Accounting Synoptic: Assignment 1

Aim of the assignment

This first assignment is designed to build on your knowledge of a topic which should be familiar to you from your earlier studies.  You will need to carry out independent research and a literature review to develop this knowledge further.  In order to answer the following questions you are expected to use a wide range of resources including books, journals, electronic databases and internet sources.  You may use text books to gain an introduction to addressing the topic and questions but should not use or cite them in your final essay.  In your final essay you should use only independently researched articles from high quality academic and professional sources.

We recommend that you use the articles listed below and select further sources from your research.  This will involve evaluating a wide range of sources to select those which you judge to be most appropriate.  You should limit your final selection to a maximum of 12 articles in total (including articles from the recommended reading list).

Learning Outcomes

This is designed to meet the following learning outcomes:

1. Critically review various accounting techniques and concepts, introduced in prerequisite modules, through self-directed research

• Evaluate the implications of  accounting practice, recognising its limitations, in a broader social and economic context

      6. Express complex arguments logically, using supporting analysis and

          evaluation with reference to current developments in accounting

Title of the assignment

What contribution has Strategic Management Accounting made to 21^st century management accounting?

Required:

In addressing this question, you should consider the following questions:

What are the defining characteristics of ‘Strategic Management Accounting’ (SMA)?

To which management accounting techniques do they apply and why?

What contribution has SMA and the techniques you have identified contributed to modern management accounting? You should discuss two SMA techniques in detail.

Submission and deadlines

Your assignment should be a maximum of 2,000 words long.  This word count limit includes the body of your essay and in text citations but excludes your title page, contents page and list of references.  Use the format specified in the module guide.

This assignment carries 20% of the available marks for this module.  The sample feedback sheet shows the marking criteria which are described in further detail in the module guide.

Your assignment should comprise one word document with a filename in the format 12345678-synoptic1 (where 12345678 is your student number).  You must upload your assignment document to the turnitin drop box on the module’s moodle site before the deadline.  Your assignment will be marked anonymously.  Do not include your name in the filename or anywhere in the document.