200821 Financial Reports for Decision Making

Learning Guide Quarter 2, 2018

 HOW TO USE THIS LEARNING GUIDE

ICON KEY This learning guide supplements the unit outline and is designed to help you navigate
through the unit. It will help you focus on what you need to do for classes and the
 Activity various assessment tasks. You should consult the relevant section of the learning guide
 Checklist as you plan your study – it will highlight the main things that you should be getting out of
the resources available and provide guidance on teaching activities and class
 Deadline preparation.
 Handout The learning guide also offers some study tips to assist you in developing the skills and
 Hint techniques of an effective learner at university level. In addition to acquiring information
and skills relevant to this unit, you should also focus on developing the habits and tools
 Important of a successful university student. As an adult learner you need to take control of your
information own learning and ensure your own success. This learning guide is specifically designed
 Online to help you achieve this.
activity A standard set of icons is used throughout the learning guide to make navigation easier.
 Reading Use the icons to quickly identify important information, things you need to do and hints
for doing them.
 Toolkit
 Warning

© Copyright: Western Sydney University, 2016. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written
permission from the Dean of the School of Business. Copyright for acknowledged materials reproduced herein is retained by the copyright
holder. All readings in this publication are copied under licence in accordance with Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968.
 200821 FINANCIAL REPORTS FOR DECISION MAKING
QUARTER 2 2018| CONTENTS

Contents
UNIT INFORMATION 1
Contacts 1
An introduction to this unit 1
Credit points 1
Textbook requirements 1
Special requirements 1
Student feedback 1
ASSESSMENT INFORMATION 2
Learning outcomes 2
Assessment summary 2
Assessment 1: Group assignment - Case study
(20%) 3
Overview 3
Details 3
Assessment 2: Mid-semester examination (30%)4
Overview 4
Details 4
Marking criteria and standards 4
Assessment 3: Final examination (50%) 4
Overview 4
Marking criteria and standards 5
General assessment requirements 5
TEACHING ACTIVITIES 7
Schedule of activities 7
LEARNING RESOURCES 8
Overview of learning resources 8
Referencing requirements 8
YOU AND THIS UNIT 9
What is expected of you 9
What you can expect from the teaching team 11
Policy and how it affects you 11
Raising concerns 11
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Unit information
Contacts
Below is a list of contacts for this unit. Please liaise directly with your lecturer or unit coordinator regarding
appropriate consultation times. It is usually best to make contact with these staff via email.

Unit Coordinator Mr. Chor Ghee Lim and Dr. Nguyen Phong Nguyen

Email:
Phone: TBA limchorghee@gmail.com
nguyen.nguyen@isb.edu.vn
Ms. My Tran
UEH-ISB Office
Administration 17 Pham Ngoc Thach street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: 093 903 0771 Email: my.tran@isb.edu.vn

An introduction to this unit

This unit focuses on developing the ability to use accounting information, as extracted from financial
reports, to assist with managerial decision making. Students will gain financial literacy through developing
an understanding of the information contained in financial reports and applying this information to practical
decisions. This unit emphasizes the function of both financial and management accounting in measuring,
processing and communicating information useful for decision making.

Credit points
10

Textbook requirements
Birt, J., Chalmers, K., Byrne, S., Brooks, A., Oliver, J. 2014, Accounting business reporting for decision
making, 5th Edition, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Milton, QLD

Special requirements
Not applicable.

Student feedback
Student feedback plays a vital role in improving the quality and educational effectiveness of Western
Sydney units and in ensuring academic staff keep in touch with student needs. On the end date of the unit
you will be given the opportunity to complete a Student Feedback on Teaching and Unit questionnaire to
provide feedback for individual teaching staff and to assess the unit.

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Assessment information

Learning outcomes
Financial Reports for Decision Making is a core unit for course 2761 MBA. This unit focuses on
developing the ability to use accounting information, as extracted from financial reports, to assist with
managerial decision making. Students will gain financial literacy through developing an understanding of
the information contained in financial reports and applying this information to practical decisions. This unit
emphasizes the function of both financial and management accounting in measuring, processing and
communicating information useful for decision making.
The table below outlines the learning outcomes for this unit. Upon completion of this unit, students will be
able to:

1. Interpret the basic terms and conce pts of both financial accounting and
management accounting enabling interpretation of information in financial
reports.

2. Identify the role and limitations of general purpose financial statements in

providing information for decision making.

3. Use financial analysis tools to evaluate external financial reports for

performance, position and working capital requirements.

4. Apply cost behavior concepts and various costing systems to decision making.

5. Demonstrate an understanding of the significance of budgets for planning and

control.

6. Analyse internal accounting reports for performance evaluation

Assessment summary

ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT ITEM AND DUE DATE LEARNING VALUE

NUMBER OUTCOMES (/100)

1. Group assignment (case study)

1-3 20%
Due: 16 June 2018

2. Mid-semester examination (1.5 hours, closed-book, an

A4 cheat sheet with student’s hand writing is allowed) 1-3 30%
Due: 10 June 2018

3. Final examination (2 hours) (closed-book, an A4 cheat

sheet with student’s hand writing is allowed) 4-6 50%
Due: 16 June 2018

Note: Before you receive your results for each piece of assessment they may be moderated.
Moderation is a process whereby the unit coordinator regulates the marking of individual markers to

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achieve consistency in the application of unit objectives, performance standards and marking criteria.
Marks for an individual piece of assessment will not be changed after you have your mark or grade. You
should note that, consistent with the Criteria and Standards Based Assessment policy, the final marks for
the cohort may be also adjusted if results are very high or low or there are inconsistencies between
groups.

Note: To successfully complete this unit, students must:

 Achieve a minimum of 50 marks.
 Complete all assessment items (including making a satisfactory contribution to group work).

Assessment 1: Group assignment - Case study (20%)

Overview
 Due: On the mid-term exam date (10 June 2018)

Details
 This assignment is worth 20% of the whole course mark. You are required to work in
groups of 4 to 6 candidates per group.
 Select a Public Listed Company in Vietnam and undertake the following:
Part A. Trend analysis of working capital using line chart (from 2015 to 2017) – include
at least Sales, COGS, Gross Profit, Net Profit, Cash, Trade Payables, Trade
Receivables and Inventory in your analysis
Part B. Ratio analysis to determine:
o Market performance
o Profitability
o Efficiency
o Liquidity
o Capital structure
 Present your analysis in class (as a group) on the stipulated date. Each group shall
present for about 30 minutes followed by Question & Answer session for 10 minutes.
 Submit the Powerpoint slides and a financial analysis report on or before the group
assignment due date.
 The financial analysis report shall contain the following:
1. An analysis of the information contained in the audited financial statements of the
company, commenting on the strengths and weaknesses of the company by
applying ratio analysis in the categories listed above; and
2. Recommendations for improving the business of the company based on the
analysis.
 Please include most of the ratio calculations in an appendix instead of the body of the
report, which shall contain the selection of major ratios, the results and implications of
the ratios. The appendix must be provided in a concise and clear format to allow easy
reference. You should be selective in the major ratios analyzed, and do not attempt to
calculate all the ratios included in the textbook. Marks shall be principally given for the
quality of your analysis, and not the comprehensiveness of the ratios covered.
 The total number of words in the report should be about 2,000 words (excl uding the
cover page, table of contents, list of reference and appendices).
 Students are required to submit the hard copy of the report to the exam proctor before
the midterm exam starts and also submit the soft copy of the report to the E -learning
system by the deadline.

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Assessment 2: Mid-semester examination (30%)

Overview
 The aim of this examination is to test the students’ overall level of understanding of the concepts
and knowledge of Financial Reports for Decision Making. The mid-semester exam will consist of a
range of questions designed to assess learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3 of the unit.

Details

Length 90 minutes (including reading time)

Time/date On 16 June 2018

Venue In class

Contents It will cover Learning Outcomes 1 to 3.

This will be a closed-book exam, however, an A4 cheat sheet with the student’s hand
writing is allowed to be used in the exam room. The test will comprise multiple choice
Format
questions, calculation questions and descriptive short answer practical problems similar
in nature to seminar discussion questions. Non-programmable calculators are allowed.

There will be no supplementary mid-term exam. Students who miss the mid-term exam
Requirements because of valid medical or other personal reasons students should complete a Special
for non- Consideration Application. A student whose request for special consideration is approved
attendance will have the weighting of his/her final exam increased on a pro rata basis to account for
the missed mid-term exam.

Marking criteria and standards

Marks for each question and each part of question will be shown in the question paper.
Full marks will be awarded for complete correct answers, supported by essential
Criteria
calculations and explanations where necessary. Marks may be deducted for untidy,
illegible or incomplete answers.

Assessment 3: Final examination (50%)

Overview
The aim of this examination is to test the students’ ability to ethically use accounting information for
costing, decision making, planning and control. The final exam will consist of a range of questions
designed to assess learning outcomes 4, 5 and 6 of the unit (sessions 7-10 inclusive)

Two hours (closed-book, however, an A4 cheat sheet with the student’s hand writing is
Length
allowed to be used in the exam room)

The exam will comprise short answer, and practical problems similar in nature to those
Format
completed in seminars. Non-programmable calculators are allowed.

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Marking criteria and standards

Marks for each question and each part of question will be shown in the question paper.
Full marks will be awarded for complete correct answers, supported by essential
Criteria
calculations and explanations where necessary. Marks may be deducted for untidy,
illegible or incomplete answers.

Note: This assessment task introduces course learning outcome 4 criteria 1 (numeracy) as follows:

Course
Apply numeracy and information literacy skills to make informed decisions for Business
learning
situations.
outcome 4

General assessment requirements

Assignment cover sheet
All assignments, apart from the presentation, are to be submitted in hardcopy and online with
an Assignment Cover sheet required. Students should be aware that in su bmitting their work
via Elearning, they are confirming that their submission is their own work. Any incidents of
academic misconduct will be based on the acceptance of this condition.
 Note: Assignment cover sheets can be located on E -learning site
(http://elearning.westernsydney.edu.vn). Students are to keep a copy of all assignments
submitted for marking.

Group work requirements

Group assignments are to be submitted with a Group Assignment Cover Sheet as well as a
Student Evaluation of Group Member Participation Form. Non-contributing team members can
sometimes be an issue with group-work structured assessment. Individual student group work
scores may be adjusted as a result of peer dissatisfaction with a particular student’s
contribution to group work assignments, as reflected in submissions of the evaluation form.
 Note: Group assignment cover sheets and the evaluation form can be located on E -
learning site (http://elearning.westernsydney.edu.vn). Students are to keep a copy of all
assignments submitted for marking.

Late submission
A student who submits a late assessment will be penalised by 10 per cent per day up to 10
days i.e. marks equal to 10 per cent of the assignment’s worth will be deducted as a “flat rate”
from the mark awarded. For example, for an assignment with a possible highest mark of 50,
the student’s awarded mark will have five marks deducted per late day. Saturday and Sunday
count as one day each. Assessments will not be accepted after the marked assessment task
has been returned to students who submitted the task on time except where compulsory items
of assessment must be submitted.
An assessment submitted at any time after the due time on the due date will be deemed to be
a late submission and late submission penalties will accrue imme diately from the due time and
date.

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Extension of due date for submission

Requests for extensions, with evidence of extenuating circumstances, may be submitted
before, on or up to two days after (by 5.00pm) the due date of an assessment. A student may
apply for an extension of the due date for an assessment task if extenuating c ircumstances
outside their control, and sufficiently grave in nature or duration, cause significant disruption to
their capacity to study effectively. Applications should be submitted with supporting
documentation, to the Unit Coordinator or other designat ed staff member (with a copy to the
lecturer). If a late application is not approved the late penalty will apply from the due date.
Guidelines for Students – Assignment Extensions is available at:
policies.westernsydney.edu.au/view.associated.php?id=00227

Special Consideration
Special Consideration may be given to students whose performance during the teaching
session, in an assignment or in an exam has been affected by serious misadve nture, accident
or extenuating circumstances beyond their control. Applying for and receiving special
consideration means that those circumstances are taken into account when we calculate your
grade. Students can apply for all types of Special Consideratio n online using the Special
Consideration & Deferred Exam eForm. All applications for Special Consideration must contain
appropriate supporting documentation to substantiate the circumstances that are impacting on
your studies. Applications without supporting documentation will not be considered.

The Special Consideration policy can be found at: policies.westernsydney.edu.au.

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Teaching activities

Schedule of activities

SESSION PROGRAM SCHEDULE REQUIRED READING

19 May 2018 Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis Chapter 10

20 May 2018 Costing and Pricing in an Entity Income Chapter 11

20 May 2018 Budgeting Chapter 9

26 May 2018 Balance Sheet Chapter 5

27 May 2018 Income Statement & Changes in Equity Chapter 6

27 May 2018 Cash Flow Statements Chapter 7

02 June 2018 Analysis & Interpretation of Financial Statements Chapter 8

Analysis & Interpretation of Financial Statements

03 June 2018 Chapter 8
(Cont) – GROUP PRESENTATION

03 June 2018 Financing the Business Chapter 13

Performance Measurement
09 June 2018 Chapter 14
Examination Review

10 June 2018 MID TERM TEST

FINAL EXAMINATION
16 June 2018
GROUP ASSIGNMENT DUE

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Learning resources
Overview of learning resources
Birt, J., Chalmers, K., Byrne, S., Brooks, A., Oliver, J. 201 4, Accounting
Prescribed
Textbook business reporting for decision making, 5 th Edition, John Wiley & Sons
Australia, Milton, QLD
Recommended Available on the e-learning site.
readings

Additional
resources or
materials

Referencing requirements
Student assignments are to contain original content created by the students. Assignments will be rejected
if they include plagiarised content or contain excessive amounts of quoted/cited material and minimal
original content. Students will receive a grade of ZERO (0%) for any assignments rejected for this reason.
Written assignments WILL BE RANDOMLY checked by the lecturer with Turnitin.com, an online
plagiarism-checking tool.

Furthermore, your reference to support your statements must be from a reliable source, such as
textbooks, additional reading materials, and reference books. However, many websites are not reliable
sources. Examples are Wikipedia.org, about.com, and ask.com. If you are not sure if a reference is
acceptable or not, please contact the lecturer.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) 6th ed., will serve as the
primary reference materials for all students. Therefore, all papers must be submitted in APA format. The
mechanics of student papers and work will be evaluated, as well as the content. It is imperative that
guidelines be reviewed before an assignment is begun. It is also important that the required submission
format be followed in compiling the final paper or assignment.

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You and this unit

What is expected of you

Workload
In order to optimise the value of your learning, it is strongly advised that you prepare before
each session, enthusiastically participate in each session, and then reflect on each session.
The amount of time spent out of class will vary for each individua l, depending on competencies
and proficiency in any area. An average of 10 hours per week is recommended to gain value in
the completion of your studies. Effective learning requires interaction between you, your
instructor, and your peers.
The better prepared you are before each session the greater the learning value due to more
focused questions and discussions. In addition, reflecting on what you have learned is an
important process for you to confidently apply your newly learned skills.
Therefore, in order to gain the most learning value from the synergistic relationship between
your support materials and your specific unit material it is highly recommended you follow
these steps for each session:
Before each Read the support materials, notes and answer any given questions or
session problems.
Pre-read your instructor’s lecture notes for more detailed comprehension.
Follow any other learning leads from your Instructor including the Elearning
site.
During each Enthusiastically participate in the “activities” guided by your instructor.
session Contribute to each session with focused questions and discussions.
Attempt any questions and problems shown in your session.
Identify clearly what you know and what you don’t know.
Ask your instructor about any questions or problems from this or any
session.
After each Attempt any questions and problems advised by your instructor.
session Reflect in action (while doing these questions and problems).
Review the worked solutions to questions and problems .
Reflect on action (after you have done these questions and problems).
Identify clearly what you know and what you don’t know.

Attendance
It is recommended that students attend all scheduled classes in order to succeed in this unit.
UEH-ISB policy requires students to enter electronic finger print before entering the classes. Class
attendance is compulsory and students should provide reasons for the failure to attend the class on
a particular lecture/workshop session. Students are required to attend a minimum of 80% of all
classes in order to secure class participation marks. Please let your lecturer and/or UEH -ISB know
if you are unable to attend any session.
Arriving to class late by 15 minutes at the beginning, arriving late by 5 minutes after the break, or
leaving prior to the scheduled end time without the permission of the lecturer will equate to an
absence. Grade reductions for the unit will be assessed when final grades are assigned if the
above absence rule is violated during the unit.

Student responsibilities and conduct

Student Familiarise yourself with University policies on assessment and

responsibilities examinations. Ensure that you understand the requirements, including
timetables, for examinations and other assessments tasks.

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Ensure you read and understand the assessment requirements and note the
submission dates, and seek assistance from the lecturer and/or unit
coordinator when needed.
Notify relevant staff (e.g. lecturer, unit coordinator, disability adviser) as
soon as possible prior to, or at the beginning of, the semester to
accommodate special requirements.
Submit individual and unassisted assessment work, except as otherwise
permitted. Cheating, plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data will be
severely dealt with.
Behave ethically and appropriately, avoiding any action or behaviour which
would unfairly disadvantage or advantage another student. Where group
work is assigned, ensure that every group member has the opportunity to
contribute in a meaningful way.
Student Attend all lectures and tutorials – failure to attend is often the main cause
conduct and for low final grades.
behaviour Respect the needs of other students who are participating in any class
activities.
Pay attention in lectures and tutorials – these provide key information for all
examinable material.
Do not use mobile phones during the lecture and tutorials and do not have
ongoing conversations with fellow students during the lecture or if another
student is presenting work in the tutorials.
Please use electronic devices for taking notes only, not surfing the net or
checking email.
Use Elearning discussion boards constructively – they are there for
interaction between the students and between teaching staff and the
students. Unfounded criticisms will be removed from the relevant discussion
board.
If issues arise with other students, or teaching staff, please see the unit
coordinator in the first instance rather than broadcasting your concerns in a
public forum.

Email etiquette
Your teachers receive many emails each day. In order to enable them to respond to your
emails appropriately and in a timely fashion, students are asked to follow basic requirements
of professional communication. Firstly, all emails should have a concise and descriptive title,
including the class and name of the unit you are enquiring about as your teacher may be
teaching more than one unit/class. Students need to be clear about the intention of their
emails, use appropriate tone and language, proof -read what is written in the email before
sending it. Students should also allow 3-4 working days for a response before following up. If
the matter is legitimately urgent, you may indicate this in the email subject header but be sure
that the email does require an immediate response before using this strategy. If your email
request is complex and requires a lengthy response it may be probably best to make an
appointment with your teacher to meet in person.

Disability support services

Students with disabilities are advised that accommodations and services are available at UEH-
ISB. It is the student's responsibility to contact UEH -ISB office and submit appropriate
documentation prior to receiving such services.

Additional information

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This unit guide may be revised at the discretion of the Unit Coordinator with approval from
Program Academic Director and School Academic Committee where appropriate.

What you can expect from the teaching team

Academic staff carry out their teaching responsibilities under the authority of the Dean of the
School of Business.
Assess students’ work fairly, objectively and consistently and when in doubt
Staff
consult with the unit coordinator or Director of Academic Pr ogram.
responsibilities
Provide students with appropriate, helpful and explanatory feedback on all
work submitted for assessment.
Make reasonable accommodation (e.g. length of time to complete) in
assessment tasks and examinations for students with special requirements
and to seek assistance from the Disability Advisor and Counsellor where
appropriate and needed.
Ensure deadlines for the submission of examination papers to the Academic
Registrar are met.
Immediately report to the unit coordinator any instances of student c heating,
collusion and/or plagiarism.
Act in good faith and with honesty, integrity, transparency and impartiality .
Staff code of
Act with diligence and responsiveness and treat other University members
conduct
with fairness, respect and courtesy and with out discrimination or harassment.
Foster and protect the reputation of the University .
Carry out duties as best you can within your delegated authority, constantly
enhancing your professional knowledge .
Be accountable for all actions and decisions, providi ng documentation and
sound reasons for them.
Not act in a manner that inhibits another person from fulfilling the
requirements of their position.
Respect the confidentiality of entrusted information .
Be alert to issues of conflict of interest and take action to declare and avoid
them.
Use University resources properly and in accordance with work health and
safety obligations.
Report all fraud and corrupt conduct.

Policy and how it affects you

The University has a number of policies that relate to teach ing and learning. It is important that
you understand how these may affect you and your studies. These policies can be located
online at policies.westernsydney.edu.au/.
In particular, it is essential that you are familiar with the student misconduct rule and how to
avoid misconduct of any type. Breaches of this policy can have very serious consequences.
Your lecturers can help you with referencing and academic writing and plagiarism. If you are
unsure about any of your work, you should also ask your tutor or lecturer for advice and
feedback.

Raising concerns
If you have a concern about this unit please contact your lecturer or tutor in the first instance.
If the matter is not resolved, then you may contact the Unit Administration (see inside front
cover). If you would prefer to speak to someone else, you are advised to contact the Academic
Program Director to investigate and to respond to you.

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