Accounting for Management - Concepts and Tools

Course Description

A primer on the basic theoretical concepts and the practical procedures of financial record keeping and reporting, and the use of financial and cost data in managerial decision making. It provides an understanding and working knowledge of the fundamentals of financial and managerial accounting that can be put to practical application in day-to-day jobs of managers. It also concentrates on providing a working vocabulary for communication. Topics include accounting principles and reporting trends, accounting conventions and systems, interpretation and analysis of financial statements; cash flow statement; break-even analysis; activity-based costing (ABC); responsibility accounting; budget for profit planning; short-term and long-term investment decision making. A list of computer software for accounting, ABC, and budgeting is presented.

Accounting for Management is a basic survey course specifically designed for managers and business owners. Each accounting subject is presented in a clear and concise manner that enables a beginning learner to quickly grasp and understand the topic under discussion. This course provides students with their first practical exposure to such accounting topics as fundamental accounting concepts and tools, financial statements, and managerial use of accounting information. The goals of the course are threefold: 1. It provides an understanding and working knowledge of the fundamentals of financial and managerial accounting that can be put to practical application in day-to-day jobs of managers; 2. It also concentrates on providing a working vocabulary for communication; 3. It uses the solved problems approach, with emphasis on the practical application of accounting concepts, tools, and methodology.

Learning objectives

• a:5:{i:0;s:70:"Recognize the primary statements used and the key areas of accounting.";i:1;s:53:"Recognize major accounting rule-making organizations.";i:2;s:49:"Identify the global focus in financial reporting.";i:3;s:41:"Identify the basic accounting principles.";i:4;s:50:"Identify the different types of business entities.";}
• a:5:{i:0;s:83:"Recognize the primary purpose and use of different accounting financial statements.";i:1;s:44:"Identify the format of the income statement.";i:2;s:62:"Recognize the double-entry system and the accounting equation.";i:3;s:43:"Recognize the system of debits and credits.";i:4;s:73:"Identify different depreciation methods and calculate depreciation rates.";}
• a:5:{i:0;s:87:"Recognize the benefits of financial statement analysis, and how key ratios are applied.";i:1;s:77:"Distinguish among trend analysis, vertical analysis, and horizontal analysis.";i:2;s:52:"Recognize various ratios used in financial analysis.";i:3;s:101:"Recognize the benefits of and applications of management accounting and different management systems.";i:4;s:66:"Identify how to classify different costs in management accounting.";}
• a:6:{i:0;s:63:"Recognize basic assumptions and uses of different cost systems.";i:1;s:66:"Identify the benefits of developing a cost-volume-profit analysis.";i:2;s:72:"Compute the sales necessary to break even or to achieve a target income.";i:3;s:72:"Perform a variety of "what-if" analyses using the contribution approach.";i:4;s:73:"Identify the different budgets used in an organization and their purpose.";i:5;s:84:"Recognize characteristics of a standard costing system and different cost variances.";}
• a:7:{i:0;s:67:"Identify the uses and attributes of a contribution margin approach.";i:1;s:81:"Recognize and compute return on investment (ROI) by means of the Du Pont formula.";i:2;s:93:"Identify how ROI and Residual Income (RI) measures affect the division's investment decision.";i:3;s:71:"Identify the costs that are relevant for different financial decisions.";i:4;s:75:"Recognize factors used in making a short-term profit maximization decision.";i:5;s:77:"Identify different attributes and ratios used in capital budgeting decisions.";i:6;s:54:"Calculate the payback period for capital expenditures.";}

Final examination expiration date:

The program participant will have one year from the date of purchase to complete the course and final examination.