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HAS.MAAC - Management Control Systems* Q3

Faculty
TBA
Course Coordinator
Jytte Gambo Larsen
Prerequisite/progression of the course
The students must document a level in English equal to TOEFL 575 and a level in mathematics equal to Danish level B.
Course content, structure and teaching
Course content: The aim of the course is to provide the student with both theoretical understanding and practical skills of management control systems and management accounting practices.
Management control systems are perceived as a mechanism to increase the likelihood for an organization to 1) achieve its objectives and 2) utilize resources efficiently when implementing strategies.
Additionally, the management control system can become an early warning system for feeding back information to the strategic planning and control system. Alternatives to traditional management accounting are introduced but the main focus is on financial results control systems going from planning and budgeting models to balance scorecards.
Teaching methods: The course is taught with the use of many case studies and active class participation is required as well as effective communication skills in order to train for effectively applying management accounting practises outside the classroom in real life organizations.
The course's development of personal competences
The student will learn to integrate performance measurement, evaluation, and incentives as part of a management control system so as to be able to influence an organization to actions and behavior that will increase goal congruence and achievement of objectives. The course also deals with important management control roles and ethical issues faced by managers and employees.
Objectives:
  • Describe the theories and models that are taught in the course (as described in the course content and its elements)
  • Apply the theories and models of the course in case study settings by
  • Identifying and analyzing management accounting issues and management control issues
  • Evaluating management control systems and management accounting practices
  • Recommending courses of action for management with respect to their management accounting practices and control systems
Learning Objectives
After having completed the course the students should be able to:
  • Describe the theories and models that are taught in the course (as described in the course content and its elements)
  • Apply the theories and models of the course in case study settings by
  • Identifying and analyzing management accounting issues and management control issues
  • Evaluating management control systems and management accounting practices
  • Recommending courses of action for management with respect to their management accounting practices and control systems.
Type of examination, exam aids and assessment
The final exam is a 72-hour group project. The project can be maximum 10 pages in length and the group size should be 2 - 3 students. The project will be followed by an individual, 20 minutes oral exam, which takes its point of departure in the group project, but also natural relations to theory and models from syllabus. The individual assessment is based on a combined evaluation of the written group project and the individual oral exam.
No aids allowed at the oral exam
Recommended literature
  • Kenneth A. Merchant & Wim A. Van der Stede: Management Control Systems: Performance Measurement, Evaluation and Incentives; Second Edition, 2007; Prentice Hall, Pearson Education. Available at the Campus Book Store.
  • Kenneth A. Merchant: The Case Method of Instruction: Suggestions for Students; Pearson Education Limited, 2004. Available at SiteScape.
  • Dearden, John. 1987. Measuring Profit Center Managers. Harvard Business Review (Sept. Oct.): p. 84-88. Available through the CBS Library. A link will be provided at SiteScape.
  • Kaplan, Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton: The Balanced Scorecard – Measures That Drive Performance. Harvard Business Review, January-February 1992 (p. 71-79). Available through the CBS Library. A link will be provided at SiteScape.
  • Kaplan, Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton: Having Trouble with Your Strategy? Then Map It. Harvard Business Review, September-October 2000 (p. 167-176). Available through the CBS Library. A link will be provided at SiteScape.
  • Deechow, P.M, and D.J. Skinner. 2000. Earnings Management: Reconciling the Views of Accounting Academics, Practioners, and Regulators. Accounting Horizons 14(2): p.235-250. Available through the CBS Library. A link will be provided at SiteScape.
Other
Home assignments: In order to sit for the final examination, the student may be required to have passed at least one obligatory assignment.

Last updated by The Electives Office 14/11/2009