Management Accounting Assessment - Research & Analysis Teamwork

Assessment Description -

Learning Outcome - Analyse the issues or problems (in a given scenario) using management accounting techniques and tools, and formulate recommended solutions.

The Assignment is designed to test the following skills:

1. Your knowledge and ability to research the issues and apply information appropriately using judgement

2. Your communication skills and teamwork: team presentations and written: memo writing.

Assignment details -

Assume you work in a team of graduates for a large consulting firm. As part of your professional development, you have been asked to select a newspaper / magazine article (written in English) which raises management accounting problems regarding a specific organization, which require a solution. The article must be written recently (on or after 1 December 2017) and taken from an appropriate source, such as the Australian Financial Review, The Australian, The Wall Street Journal (US), Financial Times (UK) and Economist (UK). Other sources may also be suitable - please consult your manager (lecturer) if you are unsure whether a particular source is appropriate.

Analyse the issues raised by the article chosen and write a memorandum (a report format will not be marked) addressed to the board of directors of the organisation chosen. You then need to prepare a presentation that could be used to persuade the board of directors of that organisation to hire your consulting company's services. You should deliver the presentation as if the board of directors is your primary audience.

Your analysis should include:

1) A reliable link and reference to the article in order that the board can identify it.

2) Consideration of the management accounting issues raised by the article, including any potential strengths / opportunities as well as any weaknesses / threats identified.

3) Consideration of management accounting techniques or tools which lead to solutions / courses of action / lessons learned that you would offer to the board of directors as to how the issues identified can be tackled or how the organisation concerned can improve its performance.

4) Any other relevant matter that you believe will be of use to the board of directors.

A presentation of 7-10 minutes to the class (in week 11) summarising your findings is required. The presentation is a collaborative effort, but part of the mark will be awarded on an individual basis.

The library databases (in particular Proquest via MyAthens) are a source of newspaper and magazine articles for this assignment, but you can use other means also. Please consult with your lecturer / ASC for more details.

In-text referencing is not required - however please provide a reference list after the end of your memo. After the reference list, please also provide your team meetings agendas and minutes.

Team Meetings

The team should have a minimum of three meetings (the team may have as many meetings as they need to) and should maintain minutes of those meetings which should be included with the team assignment as an attachment. The minutes of meetings should (at the very least) contain -

1) Where and when the meeting was held

2) People present; absent; apologies

3) What was discussed, any disagreements/conflicts, points that were agreed on;

4) The follow up action relating to each member of the team;

5) Any other relevant matters, anything else that is significant to the successful completion of the assignment.

Attachment:- Assignment Files.rar