BACC 525 Project Guidelines

Fall 2016-2017
Assessment 30%
Introduction
One of the objectives of the course is to provide students with a forum that synthesizes
and integrates the information presented in class. The project primary aim is interpreting the
financial statements in terms of performance and managing business risks. These statements
are concise reports designed to summarize financial activities for specific periods. Owners and
managers can use financial statement analysis to evaluate the past and current financial
condition of their business, diagnose any existing financial problems, and forecast future
trends in the firms financial position.
Requirement
The project will be about analysing financial statements (Balance Sheet, Income
Statement, Retained Earnings and Statement of Cash Flows) for three consecutive years,
preparing a written analysis, and then presenting your findings and recommendations. The
team must follow financial statements technique analysis (Trend analysis, Common size FS
analysis, Percentage Change FS analysis and benchmarking), to see if the company is
performing according to management expectations. Moreover, students can also apply CVP
analysis to evaluate the companys operations. Furthermore, the team is required to evaluate
his findings according to the industry ratios.
The group will consist of maximum three students who will be working together and
must submit the project before the assigned deadline.

Content
The outline of the project must be as follows:
1. Acknowledgement
2. Abstract
3. Introduction
4. Objectives of the study
5. Literature review
6. Data Analysis
7. Fact Findings
8. Recommendations
9. Conclusion
10. Reference

Literature Review
A literature review is a part that evaluates the project information. The student
must define or identify the general topic, issue, or area of concern. Try to select a limited
number of ideas that are central to your project rather than trying to collect a large
number unrelated works. A literature review goes beyond the search for information and
includes the identification and articulation of relationships between the literature and
your field of research. A literature review also informs your reader about the theories
your study is based on and establishes the need for your investigation, typically by
identifying how it fills a gap in the knowledge accumulated about the subject area.

Development of the literature review requires four stages:

Problem formulationwhich topic or field is being examined and what are

its component issues?

Literature searchfinding materials relevant to the subject being explored

Data evaluationdetermining which literature makes a significant contribution

to the understanding of the topic

Analysis and interpretationdiscussing the findings and conclusions of

pertinent literature

References
Source
Journal

Example
Harlow, H. F. (1983). Fundamentals for preparing psychology journal
Articles. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, volume

Newspaper

55, pp.893-896.

Magazine
Book

Calfee, R. C., & Valencia, R. R. (1991). APA guide to preparing

manuscripts for journal publication. Washington, DC: American

Chapter in a Book

O'Neil,
J.
Egan, J.D.(1992).
Men's
and
women's
roleT.
Kernis,
M.M.,
H.,&
Cornell,
P., Sun,
C. R.,
Berry,
A., &gender
Harlow,
Psychological
Association.
journeys:
Metaphor
transition,
and transformation.
In B.
R.
(1993). There's
morefor
to healing,
self-esteem
than whether
it is high or low:
The

An entry in an

Wainrib
(Ed.),
Gender
issues
acrossInthe
lifenew
cycle
(pp. 107-123).
New
importance
of G.
stability
ofRelativity.
self-esteem.
Journal
ofencyclopaedia
Personality
and
Social
Bergmann,
P.
(1993).
The
Britannica

Encyclopaedia

York:
Springer.
Psychology,
65, 501-508).
1190-1204.
(volume
26, pp.
Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Interview

An interview is not considered recoverable data, so no reference to this

is provided in the reference list. You may, however, cite the interview
within the text as a personal communication.

Article with no

New drug appears to sharply cut risk of death from heart failure. (1993,

author or editor

July 15). The Washington Post, p. A12.

Example: J. Smith (personal communication, August 15, 2009)

named
Brochure

Calfee, R. C., & Valencia, R. R. (1991). APA guide to preparing

manuscripts for journal publication. Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association

Web page

Chou, L., McClintock, R., Moretti, F. & Nix, D. H. (1993.) Technology

and education: New wine in new bottles: Choosing pasts and imagining
educational futures. Retrieved August 24, 2000, from Columbia
University, Institute for Learning Technologies Web site:
http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/publications/papers/newwine1.html

Academic Integrity
Plagiarism, cheating, falsification sand multiple submissions is a violation of an academic
integrity policy. Penalties of this policy can include a grade penalty up to and including an F for
the course. The project must be submitted before December 23, 2016.

Project Grading
The project will constitute 30% of the course grade which will be distributed
according to the following scale.
The type of presentation is appropriate for the
topic and audience.
Information is presented in a logical sequence.

Presentation appropriately cites requisite number

of references.
Introduction is attention-getting, lays out the
problem well, and establishes a framework for the
rest of the presentation.

Technical terms are well-defined in language

Appropriate for the target audience.

Presentation contains accurate information.

10

Content

Material included is relevant to the overall

Message/purpose.

10

(45 points)

Appropriate amount of material is prepared

10

There is an obvious conclusion summarizing the

presentation.

Speaker maintains good eye contact with the

audience and is appropriately animated (e.g.,
gestures, moving around, etc.).

Speaker uses a clear, audible voice.

Delivery is poised, controlled, and smooth.

Good language skills and pronunciation are used.

Visual aids are well prepared, informative,

effective, and not distracting.

Length of presentation is within the assigned time

limits.

Information was well communicated.

10

Organization
(15 points)

Presentation
(40 points)

Score

Total Points

100