Module Information
Module Identifier
MBM4120
Module Title
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND DECISION MAKING
Academic Year
2012/2013
Co-ordinator
Semester
Intended for use in future years
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 4 hours of lectures per week or 40 hours in blocks |
| Seminars / Tutorials | 20 hours to include case studies |
| Practical | Group Game |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | 3,000 word individual project | 30% |
| Semester Exam | 3 Hours | 70% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Retake failed elements or equivalent | 30% |
| Supplementary Exam | 3 Hours Retake failed elements or equivalent | 70% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
List, describe, explain, compare and contrast different elements in:
• Accounting context, usage, approaches, regulation, practices and analysis
• Earnings management
• Business funding
• Financial decision making
• Mergers, acquisitions and restructuring
• Business planning and monitoring
Account for simple transactions; produce simple financial and management accounting statements; produce simple budgets
Interpret financial accounting statements
Cite, explain, appropriately select and apply formulae/techniques to
• Analyze accounting and market-based information
• Make short and long-run financial decisions
• Calculate costs of capital and assess capital structure
• Describe and present data
Integrate different forms of analysis in order to generate a well-reasoned and holistic assessment of an organization’s financial performance, position and prospects
Content
1. Introduction and context
2. Summarizing and representing data
3. Understanding and interpreting financial accounting information
4. Choosing and managing business funding
5. Understanding and interpreting stock market information
6. Management accounting techniques and short-term decision making
7. Long-term investment appraisal techniques and decisions
8. Mergers, acquisitions and restructuring
9. Planning and monitoring business activities
10. Review
Corporate governance and ethics to be incorporated as pertinent throughout.
2. Summarizing and representing data
3. Understanding and interpreting financial accounting information
4. Choosing and managing business funding
5. Understanding and interpreting stock market information
6. Management accounting techniques and short-term decision making
7. Long-term investment appraisal techniques and decisions
8. Mergers, acquisitions and restructuring
9. Planning and monitoring business activities
10. Review
Corporate governance and ethics to be incorporated as pertinent throughout.
Brief description
This module aims to give students a well-informed, practical grasp of accounting, finance, financial analysis and financial decision-making as pertinent to the aspiring general manager. It brings together key topics from financial accounting, management accounting, finance and data analysis. Whilst leveraging students’ prior knowledge and experience where possible, the module recognizes that students have a variety of backgrounds, and no prior accounting/finance specialism may be assumed.
The over-riding concern is that students should be able to speak and understand the vocabulary of business; and that be able to take an active and constructive part in discussions and decisions based on accounting and financial information.
Underlying themes for the module are the need for interpretation as well as raw analysis; relating accounting and finance to other aspects of business to allow for integrated insight; appreciation of uncertainty and risk; and creation of value.
The over-riding concern is that students should be able to speak and understand the vocabulary of business; and that be able to take an active and constructive part in discussions and decisions based on accounting and financial information.
Underlying themes for the module are the need for interpretation as well as raw analysis; relating accounting and finance to other aspects of business to allow for integrated insight; appreciation of uncertainty and risk; and creation of value.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | • Develop an easy familiarity with numerical data sources and numerical data • Apply numerical data to problem solving with care and accuracy • Assess the reasonableness of and interpret numerical solutions • Support assertions/arguments with appropriately developed and presented numerical data • Calculate and use descriptive statistics |
| Communication | • Develop confidence in and clarity of oral communication via tutorial and lecture participation • Develop clarity and focus of written communication via: o individual project production o development of answers to self study questions • Develop and use appropriately subject-specific vocabulary in oral and written communication |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | • Identify and distil the key issues covered by lectures, tutorials and self study • Identify and use a range of learning resources • Investigate benefits of small group working on self study • Structure study to accommodate intensive learning |
| Information Technology | • Use a variety of electronic web- and library-based resources to review available information and retrieve pertinent information • Use various software packages for the production of the individual project report (text, numerical tables and analysis, graphics) • Use software to complete elements of the self study (e.g., spreadsheets for ease of tabulated numerical calculations, production of summary statistics, production of graphs, etc.) |
| Personal Development and Career planning | • Develop skills in financial analysis and decision making which are essential to the aspiring general manager |
| Problem solving | • Identify the precise problem to be solved • Assess which data are pertinent to the problem • Recognize that alternative solution methods might be available • Select and apply appropriate methods for solving the problem • Assess the reasonableness of problem solutions and interpret those solutions |
| Research skills | • Identify which information sources are available to: o facilitate module study (understanding, wider reading) o provide information to facilitate the analysis of business performance and prospects o provide raw input to the production of the individual project • Select the most pertinent information for retrieval • Retrieve information • Re-assess the pertinence and assess the credibility of retrieved information • Properly reference/attribute information sources |
| Subject Specific Skills | • Identify and use sources of financial information • Understand, analyze, interpret and synthesize between financial accounting, management accounting and market-based financial information • Make well-based financial recommendations and decisions |
| Team work |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7