COURSE OUTLINE
MBA 503
MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING: FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
Spring 2015
Professor/Instructor:
Telephone:
Office:
Email:
Office Hours:
Classroom:
Gordon Holyer
250.753.3245 local 2539
Bld’g 250 R. 426
gordon.holyer@viu.ca
Monday & Wednesday,
14:00 – 16:00
Section S15N71
Tuesday
8:30 – 11:30
Building 250, Room 205
Section S15N72
Thursday
8:30 – 11:30
Building 250, Room 205
Vancouver Island University
Department of MBA Programs
Faculty of Management
MBA 503
MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING: FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
Table of Contents
Purpose of This Course Outline .......................................................................................................3
What Is a Learning Outcome? .........................................................................................................3
Course Description...........................................................................................................................3
Course Objectives ............................................................................................................................4
Learning Outcomes ..........................................................................................................................4
 Knowledge and Understanding
 Skills and Objectives
Reading List .....................................................................................................................................5
Grading Scheme ...............................................................................................................................5
Method of Evaluation ......................................................................................................................5
 Assignment
 Mid-term test
 Final exam
Standards and Academic Conduct ...................................................................................................6
Academic Misconduct .....................................................................................................................6
Referencing ......................................................................................................................................6
Schedule of Activities, Topics, Assignments and Readings ............................................................7
The Purpose of this Course Outline
The purpose of this course outline is to give you information about lecture details,
assignment details, contact details for teaching staff and information about
learning resources. The objective is to provide sufficient information to enable
you to study effectively and to assist you with planning the work involved in
assignments so you have adequate time to complete them. One of the functions of
this course outline is to help you plan your workload by giving you sufficient
information at the start of your studies.
It is important to realize that the course outline is just one mechanism to help you
with your studies and that you need to utilize the full range of support that is
available at Vancouver Island University. You need to read the Student
Handbook as well.
Your main lines of support are as follows:
 Course Professor/Instructor
 Director, MBA Programs
 Dean, Faculty of Management
What is a Learning Outcome?
You will note below that this course outline specifies “learning outcomes” for the
course. A learning outcome characterizes what it is that you are expected to have
learned at the end of the course, if you have successfully completed it. Learning
outcomes are specified in terms of what knowledge/understanding and skills you
will have acquired. This will then tell you beforehand what the course aims to
teach you and what it is you need to learn in order to succeed.
It is important to realize that the assignment for this course is designed to test
your achievement of the stated learning outcomes.
Course Description
Managers for any organization from small to large, local to international require
an understanding of financial and operational accounting techniques in order to
make effective decisions. This course will examine financial reporting issues and
operational accounting practices in the context of problem solving and decisionmaking in organizations.
Course Objectives
This course provides students with the knowledge of the financial reporting of an
organization and an understanding that financial statements are only one source of
information for managerial and investment decision making. Through case work
and the use of accounting information the student will investigate alternative
accounting methods, estimates and presentation to determine if the available
accounting information gives the information required for quality decision
making. Students will also understand the limitations of various accounting
information in a decision making scenario.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Successful students will have a knowledge and understanding of:
• the uses and limitations of accounting information for both external and internal users
including the effects of fraud and disclosure;
• how the use of alternative acceptable accounting methods affects the statements and
user decisions;
• alternative methods of valuation, estimates and measurement and alternative ownership
structures;
• the audit process and an understanding of assurance products;
• international financial reporting issues;
• breakeven analysis and the relevant costs for decision-making with the view of
maximizing value for the organization;
• variable and absorption costing models;
• budgeting systems.
Skills and Objectives
Successful students will be able to:
• identify, interpret and analyze financial statement relationships;
• research, analyze, evaluate and communicate relevant information to users in a
professional manner;
• demonstrate their awareness of financial reporting issues;
• prepare budgets and then monitor and control expenditures against those
budgets;
• use appropriate decision-making techniques to formulate and solve cost based
organizational problems;
• assess methods of internal financial control with organizations.
Reading List
Required Reading:
Accounting for Managers – Canadian Edition (2013)
Paul M. Collier, Sandy M. Kizan
Wiley
Canadian Final Accounting Cases (2013)
Camillo Lento, Jo-Anne Ryan
Wiley
Supplementary Articles (List to be supplied)
Grading Scheme
90 – 100%
85 - 89%
80 – 84%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
76 – 79%
72 – 75%
68 - 71%
C+
C
C-
64 - 67%
60 - 63%
55 - 59%
D Referrals
F <54 Failure
Method of Evaluation
Instrument & Weighting
1.
2.
3.
4.
Essay & presentation - 25%
Accounting Cases – 10%
Mid-term test - 25%
Final exam – 40%

The essay is due the week of March 2, 2015
 The mid-term test is scheduled for the week of February 16, 2015. The test
will be 3 hours in length and you will be provided with a list of potential
topics 1 week before the exam.

The date of the final examination has not yet been determined. It will be
in the examination period, April 16 – 27, 2015
Standards and Academic Conduct
Exams must be written on the scheduled dates. Deferrals will only be granted on
medical or compassionate grounds and will not be granted because of work or
other commitments. Requests for a deferred exam date must be made in writing
to the professor prior to the scheduled date. Medical certificates or other
evidence must be attached and must contain information that justifies the
extension sought. Students who miss an exam for any other reason will be given
an F for the exam.
Plagiarism refers to the practice of presenting the words of another author (it may
be a text writer or another student) as your own. This is not permitted. At times
you will be asked to learn about and discuss the views or theories of others. This
should be done with appropriate acknowledgement of source materials. In other
words, you must reference your work. Acknowledge your sources – both direct
and indirect quotes – with in-text citations. Refer to the Referencing section
contained in this course outline for further information.
Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct will not be tolerated. Academic misconduct includes, but is
not limited to: giving or receiving information during any quiz, test or exam;
using unauthorized sources of information during any test or exam; and
plagiarizing the work of another person. More details on this topic are set out in
the Student Conduct Policy in the VIU online calendar.
No electronic dictionaries will be allowed in exams / tests / quizzes. Only the
approved calculators provided may be used in exams / tests / quizzes.
No other materials will be allowed apart from a pen/pencil unless specifically
approved by the faculty member.
Referencing
Faculty of Management (Business) requires the APA style of referencing for academic
papers. Resources for using APA are available from the VIU Writing Centre (Library, Room
474). You can find access to online student resources (including tutorials and a printable
Quick Guide) at: http://sites.viu.ca/writingcentre/.
Schedule of Activities, Topics, Assignments and Readings
The approximate lecture and reading scheduling are based on the text by Paul M.
Collier and Sandy M. Kizan, (2012): Accounting for Managers – Canadian
Edition.
The readings are as follows:
PART I FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING

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Chapter 1: Introduction to Accounting
Chapter 2: Accounting and Its Relationship to Shareholder Value and
Corporate Governance
Chapter 3: Recording Financial Transactions and Accounting and
Information Systems
Chapter 4: Constructing Financial Reports: IFRS and the Framework of
Accounting
Chapter 5: Interpreting Financial Reports and Alternative Perspectives
Chapter 6: Management Control
Chapter 7: Inventory Management
PART II OPERATIONAL ACCOUNTING
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Chapter 8: Marketing Decisions
Chapter 9: Operating Decisions
Chapter 10: Human Resource Decisions
Chapter 11: Accounting Decisions
Chapter 12: Strategic Investment Decisions
Chapter 13: Performance Evaluation of Business Units
Chapter 14: Budgeting
Chapter 15: Budgetary Control
Chapter 16: Strategic Management Accounting
Articles and cases
A variety of articles and cases will be assigned for reading, discussion, and submission
during the course of the semester.