Advanced Management Control: Course Outline (1/2)

Transcription

1 Advanced Management Control: Course Outline (1/2) Please, familiarize yourself with the articles, which will be discussed, before the lecture! Minimum: What is the purpose of the article? What are the main findings of the article (Especially abstract, introduction and conclusions) Good to know: What is the background of the article? How the research was executed? Lecture Key questions & approximate content of the lecture Working methods Sept 1 What are we going to do in AMC course?: Introduction, Otley (2008), Kihn (2007) Lecture Sept 3 (Thu) What kind of theoretical backgrounds are used in budgeting/ management control research?: Budgeting, guidelines for the term paper, Covaleski et al. (2003) Lecture Sept 8 Sept 10 (Thu) Sept 15 What kind of theoretical backgrounds are used in budgeting/ management control research?: Budgeting, guidelines for the term paper, Covaleski et al. (2003) Is budgeting dead? Do we need it in the present-day world? : Libby & Lindsay (2010) Is budgetary slack unethical?: Davila & Wouters (2005); How is budgeting evolving?: Henttu-Aho & Järvinen (2013); Groupwork Groupwork Lecture, small activities Groupwork

2 Advanced Management Control: Course Outline (2/2) Lecture Key questions & approximate content of the lecture Working methods Sept 17 (Thu) Sept 22 Sep 24 (Thu) Sep 29 Oct 1 (Thu) Oct 5 (Mon) Oct 6 Oct 13 Oct 15 What kind of issues affect transfer pricing?: Luft & Libby (1997), van Helden et al. (2001) What kind of issues affect international transfer pricing?: Case Big Time Accounting What kind of issues affect international transfer pricing?: Case Del Norte Paper Company How do transfer pricing related tax risks affect management control systems?: Plesner Rossing (2013) How should performance measures be chosen? What are the pros and cons of different measures? How to balance different measures?: Merchant (2006), Fizgerald (Ch 11) Performance measurement: What is value-based management? Does it necessarily lead to better performance?: Malmi & Ikäheimo (2003), Bouwens & Spekle (Ch 12) Perfomance measurement: What is Balanced Scorecard? Does it necessarily lead to better performance?: Nørreklit & Mitchell (Ch 9), Ax & Bjørnenak (2005) Perfomance evaluation: How do incentives affect group decision-making?: Kelly (2010) Budgeting, planning, performance measurement: Why do firms use budgets? Why do firms abandon budgets? What kind of alternatives are there?: Case Borealis Lecture, groupwork Lecture, groupwork Groupwork Groupwork Lecture, small activities Brainstorming in groups, lecture Lecture, Groupwork Group simulation, lecture Groupwork

3 Course requirements Exam (50%), Max 21p, acceptance level is 10p. Term paper (50%) Self-assessment (pass) Lectures/contact lessons are not compulsory, attendance and active participation gains you points for the exam: 11/14 attendance = 6/6p 10/14 attendance = 5/6p 9/14 attendance 4/6p 8/14 attendance 3/6p If you get caught at cheating at attendance register, you will lose all your points! 3 You may skip one 6p exam question if You attend lectures You think you will score better by attendance than by answering the question

4 To pass the exam you need to be familiar with the course readings Article collection (excluding Covaleski et al.) Three questions of which you select two (with attendance at lectures you only need to select one), maximum score is 6 points each. Issues in Management Accounting 3rd edition, Hopper, T.; Northcott, D. & Scapens, R (eds). Chapters 9 (BSC), 11 (Performance measurement), 12 (EVA) 1 question that you first define yourself and then answer: Note that to score excellent points, the question should show understanding of what you have read, and not merely your ability to memorize facts. Maximum score: 9 points. For more information, see next slide. 4

5 Criteria for the self-defined question 1-3 points /acceptable 4-6 points/good 7-9 points/excellent You have defined a question that is related to the mentioned material, but merely requires rote memory of items of information. You have provided a good answer to the aforementioned question. You have defined a question that is related to the mentioned material and shows that you have understood the message behind the material you use. You have provided a good answer to the aforementioned question. You have defined a question that is related to the mentioned material and (parts of) the course objectives. The question shows that you have understood the message behind the material you use and your answer to the question shows you have gained knowledge instead of mere pieces of information. You may get feedback on the self-defined question beforehand: Once you have defined a question you would like to use, you may return it to the return box in Optima ("Feedback on your intended exam question") and you will receive feedback on how many points you are able to score with such a question. You can also outline some of the issues you are intending to discuss in your answer (to explain what you mean). However, final answers are not going to be evaluated beforehand; you will only receive feedback on the question. Return the question well in time before the exam that you are going to take to ensure that you will get the feedback in time! 5

6 Taking the exam At normal examinations (dates will be announced later) In Examinarium The exam can be taken between and in a date and time that you choose Room: TL 102 Guidelines in English: In Finnish: NO SHOW in Examinarium is not acceptable!

7 Miscellaneous In the exam you may answer in English or in Finnish Basic dictionary is NOT allowed in the exam (this is because the possibility to do the exam in examinarium) If you have done the term paper in the previous years, it is still valid. If you have the attendance points from 2015, it is still valid. If your attendance points are from earlier years, then please discuss their validity with the teacher, because of the increase of contact lessons since 2015.

8 Term paper Two options, choose one: 1. Budgeting Analyze four given articles you can find in Optima in the folder "Term Paper" 2. One of the themes of the course (Budgeting, Transfer pricing, Performance measurement and evaluation) Select two scientific (journal) articles on the same theme, representing different perspectives on Covalevski et al. Analyze them. Select articles that are not included in the course material. General practicalities 8

9 Term paper Method: Work alone or in groups of about up to three people. If you work in a group you need to describe your division of work in a free form. Attach the description to your paper Language: You may write in English or in Finnish Content: Analyze the articles in the spirit of Covalevski et al. (2003). What kind of aspect of your theme are discussed? Which theoretical perspectives are used? How do the results of different articles complement each other or do they? Discuss what you learned from these articles and how the results could be applied in real business life. Present your own thoughts, not just summaries of the articles without any purpose. No copy-pasting! For page settings use the guidelines for writing a thesis (Section 4.6: page settings) Lenght: Total around 10 pages Deadline: General practicalities 9

10 Self-assessment Return it with the term paper Every group member writes an own assessment Everyone may also return it separately in Optima: Please write your name on the document! Briefly describe and assess your learning during the course What did you learn? What was left unclear? Why? What made your learning easier? What inhibited your learning? If the answer to this why-question includes feedback about the organization of the course that has affected your learning and you do not wish to give this feedback with your name on it, please give the feedback in Weboodi or in Optima s anonymous discussion! Assess your term paper with the help of the assessment criteria (see next page), giving your justifications General practicalities 10

11 Detailed assessment criteria for the term paper The analysis of the articles using Covaleski et al. (2003) is seamlessly integrated to writer s own thinking in terms of real-life implications. Conclusions based on the analysis reflect excellent understanding of the articles and the theme as a whole. Structure of the report is flawless. The paper is an integrated whole that is written in the author s own words without excessive summarizing. The writer presents both well-justified analysis through the viewpoints of Covaleski et al. (2003) and discussion on real-life implications. Conclusions based on the analysis reflect good understanding of the theme. The paper is an integrated whole. It makes good use of Covaleski et al. (2003) in the analysis with plausible justifications. The paper presents conclusions that reflect writer s own thinking about the real-life implications of the articles and the theme as a whole. The articles are summarized in own words. Own thinking also shows in other ways, but there are still deficiencies in terms of the use of Covaleski et al. (2003) in the analysis or presenting own ideas of real-life implications. The whole paper is somewhat integrated and its structure is clear. Meets the requirements of the term paper, but is merely a collection of summaries of the articles without integration. Covaleski et al. (2003) is utilized only superficially and analysis is thus lacking. The discussion on real-life implications is vague. 11 General practicalities