Emerging issues in accounting and finance

Module Title:

Emerging Issues in Accounting and Finance

Module Code:

6BUS1209

Assignment Format & Maximum Word count

An INDIVIDUAL Essay, 1,800 words +/- 10%

Assignment Weighting:

75%

Module leader

First marker

Seminar Tutors

Internal Moderator

Module Board name

AFE

Detailed Brief for Individual Essay

Assignment Title: The critical evaluation of an emerging issue in accounting and finance.

Description of the assignment:

Each student is required to prepare and submit an individual essay, with a 1,800 word count (+/- 10%) that meets the requirements of the following assignment brief.

Historically, producing financial statements that users find useful has been a long-standing challenge around the world. To help meet this challenge the quality of the accounting standards that companies have to comply with has risen strongly since their introduction in the 1970’s. Despite this, there continues to be too many instances where published financial statements don’t help users get a reliable picture of what is happening in a business.  A fair conclusion to reach from all this must be that finding the solution to this problem is not the responsibility of the accounting profession as it has done all it can reasonably do.

Critically evaluate this statement and reach a conclusion.

Citation and Referencing:

Students will be expected to use a minimum of 12 references in their critique. These must be carefully chosen from academic journals and can include other reputable sources, such as reports produced by accounting firms and bodies and government departments. It is expected that students will use these cited resources to support the arguments they make when answering this question.

Feedback /Marking criteria for this Assignment

· Performance will be assessed using HBS Grading Criteria and Mark scheme below in appendix 1.

· Guidance for improvement will be given in writing on the Mark scheme within 4 weeks of submission.

· For each day or part day up to five days after the published deadline, coursework submitted late will have the numeric grade reduced by 10 grade points until or unless the numeric grade reaches 40. If a submission is more than 5 working days after the deadline, a grade of zero will be awarded.

· Please note that the submission time is BEFORE 5pm and late penalties will run from 1 second after 5pm. This is done automatically by studynet.

· Where the numeric grade awarded for the assessment is less than 40, no lateness penalty will be applied;

· Plagiarism offences will receive standard penalties.

Assessment Criteria

Available Marks

Presentation and Structure

This will include proper use of essay format and keeping to the word limit of 1,800 +/- 10%

Ensure your work looks professional and is easy for the marker to navigate and explore. Essays which are difficult to navigate and understand or which are in a confused structure will not score well. Make sure your work is written in a flowing style and ensure you use paragraphs, grammatical construction and punctuation properly. CASE can provide guidance if you are unsure. You must use a high standard of academic English throughout the work - avoid the use of casual or informal language or US spelling.

Your essay should be easy to read, without stopping and wondering how one point links to another. It may help for someone to read your essay to see how it flows or for you to read your essay aloud before submission.

10

Referencing

In-text citations and the reference list are complete and have been compiled in strict accordance with CASE Harvard.

5

Content

The ability to explore the topic and to demonstrate a good understanding of the topic which you have gained from an extensive range of appropriate research and reading. Ensure you perform sufficient research to fully understand the subject matter in depth rather than just a superficial level of knowledge. How you translate your reading into your own words will show to what extent you have understood what you have read. A minimum of 12 references would be considered appropriate – however, it is the quality of your research and not the quantity which is important. Do not use Wikipedia/Investopedia/uk essays etc.

25

Breadth / Depth / Integration of Literature

Give evidence that you have fully considered the question from all angles rather than having just jumped to a conclusion. (You must do this even if you do not agree with the other viewpoint)

You must not only discuss whether or not the accounting profession as it has done all it can reasonably do to make sure that financial statements are reliable, but you will also need to consider examples to support this. You will also need to consider whether the problems lie in other areas such as auditing or regulation of accountants. To score high in this area, you will need to show that you have looked at real business examples and IFRS and applied them to the question.

30

Analysis /Critical evaluation /Discussion /Exposition/Ability to draw together the arguments made to form a coherent conclusion

Marks are awarded here for how you have distinguished key points from those of lesser importance and how you have critically assessed the literature that you have used.

You need to reach a positive and clearly stated conclusion based on your research. Do not "sit on the fence". There is no "correct" conclusion and we need to see your personal conclusion which you need to support based on the research you have performed. If you do not include a very clear conclusion (along with the reasoning which has led you to that conclusion) then you will not score highly in this area.

30

Assessment Criteria

Learning Outcomes: Knowledge and Understanding tested in this assignment:

Successful students will typically:

1. analyse the way in which theory, practice and rules in accounting and finance are fit for purpose within the context of the economic, political and cultural environment of our society with specific application to any current controversial reporting issues;

2. link major accounting regulatory moves to unresolved issues which remain ongoing across the history of accounting and finance theory- i.e concepts such as measurement, judgement, independence, the nature of reality, behaviour, etc;

3. evaluate the position of accounting & finance in our society from a political and economic standpoint (i.e. the relationship between government, business, society and the accounting profession);

4. analyse the nature of the relationship between accounting & finance from a practical and theoretical

standpoint;

Learning Outcomes: Skills and Attributes tested in this assignment:

Successful students will typically:

5. use academic literature to build critical argument and analysis;

6. argue views on topical issues in an academic manner, using appropriate research, while showing their ability to develop an argument and communicate effectively;

7. advise regulatory bodies, or senior management or a professional body, having undertaken independent research and drawn conclusions;

Transformational Opportunities

Successful students will typically:

Use the literature to assist in their transition from taught student to student researcher.