Professor Wim A Van der Stede, A213

This course is intended for students on MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Law and Accounting, MSc Management (two-year) and MSc Management, Organisations and Governance. Other students may be admitted only with the agreement, in writing, of the MSc (Accounting) Course Tutor if they have sufficient academic background knowledge. This course cannot be taken in conjunction with AC410 Management Accounting, Strategy and Organisational Control.

This course aims to provide an advanced overview of current developments in thought and practice in the area of accounting, strategy and control. Particular emphasis is given to strategic and organisational aspects of control systems design.

Management control in decentralized organizations: organizational architecture; strategy formulation and implementation; results accountability. Planning and budgeting: translating strategy; financial target setting. Performance measurement, performance evaluation and incentive compensation systems. Control systems and organizational change.  International differences in management accounting and control. Strategy, organisation and control in global firms. Corporate governance and the roles of managers and financial executives in performance reporting. The ethics and economics of earnings and management practices.

Detailed choice of subjects will be determined by the lecturer on the course.

Ten two-hour lectures (AC411) and nine one-hour classes (AC411.A) MT.

A variety of types of assignments are given for class discussion including exercises and case studies. Two pieces of written work, or equivalent, are assessed.

Detailed reading lists will be given out at the start of each part of the course. Key reference: Merchant & Van der Stede, Management Control Systems: Performance Measurement, Evaluation and Incentives (Prentice Hall, 2007).

A one-and-a-half hour written examination in the ST.