European Executive MBA
Class of 2006
Management Accounting
Instructor
Emmanuel Zilberberg
Course Objectives
Costs analysis provides key information when it comes to make a decision, to sacrifice opportunities in
order to follow a certain course of action.
Costs are easily mixed-up with price and they are part of the common vocabulary. At the same time, the
notion of cost, an economic and social construction, is complex to handle.
The course will be an introduction to the core concepts and vocabulary of cost accounting. : It will
present the design of managerial accounting system and at the same time show the various (sometimes
unintended) dysfunctional consequences of traditional cost accounting logics.
It will show how the numbers can help the decision-making process but stress the need for
complementary analysis. Cost computations will always be at the service of the decision-making
manager, be it a rank and file or a top manager.
Method of Instruction and evaluation
The course is based on a mixture of lectures / discussions and case analyses. It can be complemented
by readings (textbooks extracts). The lectures /discussions will provide concepts, processes, and tools
to structure cost accounting and managerial problems across industries and business situations. The
case study (Smurfit Paper Company) will provide an opportunity to apply these concepts and tools to
challenging problems.
Emmanuel Zilberberg
MBA /April 2006
Bibliography
Horngren C.T., Foster G., Datar, S.K., Cost Accounting: a managerial emphasis (12th edition), Prentice
Hall, 2005.
Drury C., Management Cost accounting 6th edition, Business Press, 2004.
Dyson J.R., Accounting for non-accounting students, fourth edition (six edition), 2003.
Kaplan R. S. & Atkinson A.A., Advanced Management Accounting, third edition, Prentice Hall, Upper
Saddle River, 1998.
Atkinson A.A., Banker R.D., Kaplan R.S., Young S.M., Mananagement Accounting (fourth edition),
Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, 2004
Internet links
MIT's OpenCourseWare
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Sloan-School-of-Management/15-514Financial-and-ManagerialAccountingSummer2003/CourseHome/index.htm
Accouting and finance definitions (Drury’s book on–line resources)
http://www.drury-online.com/iebm_definitions.html
Drury ‘s portal to accouting resources
http://www.drury-online.com/mca6/students/relatedlinks.htm
Another accounting resources (portal)
http://accounting.rutgers.edu/raw/internet/internet1.htm
Dyson’s book companion website
http://wps.pearsoned.co.uk/ema_uk_he_dyson_accnas_6
Horngren’s Companion website
http://myphlip.pearsoncmg.com/cw/mpbookhome.cfm?vbookid=318
Atkinson’s book companion website
http://myphlip.pearsoncmg.com/cw/mpbookhome.cfm?vbookid=569
Institute of Management Accounting website
http://www.imanet.org/ima/sec.asp?TRACKID=&CID=255&DID=401
Emmanuel Zilberberg
MBA /April 2006