ACCT90009
Strategic Cost Management
SUBJECT GUIDE
Semester 2, 2023
Prepared by
Dr Chung Yu Hung
chung-yu.hung@unimelb.edu.au
Department of Accounting
Faculty of Business and Economics
Subject Outline
Introduction
Welcome to ACCT90009 Strategic Cost Management!
In this subject, we will examine topics at the interface of cost accounting and managerial
decision making. You will be introduced to the concepts and processes that underpin the
development of cost accounting systems and gain familiarisation with a range of techniques
for the analysis and evaluation of cost information captured by these systems. In this
subject, you will also investigate the role of cost accounting information in managerial
decisions that relate to the efficient and effective management of organisational resources
and the creation of customer and shareholder value.
This guide details a range of information you will require to support your learning in this
subject. The administration and assessment requirements of each subject within the
business school can differ in important ways. Please ensure that you read the guide
carefully and are familiar with the requirements of this subject, as well as the broader
business school and University policies with which you must comply. We look forward to
working with you and hope that you enjoy this subject!
Subject Overview and Aims
The overall aim of this subject is to highlight the relevance and limitations of cost accounting
information in managerial decisions. You will also learn how cost information can be
collected and aggregated to improve its decision-relevance. You will master the analysis skill
and critical thinking through various case studies. See also the Subject Overview in the
University Handbook (https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/2023/ACCT90009).
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes and Generic Skills
To view the subject objectives and the generic skills you will develop through successful
completion of this subject, please see the University Handbook:
https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/2023/ACCT90009
Awareness Issues
At a broader level, studying this subject will increase your awareness of issues such as:
•
•
•
Measurement challenges faced by management accountants and managers in
organizations;
The importance of resource management in organizations and its links to business
processes;
The challenge of managing resources in a constrained and changing environment.
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Eligibility and Requirements
To view the eligibility and requirements, including prerequisites, corequisites, recommended
background knowledge and core participation requirements for this subject, please see the
University Handbook:
https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/2023/subjects/ACCT90009/eligibility-and-requirements
Academic Staff Contact Details
Please see the subject LMS site for full contact details of the teaching staff in this subject.
Subject Coordinator Contact Details
Name: Dr. Chung-Yu Hung
Email: chung-yu.hung@unimelb.edu.au
Consultation Hours: Please refer to LMS for the information
Seminar Leader Contact Details
Name: Dr. Sarah Young Spencer
Email: s.yangspencer@unimelb.edu.au
Name: Dr. Michael Taouk
Email: michael.taouk@unimelb.edu.au
Consultation Hours: Please refer to LMS for the information
Email Protocol
Please note that we are only able to respond to student emails coming from a University
email address. Please do not use personal email addresses such as Yahoo, Hotmail or even
business email addresses. Emails from non-University email addresses may be filtered by
the University’s spam filter, which means that we may not receive your email. All
correspondence relating to this subject will only be sent to your University email address.
Note that you must first activate your University email address before you can send or
receive emails at that address. You can activate your email account at this link:
http://accounts.unimelb.edu.au/.
While academic staff endeavor to address queries received via email, it is more appropriate
to resolve substantive questions during lectures and tutorials and/or during normal
consultation hours. With this in mind, we encourage students to attend all lectures and
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tutorials and to familiarize themselves with the consultation hours offered by the lecturer(s) in
this subject.
Lectures and Workshops
Lecture and Workshop Times
This subject is composed of two teaching activities: lectures and workshops. For lectures,
lectures in Week 1 and Week 12 will take 3 hours (180 minutes) and the lectures over week
2-11 will take 1.5 hours (90 minutes. The lecture capture will be available on the assigned
time. For workshops, they take place from Week 3 to Week 12. Students are only expected
to attend one workshop each week. Note that all teaching activities will take place on
campus. You can find the detailed information on LMS about the timetable and the venue.
Venue
(on campus)
Activity
Lecture (long)
Day of week
Wednesday
Lecture (short)
Law Building
David P. Derham
Theatre (GM15)
Workshop (Wed)
The Spot 4014
Wednesday
Workshop (Thu1)
The Spot 4014
Thursday
Workshop (Thu2)
The Spot 4014
Thursday
Wednesday
Start time
(Duration)
17:15
(180 mins)
18:15
(90 mins)
15:45
(90 mins)
11:00
(90 mins)
12:30
(90 mins)
Dates
Week 1 & Week 12
(26/7 & 18/10)
Week 2 - Week 11
(2/8 - 11/10)
Week 3 - Week 12
(9/8 - 18/10)
Week 3 - Week 12
(10/8 - 19/10)
Week 3 - Week 12
(10/8 - 19/10)
Lecture and Workshop Participation Requirements
Students will learn new materials in lectures and then apply the knowledge to problem
solving in workshops. Most of workshop discussions will be based on cases. You should
note that the ‘workshop’ section is not a traditional lecture where lecturers speak and
students listen. Rather, the classroom environment is highly participative and will be
interspersed with interactive sessions designed to reinforce the lecture objectives.
Interactive sessions throughout the lecture/workshop will vary in nature and format (e.g.,
discussion boards). The workshop is designed to allow students to further explore concepts.
You are expected to have attempted all set workshop questions before the workshop and to
have pre-read all references (to the textbook and supplementary readings) before the
workshop to ensure you can engage adequately during the class.
You must do your best to attend the two lectures in Week 1 and Week 12 to keep yourself
informed and engage with the lecturer and other students. Please pay close attention to your
subject LMS site to keep informed of any changes.
Lecture Schedule
Week
Date Commencing
Topic
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Required Reading*
Introduction: The accountants’
1
24th July
2
31st July
Cost Behaviour and Estimation
Chapter 2 & 9
3
7th August
Job Costing
Chapter 3
4
14th August
5
21st August
6
28th August
7
4th September
8
11th September
9
18th September
Break
25th September
No teaching activities
10
2nd October
Flexible Budgets II: Overheads
11
9th October
12
16th October
role and the skills required
Activity-based Costing & Issues
in Indirect Cost Allocation
Process Costing
Absorption and Variable Costing
& Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis
Relevant Cost Analysis for
Decision Making
Pricing and Target Costing
Standard Costing Systems and
Flexible Budgets I: Direct Costs
Cost Management in Quality and
Time
Subject Review
Chapter 1
Chapter 5 & 11
Chapter 4
Chapter 7 & 8
Chapter 10
Chapter 12
Chapter 14 & 15
Chapter 16
Chapters 20 & 21
All
Lecture Slides and Workshop Materials
Lecture slides will be placed on the LMS page for this subject prior to each lecture. Some
learning materials (e.g., cases) used in workshops will be available under “Readings Online”
on the LMS page prior to each workshop.
Recorded Lectures
Audio or video recordings of “lectures” delivered in this subject will be made available. You
can access recorded lectures by clicking on the Lecture Recordings (or similar) menu item
on the LMS page for this subject. However, the recording of workshops will NOT be made
available.
Please note that for lectures or workshops, recordings are not a substitute for attendance;
rather they are designed for revision. Students are expected to participate in group
discussions rather than review them.
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Private Tutoring Services
The Faculty has become increasingly concerned about the existence of a number of private
tutoring services operating in Melbourne that heavily target University of Melbourne students
enrolled in FBE subjects.
Students are urged to show caution and exercise their judgement if they are considering
using any of these services, and to please take note of the following:
Any claim by any of these businesses that they have a “special” or “collaborative” or
“partnership” style relationship with the University or Faculty is false and misleading.
Any claim by a private tutoring service that they are in possession of, or can supply you with,
forthcoming University exam or assignment questions or “insider” or “exclusive” information
is also false and misleading.
The University has no relationship whatsoever with any of these services and takes these
claims very seriously as they threaten to damage the University’s reputation and undermine
its independence.
It is also not appropriate for students to provide course materials (including University
curricula, reading materials, exam and assignment questions and answers) to operators of
these businesses for the purposes of allowing them to conduct commercial tutoring
activities. Doing so may amount to misconduct and will be taken seriously. Those materials
contain intellectual property owned or controlled by the University.
We encourage you to bring to the attention of Faculty staff any behaviour or activity that is
not aligned with University expectations or policy as outlined above.
Assessment
Assessment Overview
Your assessment for this subject comprises the following:
Assessment Task
Individual or Group
Due
Weighting
End-of-semester
Examination
Individual
During the exam period
55%
Group
Friday 15th September
25%
[3 hours]
Assignment
Online Tests
[5 tests at 2% each]
Class Participation
Individual
Individual
Week 3, 5, 7, 9,11
(7/8, 21/8,4/9,18/9, and 9/10)
Throughout the semester
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10%
10%
Assessment Details
End-of-Semester Examination:
The end-of-semester examination is three (3) hours in duration and will be held during the
University’s examination period (Monday 30th October to Friday 17th November 2023). You
must make yourself available for the exam at any stage throughout this examination period.
The exam will include a variety of questions designed to test your mastery of the subject’s
objectives. Workshop questions, in-class exercises, and the group assignment are also
indicative of the types of questions that may be included on the exam. Further details
regarding the exam will be provided in Week 12 Lecture.
The end-of-semester examination is likely to be computer-based but conducted in an off-line
environment. Hand-writing responses may not be feasible in the computed-based
examination format. Students can prepare themselves for this as early as possible.
Special Examinations
There are no supplementary examinations for subjects taught in the Melbourne Business
School, however, the examiners for this subject may require students to present for further
written or oral tests (special examinations) to be held before the publication of results at the
end of the semester. Please be aware that only very short notice of these tests can be given
and thus, it is very important that you can be reached at the address and phone number
held by the University. It is your responsibility to notify student records of any change to your
contact details and to ensure you are available for further assessment. If you fail to avail
yourself of the opportunity to sit for a special exam (for whatever reason) you should not
expect to be offered another exam.
Assignment:
Group Work (25%)
The assignment is due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 15th September 2023. Further details
regarding the assignment will be distributed via the LMS page during the semester. This is a
group assignment. The maximum group size will be advised when the assignment is
released. No exceptions to this group size are permitted under any circumstances.
The work you submit must be the work of your own or your group. All assignments will be
checked electronically using a plagiarism detection tool. Significant penalties are imposed
where assignments are found to be plagiarised. Further information and links to references
with respect to plagiarism are included later in this section. You are also referred to the
University’s policy on academic integrity http://academicintegrity.unimelb.edu.au/
Working in a group, at times, poses greater challenges. All students within your
group will be given the same mark unless you have raised an issue during the
assignment period. Students who do not satisfactorily contribute to a group
assignment may be allocated a lower mark or assigned a mark of zero.
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Online Tests:
You are required to complete five online tests throughout the semester. These tests will be
held in Week 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. Dues dates and times for these tests are advised on the
LMS.
Each test contains questions in various formats, e.g., multiple-choice or numerical-answer
questions. You only have one attempt at each of the online tests. Once you begin the test,
you must finish the test. Questions are delivered online one at a time. You must submit an
answer to a question in order to progress to the next question on the test. Once you have
submitted an answer you cannot later revisit the question. These measures are intended to
promote fairness between students in an online assessment environment, as they help
minimize opportunities for academic misconduct.
You will have 60 minutes to complete each test. After this time, your responses will
automatically be saved and submitted.
Tests are accessed and completed via the LMS subject page. It is imperative that you use a
PC or Mac to access LMS when completing the tests. The online tests may not be
compatible with mobile devices, such as mobile phones and tablets. NO special
consideration will be granted for problems completing the online tests when using a mobile
device. Please note, it is possible for you to determine the type of device you used to
attempt each test.
You must also ensure that you attempt the online test using a stable internet connection.
i.e., do not use free public wi-fi or other unreliable services. Stable internet connections are
available to all students free of charge on campus.
Assignment Submission
Assignment submission is via LMS. You will find the submission instructions on LMS in due
course.
Please note that you are required to keep a copy of your assignment after it has been
submitted as you must be able to produce a copy of your assignment at the request of
teaching staff at any time after the submission due date.
Submission of Late Assignments Within this Subject
Late assignments will not be accepted. Students cannot do the group assignment and online
tests any later than the due deadline. Students with a genuine and acceptable reason for not
completing an assignment (or other assessment task), such as illness, can apply for special
consideration. Special Consideration assists students who have been significantly affected
by illness or other serious circumstances during the semester. The following website
contains detailed information relating to who can apply for Special Consideration and the
process for making an application:
http://students.unimelb.edu.au/admin/special
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Subject Resources
Prescribed References
The textbook can be available in the following ways:
Print book
•
Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/management-cost-accounting-
alnoor-bhimani/book/9781292232669.html
•
Pearson (currently 15% off and free shipping within Australia):
https://www.pearson.com.au/9781292232669
eBook (ongoing access AUD$60)
•
https://www.pearson.com.au/9781292232683
You can access the ebook via the UniMelb VitalSource platform. This applies to students
overseas.
Copies of the prescribed textbook are also available from the High Use Reserve in the
Giblin-Eunson Library.
Supplementary Readings
Supplementary readings will also be provided seminar by seminar. All supplementary
references will be made available via LMS. Readings can be located under the ‘Modules’ or
“Readings Online” in the relevant week.
Academic Integrity
Academic Honesty
The University maintains high academic standards in its courses and subjects and expects
students to conduct themselves in a manner which is fair, honest and consistent with the
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principles of academic integrity, particularly when undertaking assessment and research.
http://academicintegrity.unimelb.edu.au/
Referencing
Each source used for a written piece of assessment must be referenced. This is to
acknowledge that your material is not based entirely on your own ideas, but is based, in
part, on the ideas, information, and evidence of others. This is desirable as you are
attending University in order to learn from others.
You will be required to use the APA system or Harvard System of referencing. The library
has prepared a website to help students correctly reference:
http://www.library.unimelb.edu.au/recite
It is important that all material you present for assessment is referenced correctly. Material
that has not been referenced correctly may be considered to be plagiarised, and as such
may be penalised. We will also look for evidence that material included in the bibliography
has been used in the assignment.
The Academic Skills Unit has produced resources to assist students with referencing
https://services.unimelb.edu.au/academicskills/undergrads/top_resources
The Library also provides advice on referencing: http://library.unimelb.edu.au/cite
University Services
Timetable
MyTimetable is a class timetabling system that creates individual timetables for students
based on submitted class preferences, ensuring everyone has an equitable opportunity of
getting their preferred class timetable. You will use this system to create your class timetable
prior to each study period.
By following a preference-based model, students who have other commitments, such as
employment or carer responsibilities, or who are returning or living overseas during the
timetabling period, aren’t disadvantaged by their limited availability. When allocating class
timetables, MyTimetable also takes into consideration factors such as class size limits and
potential clashes to ensure all students are equally accommodated. Further information is
available on the web at https://students.unimelb.edu.au/admin/class-timetable
Stop 1: Connecting Students and Services
Stop 1 is here to provide you with a range of support services throughout your university
degree, from help with enrolment, administration and wellbeing to advice on building your
skills and experiences. https://students.unimelb.edu.au/stop1
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Academic Skills
Academic Skills offers a range of workshops and resources to help you with study skills
including researching, writing and referencing, presentation skills and preparing for exams.
Visit their website via http://services.unimelb.edu.au/academicskills.
Service Finder
The University of Melbourne offers one of the most comprehensive student support
networks in Australia. Use this site to locate a wide range of services
http://services.unimelb.edu.au/finder
Student Counselling
Students attend counselling to talk about personal, emotional, or mental health issues which
might be affecting their study and life. The University’s Counselling and Psychological
Services (CAPS) provides free, confidential, short-term professional counselling to currently
enrolled students and staff. https://services.unimelb.edu.au/counsel/individual
Student Equity and Disability Support
Student Equity and Disability Support provides services for students who need ongoing
support with their studies. They understand that adjustments to learning and assessment
are sometimes required to allow all students to reach their full potential. Learn more about
the services provided, how to find support and how to register for assistance.
http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity
University of Melbourne Library Services
As well as holding an extensive collection of books, ebooks, digital media and periodicals,
library staff provide research guidance and support for students.
http://library.unimelb.edu.au/
These Business and Economics Library Guides have been designed specifically for Faculty
of Business and Economics staff and students.
http://unimelb.libguides.com/sb.php?subject_id=80310
Policy
Alternative Exam Arrangements (AEA)
The definition of and eligibility requirements for alternative exam arrangements (AEA) can
be found via http://students.unimelb.edu.au/admin/alternate.
Assessment and Results Policy
The University’s assessment policy provides a framework for the design, delivery and
implementation of assessment of students in award and non-award courses and subjects.
Assessment is designed to contribute to high quality learning by students, and to allow for
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quality
assurance
and
the
maintenance
https://policy.unimelb.edu.au/MPF1326
of
high
academic
standards.
Exam Policy
The University requires that you are available for the entire examination period. Please see
the University's Principal Dates via https://www.unimelb.edu.au/dates for the full annual
calendar. Supplementary exams will not be provided in cases of absence during the
examination period unless the absence is due to serious illness or other serious
circumstances and a Special Consideration application is submitted and approved.
Information on Calculators in Examinations
Effective from 1 January 2017, the approved calculator for all subjects is the Casio FX82
(any suffix). No equivalent models of calculators will be permitted in exams.
You are required to purchase your own calculator and are responsible for ensuring your
calculator is in good working order with fresh batteries.
Plagiarism and Collusion
Plagiarism (failure to cite your sources correctly and completely) and collusion (unauthorised
collaboration with another person to prepare an assessment task) are considered academic
misconduct and attract severe penalties. More information is available on the University’s
Academic Integrity website via http://go.unimelb.edu.au/rha6.
Special Consideration
As a student, you may experience extraordinary or unusual circumstances, or ongoing
circumstances that adversely affect your academic performance. The University has policies
in place to support students who are experiencing academic disadvantage. For more
information, visit http://students.unimelb.edu.au/admin/special.
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