Management Accounting Research & Analysis-

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

Required: Write a short analysis based on the assignment details noted below. Your analysis should be approximately 1500 words.

Assignment details:

Select a newspaper / magazine article (written in English) which raises management accounting issues. The article must be written recently (after 1 December 2015) 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 lecturer if you are unsure whether a particular source is appropriate.

Your analysis should include:

1) Minutes of at least 3 meetings held by group. These minutes should include the process by which your group chose your article, including consideration of other articles which were not used. See below for details on meetings and minutes. It is suggested that each group member find one article each and then discuss and decide on the most appropriate one to use.

2) A reliable link and detailed reference to the article itself as well as consideration of the management accounting issues raised by the article, including any potential strengths/opportunities as well as any weaknesses / threats identified.

3) Suggested solutions / courses of action you would offer to the management (or other relevant stakeholders if appropriate) as to how the issues identified can be tackled or how the organisation concerned can improve its performance.

4) A presentation of 5-10 minutes to the class summarising your findings. The presentation is a collaborative effort, but part of the mark will be awarded on an individual basis (see marking guide below).

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.