Journal Article Critique

HOLMES INSTITUTE

FACULTY OF

HIGHER EDUCATION

Assessment Details and Submission Guidelines

Trimester T1 2020

Unit Code HI5017

Unit Title Managerial Accounting

Assessment

Type

Assignment

Assessment

Title

Individual Assignment

Purpose of the assessment (with ULO Mapping)

Students are required to develop their understanding of the purpose and use of management

accounting systems, and its usefulness in aiding managers make informed decisions. You are to

critically evaluate the literature (using journal articles) to analyse the practical use of

management accounting systems by contemporary companies, in terms of their relevance to

the decision-making by managers and achievement of business goals (ULO 1,2,3,4)

Weight 30% of the total assessments

Total Marks 30

Word limit Not more than 3,000 words. Please use “word count” and include in assignment.

Due Date Week 9 Sunday the 31st May at 11.59 p.m.

Submission

Guidelines

• All work must be submitted on Blackboard by the due date along with a completed Assignment Cover Page.

• The assignment must be in MS Word format, no spacing, 12-pt Arial font and 2 cm margins on all four sides of your page with appropriate section headings and page numbers.

• Reference sources must be cited in the text of the report, and listed appropriately at the end in a reference list using Harvard referencing style.

• It is the responsibility of the student who is submitting the work, to ensure that the work is in fact her/his own work. Incorporating another’s work or ideas into one’s own work without appropriate acknowledgement is an academic offence. Students should submit all assignments for plagiarism checking on Blackboard before final submission in the subject. For further details, please refer to the Unit Outline and Student Handbook.

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HI5017 MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT T1 2020

HI5017 MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT T1 2020

Individual Assignment Specifications Purpose: This assignment aims at developing your understanding of the purpose and use of management accounting systems, and its usefulness in aiding managers make informed decisions. You are to critically evaluate the literature (using journal articles) to analyse the practical use of management accounting systems by contemporary companies, in terms of their relevance to the decision-making by managers and achievement of business goals.

Assignment Task:

Journal Article Critique (30 Marks) You are required to conduct a literature search and discussion in this assignment.

You are to choose a peer reviewed journal article (from any country) on the:

-Use of Budgeting as a management technique for managing resources. The article should be published between 2010 – 2020. Choose your article only after you have accessed several relevant articles, and then choose the best articles that will answer the assignment question below.

Required: Critically evaluate the relevance and challenges of budgeting systems by answering the 5 questions below:

Questions:

1. Briefly discuss the budgeting process. (5 marks)

2. Based on your selected journal article, discuss citing examples whether the budgeting process satisfies

the purpose of planning, controlling and evaluating performance. (5 marks)

3. The two widely used practices in preparing budgets are ‘top down’ budgeting and ‘bottom up’

budgeting. Identify and explain the practice adopted by the organisation discussed in your selected

journal article and further explain the behavioural implications of adopted practice. (5 marks)

4. Based on your literature findings (above), critically evaluate the comment that ‘traditional budgeting practices are constraint on creativity, and the time and energy spent on budget formulation is better spent elsewhere’.

5. Based on your literature findings (above), would you recommend budgeting for contemporary organisations for planning and control purpose? Explain (5 marks)

Additional Information:

a) You are encouraged to choose the journal article from the following Accounting and Management

Accounting Journals:

Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal;

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HI5017 MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT T1 2020

Journal of Management Accounting Research

Journal of Applied Management Accounting Research

b) You can access these journals in ProQuest Database by clicking on the above links. Log in details for

ProQuest are - Username: Holmes2004; Password: Holmes. These journals can also be accessed via the

ProQuest Database link available via the Student Login page in the Holmes website. You can also use

Google Scholar. Don’t use Google.

c) No student can choose the same article as another student from the same class, else both students may

receive a zero mark, at the Lecturer’s discretion.

d) The journal article must be uploaded (as a separate PDF file) together with your assignment (as a MS

WORD file format) in Blackboard under the folder <Assignment>. 5 marks will be deducted if you do not

submit the articles with your assignment.

Assignment Structure:

The report should include the following components: a. Assignment cover page clearly stating your name and student number

b. Abstract (one paragraph)

c. Table of contents

d. A brief introduction or overview of what the report is about.

e. Body of the assignment with appropriate section headings

f. Conclusion

g. List of References.

Marking Criteria

Marking Criteria Weighting

Journal Article Critique

1. Briefly discuss the purposes of budgeting process. (5 marks) 5%

2. Based on your selected journal article, discuss citing examples whether the

budgeting process satisfies the purpose of planning, controlling and evaluating

performance. (5 marks)

5%

3. The two widely used practices in preparing budgets are ‘top down’ budgeting

and ‘bottom up’ budgeting. Identify and explain the practice adopted by the

organisation discussed in your selected journal article and further explain the

behavioural implications of adopted practice. (5 marks)

5%

4. Based on your literature findings (above), critically evaluate the comment that ‘traditional budgeting practices are constraint on creativity, and the time and energy spent on budget formulation is better spent elsewhere’. (5 marks)

5%

5. Based on your literature findings (above), would you recommend the use of budgeting for contemporary organisations for planning and control purpose? Explain (5 marks)

5%

Overall Presentation of Assignment 5%

TOTAL Weight 30%

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HI5017 MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT T1 2020

Marking Rubric

Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

Journal Article Critique

Briefly discuss the

purposes of budgeting

process (5 marks)

(4.1 - 5 marks)

Present an

excellent

discussion of the

purposes of

budgeting

process.

(3.6 - 4 marks)

Present a very

good discussion

of the features of

budgeting

process.

(3.1 - 3.5 marks)

Present a good

discussion of the

features of

budgeting

process.

(2.1 – 3 marks)

Present a

reasonable

discussion of the

features of

budgeting

process.

(0 - 2 marks)

Unable to

explain the

features of

budgeting

process.

Based on your selected

journal article, discuss

citing examples whether

the budgeting process

satisfies the purpose of

planning, controlling and

evaluating performance.

(5 marks)

(4.1 - 5 marks)

Present an

excellent

discussion of the

relevance of

budgeting

process as a

planning,

control and

evaluation

system, with

examples

provided from

the organisation

discussed in the

selected journal

article

(3.6 - 4 marks)

Present a very

good discussion

of the relevance

of budgeting

process as a

planning, control

and evaluation

system, with

examples

provided from

the organisation

discussed in the

selected journal

(3.1 - 3.5 marks)

Present a good

discussion of the

relevance of

budgeting

process as a

planning, control

and evaluation

system, with

examples

provided from the

organisation

discussed in the

selected journal

(2.1 - 3 marks)

Present a

reasonable

discussion of the

relevance of

budgeting

process as a

planning,

control and

evaluation

system, with

examples

provided from

the organisation

discussed in the

selected journal

company.

(0 - 2 marks)

Unable to

explain the

relevance of

budgeting

process as a

planning, control

and evaluation

system, with

examples

provided from

the organisation

discussed in the

selected journal

The two widely used

practices in preparing

budgets are ‘top

down’ budgeting and

‘bottom up’

budgeting. Identify

and explain the

practice adopted by

the organisation

discussed in your

selected journal article

and further explain

the behavioural

implication of adopted

practice. (5 marks)

(4.1 - 5 marks) Clear, concise, compelling discussion of two practices. Clearly identifying the practice adopted by the organisation discussed in the selected journal and an excellent explanation of the behavioural implications of the adopted practice.

(3.6 - 4 marks) A very good discussion of two practices. Clearly identifying the practice adopted by the organisation discussed in the selected journal and very good explanation of the behavioural implications of the adopted practice.

(3.1 - 3.5 marks) A

good discussion

of two practices.

Clearly identifying

the practice

adopted by the

organisation

discussed in the

selected journal

but not able to

clearly explain the

behavioural

implications of

the adopted

practice.

(2.1 - 3 marks)

Adequate

discussion of two

practices. Clearly

identifying the

practice adopted

by the

organisation

discussed in the

selected journal

and limited

explanation the

behavioural

implications of

the adopted

practice.

(0 - 2 marks)

Unable to

present a proper

discussion of two

practices. Not

able to identify

the practice

adopted by the

organisation

discussed in the

selected journal.

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HI5017 MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT T1 2020

Based on your literature findings (above), critically evaluate the comment that ‘traditional budgeting practices are constraint on creativity, and the time and energy spent on budget formulation is better spent elsewhere’. (5 marks)

(4.1 - 5 marks)

Clear, concise,

compelling

discussion of

budgeting’s

relevance in

today’s

competitive and

uncertain

business

environment,

with examples

provided from

the article.

(3.6 - 4 marks)

Present a very

good discussion

of budgeting’s

relevance in

today’s

competitive and

uncertain

business

environment,

with examples

provided from

the article.

(3.1 - 3.5 marks)

Present a good

discussion of

budgeting’s

relevance in

today’s

competitive and

uncertain

business

environment,

with examples

provided from the

article.

(2.1 - 3 marks)

Present a

reasonable

discussion of

budgeting’s

relevance in

today’s

competitive and

uncertain

business

environment,

with examples

provided from

the article.

(0 – 2 marks)

Unable to explain

of target

budgeting’s

relevance in

today’s

competitive and

uncertain

business

environment

Based on your literature

findings (above), would

you recommend the use

of budgeting for

contemporary

organisations for planning

and control purpose?

Explain (5 marks)

(4.1 - 5 marks) Clear, concise, compelling recommendation of budgeting systems for contemporary organisations to use for planning and control purpose.

(3.6 - 4 marks) A very good recommendation of budgeting systems for contemporary organisations to use for planning and control purpose.

(3.1 - 3.5 marks)

A good

recommendation of budgeting systems for contemporary organisations to use for planning and control purpose.

(2.1 - 3 marks) An adequate recommendation of budgeting systems for contemporary organisations to use for planning and control purpose.

(0 – 2 marks) Unable to present proper recommendation of budgeting systems for contemporary organisations to use for planning and control purpose.

Overall Presentation (5

marks)

(4.1 - 5 marks) Include all elements and is very well presented. Writing flows clearly and sections are linked very effectively. Referencing is exemplary. English is used

very effectively

and error-free.

(3.6 - 4 marks)

Include all

elements and is

well presented.

Writing flows

clearly and

sections are

linked

effectively.

Referencing is of

a high standard.

English is used

effectively with

very few errors

present.

(3.1 - 3.5 marks) Include all elements and is generally presented appropriately. Writing mostly flows well and sections are linked. Referencing is in

accordance with

guidelines.

English is used

effectively with

few errors

present.

(2.1 - 3 marks) Include most elements and is adequately presented. Writing sometimes does not flow clearly leaving the paper to seem disjointed in areas. Referencing is

somewhat in

accordance with

guidelines. Basic

English is used

with some errors

present.

(0 - 2 marks)

Lack key

elements and is

poorly

presented.

Writing does not

flow clearly

leaving the

paper to seem

disjointed.

Referencing is

not in

accordance with

relevant

guidelines. Basic

English is used

with errors

present.

Total Marks (30) /30

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HI5017 MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT T1 2020