Business decisions require accounting information. This course examines the analysis and interpretation of general- purpose financial statements. It assesses financing and investment decisions and covers the role of accounting information to support planning and control.
Basic principles and concepts of accounting that underlie the production of information for internal and external reporting. This course provides the technical platform for second year courses in financial and management accounting, finance, and accounting information systems.
People who understand the basic principles of finance are likely to get much more mileage out of their money – whether spending, borrowing, saving or investing – than those who do not. Develop an understanding of how to be in control of spending and saving; understand borrowing; make informed investment decisions; know broadly what to insure and what not to; recognise scams and consider whether money is the key to happiness.
Develops an understanding of factors influencing the development of New Zealand International Financial Reporting Standards (NZ IFRS). Applies a selection of NZ IFRS including accounting for leases, accounting for business combinations, and preparing group financial statements.
Budgets and standards, costing systems, cost information for decision-making and control, performance appraisal, and contemporary related issues.
Encompasses the development and distribution of economic information about organisations for internal and external decision-making. Major themes include: objectives and procedures of internal control, the database approach to data management, data modelling, typical business documents and reports and proper system documentation through data flow diagrams and flowcharts.
Explanatory and prescriptive theories of accounting provide the context for an examination of the determinants of financial reporting practice in New Zealand with special reference to accounting for pensions, foreign currency, deferred tax and financial instruments. Issues in international accounting and professional ethics are also addressed.
An introduction to the audit of financial statements. The objective of an audit is to add credibility to the information contained in the financial statements. Emphasises the auditor's process in determining the nature and amount of evidence necessary to support management's assertions and providing a report expressing the auditor's opinion on the fair presentation of the client's financial statements.
A study of the design of revenue and cost management systems to facilitate strategic decisions. This includes activity-based costing and activity-based management. The learning environment is student-centred with the seminar leader's role being that of facilitator rather than lecturer. Students work not only as individuals but also in teams. The learning environment is a combination of lectures, case studies and related readings.
The design of performance measurement frameworks such as the Balanced Scorecard incorporating strategy maps and alignment principles. Methods of performance analysis will cover ratios, weighting systems and Data Envelopment Analysis. Evaluation principles and methods will include internal audit perspectives around project and programme evaluation, cost-benefit analysis, randomised control tests and value-for-money.
Revenue management concepts and techniques and their support by cost management systems are studied with particular reference to service organisations. The range of services encompasses both private and public sector organisations. Components include: yield management, pricing, linear programming, project management, valuation principles and methodologies.
How is financial statement information used to evaluate a firm's performance, risk and value? An opportunity to examine this question and to gain experience in evaluating performance, assessing risk and estimating value.
The theory and application of modern research methods in accounting. The content will include the philosophy, process and design of scientific research. Prior knowledge of basic statistical techniques is assumed.
An introduction to the economic literatures relating to property rights, transaction cost economics, and agency theory. Application of these notions to the way in which organisations are structured. Identification of why some transactions are internalised and some are undertaken through markets. The application of these ideas to financial and managerial accounting.
Provides an overview and application of contemporary theories and research practices in a chosen accounting specialist field through an independently authored and presented research project.
Investigates key research and practical issues in forensic accounting and fraud auditing. Identifies and examines critical components of the financial and legal landscape, aimed at detecting, preventing, and investigating financial fraud and misconduct.
Examines the theoretical and empirical literature on sustainability accounting, including social and environmental reporting, assurance, and internal accounting to support external reporting.
A study of the contracting-cost theories of accounting policy choice and the related empirical literature. It focuses on agency and efficient contracting explanations for accounting choice. In particular, the course explores and Economics 864 the role of accounting in contracts between parties to the firm (e.g., manager, shareholders, debtholders, customers etc). The political process is also analysed to determine the impact on accounting policy choice. Incentives for managers to manipulate earnings under various economic settings are examined and the implications of this behaviour for accounting policy makers are analysed.
An examination of the theoretical and empirical literature relating to the demand and supply of auditing, theoretical support for auditing activity, measures of audit quality and related topics.
Provides an insight into the theoretical and empirical literature relating to management planning and control in private and public sector organisations. Explores the relationship between strategy, organisation design, and performance measurement and evaluation.
An examination of revenue and cost management arising from changes in competitive environments. Includes recent research on the design of revenue and cost management systems including developments such as theory of constraints in manufacturing, service and public sector organisations.
An applied practical opportunity for students to work with a New Zealand or international business or organisation in a consulting capacity to apply their advanced disciplinary knowledge and to develop research-informed strategic recommendations for a client.
The study of issues in evaluating accounting information and the use of accounting information by investors and analysts. This includes the examination of the empirical relationship between accounting earnings and share prices and the relationship between financial statement analysis and market efficiency. Perceived market failures will be analysed.
Reporting Examines the theoretical and empirical literature on the role of sustainability accounting and integrated reporting and the determinants for the supply and demand for non- financial reporting and how this has evolved over time.
Productivity and efficiency are core fundamentals across the spectrum encompassing individuals, organisations and economies. This course provides a theoretical structure for efficiency and productivity measurement and examines empirical models for estimating efficiency and productivity and analysing their underlying determinants.