your respective
tutorial sessions. The topic review questions have been selected to give you an overview
of the topic but will not be discussed in the tutorial sessions.

The tutorial questions are more difficult and have been selected to be discussed in the
tutorial sessions with the assumption that you have attempted/reviewed the topic review
questions. Discussions will be carried out on the basis that all of the questions have been
attempted by the students in order for better focus to be placed on specific issues/difficulties.

Tutorial Class Preparation

Ensure that you have read the essential reading for the topic either prior to the lecture
or between the lecture and the tutorials on the topic. Students should attend their tutorial
having attempted/reviewed ALL TUTORIAL QUESTIONS.

In helping to prepare the tutorial answers, it is recommended that you write at least one
paragraph for each tutorial question – this should include a description of what is being asked
in the question and what information the solution provides to a decision maker. This will
give you practice in expressing yourself in this unit and enable you to compare your answer
with those given in the tutorial, and providing you with feedback on the progress of your
understanding of the topics. Remember, the topic review questions, with solutions, are
provided to assist with your attempt at the tutorial discussion questions.

Tutorials are designed to provide an opportunity for you to have questions answered in
relation to problems arising from the previous lecture’s topic. Tutorials also provide
feedback on work completed, reinforce concepts and techniques and provide a
forum for discussion of issues.

IF NO WORK IS ATTEMPTED THEN IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.

Tutorials help you develop deeper understanding and knowledge of the subject matter, and
you are expected to actively participate in discussions. During the tutorial session, students
are expected to discuss and present the answer/solutions.

Page 6 of 10
d. Assessment criteria:
The grading criteria for assignments are shown in the table below.

Grading Meaning

HD Outstanding, insightful work. Goes beyond requirements of the task to develop a

response, which is thoughtful, reflective, and considers alternative views and
High
makes connections among ideas and information from different sources or from
Distinction
different aspects of the course. Well researched and documented. Displays
80-100
creativity and originality.

D Very good work. Purposefully and logically developed. Thoroughly addresses all
aspects of the task. Synthesis of details and concepts from various sources or
Distinction
topics shows evidence of sound understanding and thoughtful examination.
70-79
Research information appropriately cited.

C Good work. Generally clear, accurate and relevant. Adequately addresses all
requirements of the task. Demonstrates understanding of course concepts, with
Credit
evidence of some thoughtful examination and reflection. Development is generally
60-69
logical, facts generally correct. Tends to focus on one interpretation.
P Satisfactory work. Shows basic understanding of concepts with minimal evidence
Pass of reflection or thoughtful analysis. Complies with the basic requirements, relies
50-59 on limited sources of information, little integration of concepts.

N
Unsatisfactory work. Fails to address the topic in a meaningful way. May be
Not Pass
extremely brief, inaccurate, illogical or undeveloped.
Below 50

e. Submission of Assignments:
The group assignment (Company Analysis) with assignment cover sheet (available on
Blackboard) and detailed marking sheet is due on Monday, 16 May 2016, by 12pm (noon). It has
to be submitted in hardcopy (via the assignment drop box in Level 3, Block B) and softcopy (via
SafeAssign). It is recommended that students retain a copy of the report.

f. Extensions and Late Submissions:

Assignment submissions received after the deadline will not be entertained unless a prior
arrangement has been agreed to with the unit convenor.

g. Availability of Assessment Results, Retention of Assessed Materials:

Assessed material will be returned to you, but you must retain all assessed material that
contributes to the final grade up until such time as the final grades are published. The assessed
material must, after a reasonable time, be produced on demand for review by the Convenor. Non-
compliance with this requirement may result in loss of all credit for the assessed material not so
produced.

This unit has a mid-semester test and a major assignment during the semester and a final
examination paper at the end of semester. Please note that students are allowed to reclaim
their respective assessments once they are graded. However, students’ answer scripts for the
final examination remain the property of the university.

Page 7 of 10
h. Group-work Guidelines:

A group project is the collective responsibility of the entire group, and if one member is temporarily
unable to contribute, the group should be able to reallocate responsibilities to keep to schedule. In
the event of longer-term illness or other serious problems involving a member of a project group, it
is the responsibility of the other members to make the project supervisor aware of the situation
straight away. When issues are unable to be resolved by members of the group, contact should be
made with the Unit Lecturer immediately for resolution. More details will be given on group
assignment requirements.

Group project reports must be submitted with the assignment cover sheet, signed by all
group members.

All group members must be satisfied that the work has been correctly submitted.

i. Swinburne University of Technology’s definition of plagiarism:

Plagiarism is the action or practice of taking and submitting or presenting the thoughts, writings or
other work of someone else as though it is your own work. Plagiarism includes any of the following,
without full and appropriate acknowledgment to the original source(s):
(i) The use of the whole or part of a computer program written by another person;
(ii) the use, in essays or other assessable work, of the whole or part of a written work from
any source including but not limited to a book, journal, newspaper article, set of lecture
notes, current or past student’s work, any other person’s work, a website or database;
(iii) the paraphrasing of another’s work;
(iv) the use of musical composition, audio, visual, graphic and photographic models,
(v) the use of realia, that is, objects, artefacts, costumes, models and the like.

Plagiarism also includes the preparation or production and submission or presentation of

assignments or other work in conjunction with another person or other people when that work
should be your own independent work. This remains plagiarism whether or not it is with the
knowledge or consent of the other person or people. It should be noted that Swinburne
encourages its students to talk to staff, fellow students and other people who may be able to
contribute to a student’s academic work but that where independent assignment is required,
submitted or presented work must be the student’s own.

Enabling plagiarism contributes to plagiarism and therefore will be treated as a form of plagiarism
by the University. Enabling plagiarism means allowing or otherwise assisting another student to
copy or otherwise plagiarise work by, for example, allowing access to a draft or completed
assignment or other work.

The information outlined in this section above is covered in more detail in Swinburne Sarawak’s
Student Academic Misconduct Regulations 2012 found at
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/policies/regulations/academicmisconduct.html

Students must be familiar with the regulations found at Student Administration > Assessment >
Misconduct and Plagiarism at
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/student-administration/assessment/misconduct.html

Page 8 of 10
j. Assessment and Appeals Policy and Procedure
The information outlined in the Assessment sections above is covered in more detail in Swinburne
Sarawak’s Assessment and Results Policy. Students must be familiar with the Policy found at
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/policies/academic/assessment.html and
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/policies/regulations/reviews.html
The Policy and Procedure provides details about:
• Assessment issues such as the conduct of examinations, plagiarism policies and details
explaining how to apply for a review of results and other appeals, and
• Student progress issues such as unsatisfactory academic progress and early intervention
procedures, and
• Information for students with disabilities and special needs and procedures for applying for
special consideration.
Students should make themselves familiar with all aspects of the Policy and Procedure, as failure
to do so is not grounds for appeal.

Student Charter
The charter describes what students can reasonably expect from Swinburne in order to enjoy a
quality learning experience. As students contribute to their own learning experience and to that of
their fellow students, the charter also defines the University's expectations of students. Please
familiarise yourself with Swinburne’s Student Charter found at
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/policies/hr/students.html

Student Feedback:
Swinburne seeks student feedback in a number of ways, including through periodic “Student
Feedback on Units” and “Student Feedback on Teaching” surveys, as part of the university’s
approach to quality assurance and improvement. Possible improvement based on both student
and staff feedback is considered by Unit Convenors, Unit Panels made up of relevant teaching
staff, Program Panels, Faculty Academic Committees, and the Academic Programs Quality
Committee, as appropriate.
Recent updates and improvements made to this unit of study on the basis of student feedback
include:
• Introduced additional learning materials to supplement and assist students’ learning
(illustrations, videos, exercises, past tests, knowledge checklists).
• Scheduled guest lecture to supplement practical exposure of the unit’s content.
• Implement peer evaluation processes to monitor fair individual contributions for the group
assignment.
• Learning materials planned and designed for more student interaction and engagement.

Page 9 of 10
Safety Standards and Conduct Requirements:
The University executes safety drills without warning. Be prepared to follow instructions from staff
and/or wardens to evacuate the building in a safe and orderly manner.
All students are expected to respect the rights and sensibilities of their fellow students and
teaching staff. This also applies in respect of the content of video and audio work submitted for
assessment. The University had implemented anti-discrimination and harassment policies and
procedures to promote a discrimination and harassment free work and study environment for all
staff and students: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/policies/hr/behaviour.html

Safety procedures in laboratories must be followed. For your own safety, bare feet, thongs and
other open sandals are forbidden. Eating, drinking or smoking in laboratories is not allowed. A
mature, sensible attitude and a healthy respect for the equipment are always required. Juvenile, ill-
mannered or reckless behaviour will not be tolerated, and the laboratory supervisor has the right to
exclude students from the laboratory should their behaviour constitute a danger to themselves or
others. Such behaviour would result in forfeiture of all marks for that experiment. The playing of
computer games is not allowed in the computer labs.

Special Needs
If you have special needs you should advise your Faculty and the Unit of Study Convenor by the
end of the second week of the teaching period. In addition, you are recommended to notify the
Counselling Unit under Students Administration if you have not already done so.
See also the Swinburne “Adjustments to assessment arrangements and Special Consideration”
Section of the Assessment and Results Policy, at
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/policies/academic/assessment.html#special

Resources and Reference Material

Required/Study text

• Birt, J, Chalmers, K, Brooks, A, Byrne, S & Oliver, J 2012, Accounting: Business

Reporting for Decision Making, 4th edn, John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd.

Reading List/Additional references

• Birt, J, Chalmers, K, Maloney, S, Brooks, A & Oliver, J 2014, Accounting: Business

Reporting for Decision Making, 5th edn, John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd.

• Atrill, P, McLaney, E & Harvey D 2015, Accounting: An Introduction, 6th edn, Pearson
Australia.

• Dyson, JR 2010, Accounting for non-accounting students, 8th edn, Prentice Hall.

Also the WWW has a vast amount of resources – you may Google terms that you do not
understand if it is inconvenient for you to approach your lecturer outside of class.

Page 10 of 10