acoount theory
TRANSCRIPT
BFA302
ACCOUNTING THEORY
School of Accounting and Finance
Faculty of Commerce
Semester 2 2004
Unit Outline
Bernadette Smith &
Assoc. Prof. Gary O’Donovan
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B
Contact details
Unit coordinator/lecturer: Bernadette Smith, BCom(Hons) Associate Lecturer
Campus: Room:
Hobart 417
e-mail: [email protected] phone: (03) 6226 2282 fax: (03) 6226 7845 Consultation hours: Wed. 1pm – 2pm & Thurs. 5pm – 6pm (Hobart)
Tues. 2pm – 3pm (Launceston) Room A262 Other times by appointment
Unit lecturer: Gary O’Donovan, BBus, Dip Ed, GradDipCDP, PhD, CPA Associate Professor
Campus: Room:
Hobart 505
e-mail: [email protected] phone: (03) 6226 2278 fax: (03) 6226 7845 Consultation hours: Any time by appointment
Unit lecturer (visiting): Michael Gaffikin, BCom Well, MBA(Hons)
Massey, DipTchg NZ, PhD Syd, FCPA Professor
University:
University of Wollongong
e-mail: [email protected] phone: (03) 6226 2266 (at UTas) fax: (03) 6226 7845 (at UTas) Consultation hours: By appointment
© The University of Tasmania 2003
Contents
Unit Summary 4
Learning Outcomes 5
Generic graduate attributes 5
Prior knowledge &/or skills 6
Further learning resources required 6
Details of teaching arrangements 8
Learning expectations and strategies 8
Specific attendance/performance requirements 10
Unit schedule 10
Assessment details 11
Assessment/learning outcomes/generic attributes matrix 17
Submission of assignments 17
How your final result is determined 18
Requests for extensions 18
Penalties 18
Academic referencing 19
Plagiarism 19
Further information and assistance 20
Appendix 1: Questionnaire 21
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1. Unit Summary
BFA302 - Accounting Theory Offered: Hob: sem 2, Ltn: sem 2, Offshore: sem 2 BFA 302 Accounting Theory represents the capstone of your studies in financial accounting at the pass degree level. The unit examines financial accounting from a theoretical perspective and provides a framework whereby contemporary accounting issues and practice can be evaluated. It also provides skills in applying accounting theories to the practice of accounting in relation to advanced professional accounting issues. The unit is seen as an extension of the applied units you studied in the first two years of your degree. It also provides an excellent grounding for honours and post-graduate studies.
This unit not only provides a theoretical framework within which accounting issues and practices can be examined, it also gives you the opportunity to develop high level analytical skills and the ability to authoritatively present arguments and opinions on a broad range of accounting issues. Knowledge of historical and contemporary issues also gives you an opportunity to understand the rationale for the existence of current accounting policies and practices, and the directions in which accounting policies may develop. It is important to understand that this unit covers a breadth of theories, philosophies and issues. You should expect that your lecture and tutorial materials, readings and assignments will not necessarily cover the same areas. They are all to be regarded as different aspects of a whole learning process. Staff: Bernadette Smith, Associate Professor Gary O’Donovan &
Professor Michael Gaffikin Unit weight: 12.5% Teaching pattern: 1.5-hr lecture, 1.5-hr tutorial, 2 independent study weeks
(13 wks) Prerequisites: BFA201 Assessment: Continuous assessment (60%); exam (40%)
Required texts: Godfrey, J., Hodgson, A. & Holmes, S. 2003, Accounting Theory, 5th edn, John Wiley & Sons, Brisbane.
BFA302 Readings Collection
Recommended text: Fleet, W, Summers & Smith, B. 2004, Communication Skills
Handbook for Accounting, John Wiley & Sons, Brisbane.
Courses: [C3C] [C3E]
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2. Learning Outcomes On completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. Describe and apply alternative theoretical frameworks in examining
accounting issues and practices;
2. Systematically evaluate accounting research literature;
3. Work in teams to consider key concepts in relation to historical and contemporary accounting issues, effectively communicate this information in a clear and unambiguous manner; and be able to constructively evaluate the process;
4. Conduct an original research project; collect and critically analyse data and
report results in the form of an academic paper;
5. Analyse emerging issues in accounting theory and evaluate the social and ethical implications and responsibilities of the accounting profession;
6. Demonstrate written and oral communication skills through the
presentation of logical, coherent arguments for and against current and proposed accounting concepts, policies and practices.
3. Generic graduate attributes
By undertaking this unit you will progress in the development of the University of Tasmania Generic Graduate Attributes in the following ways:
• Knowledge - being able to discuss and apply a range of underlying principles that help to explain accounting behaviour; knowledge is also specifically developed in the application of research and analysis skills.
• Communication skills - through written and /or oral presentations,
conducting interviews, working effectively in groups and being able to give constructive feedback in relation to your interaction with others.
• Problem-solving skills - through the interpretation and analysis of data
you will be able to logically test your hypotheses, identify limitations and evaluate results in relation to the extant literature. Competencies in information literacy will also be developed through searching, evaluating and using relevant literature to support your arguments.
• Global perspectives - by demonstrating an awareness of the role of
accounting within globalisation processes and being able to critically appraise current developments in relation to international standards.
• Social responsibility – through the acknowledgement of ethical, social
and environmental responsibilities within the accounting profession.
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4. Prior knowledge &/or skills
You must have passed BFA201 Financial Accounting. In addition it is expected that you are familiar with, and able to discuss, practical issues involved in accounting practices and policies. This unit provides the theoretical perspective by which these are evaluated.
5. Further learning resources required
Statements of Accounting Concepts These are contained in sets of Accounting Standards published by the Australian Accounting Research Foundation, Prentice Hall, or contained in the handbooks of CPA Australia and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.
Additional journal articles may be made available during the semester. SUPPLEMENTARY REFERENCES
You will benefit from reading as broadly as possible. Accounting theory concerns ideas, and the more literature you survey the more exposure you will gain to alternative approaches to accounting. References that might be helpful include:
Belkaoui, A.R. 2000. Accounting Theory, 4th Edn, Thomson, London. Belkaoui, A.R. & Jones, S. 2002. Accounting Theory, 2nd Edn, Thomson, Southbank. Bloom, R. & Elgers, P. 1995 Foundations of Accounting Theory & Policy, Dryden, USA.
Cotesta, P.V et al, 1998. Writing for Accounting Students, Butterworths, Sydney. Deegan, C. 2003. Financial Accounting Theory, McGraw-Hill, Roseville, NSW. Henderson, S., Peirson, G. & Harris, K. 2004. Financial Accounting Theory, Pearson Education Australia, French Forest, NSW.
Puxty, A.G. 1998. The Social and Organisational Context of Management Accounting, International Thomson, London, Reprint 1998 Whittred, G, Zimmer, I., & Taylor, S. 2000 Financial Accounting Incentive Effects and Economic Consequences, Fifth Edition, Holt Rinehart and Winston, Sydney,
OTHER READING
You are expected to read beyond the textbooks, especially for your assignments, and if you seek a distinction grade you will need to keep abreast of new issues and developments. This can be done by reading widely, including the financial press, journals of the professional accounting bodies, and most importantly, the scholarly literature. In reading the scholarly literature, you should focus on the theory contained
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at the start and end of papers. Whilst the methodology is important, our main focus is on the theory developed through research and the conclusions drawn. The major scholarly journals that you may find both readable and useful include: Abacus Accounting and Business Research Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal Accounting Forum Accounting Horizons Accounting Organisations and Society Accounting Research Journal Australian Accounting Review The British Accounting Review Critical Perspectives on Accounting This is a small sample. Many useful accounting journals are in the University Library, and are also available electronically.
ON-LINE RESOURCES WebCT will be used to supplement your studies in this unit. WebCT may be accessed
on computers in computing laboratories at the University or on your computer at home or at work. For instructions on how to access WebCT go to the ‘Support Services’ link at http://www.utas.edu.au/coursesonline. The PDF document located under ‘Teaching and Learning Resources’ covers:
• software and hardware requirements • accessing the internet • how to log on and off • how to get help
WebCT features that will be used in this unit include: • Unit Information – includes a copy of this Unit Outline, tutorial allocations,
the Faculty Guide for Students, assignment cover sheets, applications for late submission, assignment results, past exam papers and links to other useful sites identified by teaching staff in the unit. Marks for assignments will also be posted in this area.
• Learning Resources – includes lecture slides, tutorial questions and activities as well as any other resources such as additional readings that may be prescribed during the course of the semester.
• Communication – includes the ‘Discussion’ and ‘Mail’ facilities. You are encouraged to ask questions via the WebCT discussion board as this allows all students in the unit the opportunity to participate. The ‘Mail’ area has an optional feature that allows you to automatically forward your WebCT mail to an email address that you frequently use.
To navigate through the various facilities offered in WebCT always click on the ‘breadcrumbs’ – i.e. åHome åUnit Information åUnit Outline. WebCT files will be in PDF format and can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. (This software is already installed on most computers but otherwise is freely available to download).
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6. Details of teaching arrangements We have planned this unit to occupy, on average, 12 hours per week of your time for
13 weeks. The hours are allocated between: Lecture 1.5 hours x 11 weeks Tutorial 1.5 hours x 10 weeks Reading & independent study 9 hours 12 hours per week Designated independent study week 12 hours x 2 weeks If you are not a fast reader you may have to spend longer on independent study as it is
intended that most of your learning will be done through your reading, independent study, and written assignments.
7. Learning expectations and strategies
Expectations
The University is committed to high standards of professional conduct in all activities, and holds its commitment and responsibilities to its students as being of paramount importance. Likewise, it holds expectations about the responsibilities students have as they pursue their studies within the special environment the University offers.
The University’s Code of Conduct for Teaching and Learning states:
Students are expected to participate actively and positively in the teaching/learning environment. They must attend classes when and as required, strive to maintain steady progress within the subject or unit framework, comply with workload expectations, and submit required work on time.
This is a demanding unit worthy of a final year university course. It is intended to introduce you to many new, and often complex, concepts, and to extend your knowledge of the philosophy of accounting. As it is also a final year unit, all aspects of your work are expected to be of a high standard, both in academic content and quality of presentation. Standardisation In order to maintain the high reputation of the School of Accounting and Finance in the wider community – educationally, academically and by business – the School does not standardise student results. Rather, the School expects high standards of their students, and insists that students devote sufficient time and effort to their studies throughout the semester to achieve grades of pass or higher on merit.
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Learning strategies
If you are studying this unit you must already have developed skills and strategies that have helped you achieve success in previous accounting units. However, this unit requires more reading, more theorising (and abstract thinking), and good verbal and writing skills. The emphasis is on reading, understanding, discussing and writing, and not on technical procedures.
It is vitally important that your preparation work be done before you attend classes. Otherwise, you will gain very little from attendance, and will be unable to contribute to the development of group knowledge.
Encouraging you to study and learn independently is an important goal of university
education. It is a feature of a reflective approach to learning in which you reflect on what it is you are learning and how you plan your learning strategy.
The tutorial sessions in particular will provide an interactive forum for the
development and sharing of ideas. Participation is an important facet of this unit, and below are some points that are useful to consider when discussing issues:
• are your points pertinent to the discussion? Do they increase the
understanding of the class? • Is there continuity in your contributions or do the comments tend to be
disjointed and isolated? The best class contributions are those that reflect thorough preparation and good listening, interpretive and integrative skills;
• do your comments reflect a willingness to put forth new, challenging ideas or
are they always agreeable and “safe”?
• are you able and willing to interact with others by asking questions, providing supportive comments or challenging constructively what has been said?
Do not be reluctant to ask questions or contribute ideas, even if only partly formed, as these can often form a basis for very constructive interaction.
Depending on your reading and writing skills, you should achieve success in this unit if you:
• keep up-to-date with the reading; • consolidate your reading by making appropriate short notes and summaries; • give yourself plenty of time to write your assignments; • prepare for and actively participate in the seminar sessions; and • take responsibility for your own learning.
If you fall behind with your reading and rush your written work you will find that you have too much to make up before the examination and will be under-prepared.
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8. Specific attendance/performance requirements
There are no specific attendance requirements for this unit, however in order to pass the unit you must achieve an overall mark of at least 50%.
9. Unit Schedule Week Wk begin. Topic Reading*1 Jul 12 Introduction to Accounting Theory.
Normative, Positive & Critical Theories.
GHH 1
2 Jul 19 Historical Development of Accounting. Accounting Theory Construction.
GHH 2 & 3
3 Jul 26 Capital Markets Research. Positive Accounting Theory.
GHH 9 & 10 Ball & Brown (1968)
4 Aug 2 Behavioural Aspects and User-Usefulness of Accounting.
GHH 11 Chew (2002) Smith (2004)
5 Aug 9 Independent Study Normative Theory: A Conceptual Framework for Accounting
GHH 13
6 Aug 16 Normative Theory: Foundational Concepts and Measurement Issues
GHH 6, 7 & 8 (Scan) Gibson & Goyen (1996)
7 Aug 23 Normative/Positive Theory: Standard-Setting in a Political Environment
GHH 12 Collett, Godfrey & Hrasky (2001)
Aug 30 MID SEMESTER BREAK
8 Sep 6 Globalisation: Theoretical Issues & Debates
Graham & Neu (2003)
9 Sep 13 Ethics and the Accounting Discipline Collett (1995) 10 Sep 20 Independent Study
Critical Theory: Gibson (1996) Gibson (2000)
11 Sep 27 Critical Theory: An alternative tba
12 Oct 4 Stakeholder, Political Economy and Legitimacy Theories
GHH 19 Gibson & O’Donovan (2001) O’Donovan (1999)
13 Oct 11 Social & Environmental Accountability GHH 19 *Key: GHH: Godfrey, Hodgson & Holmes
Articles are in the Book of Readings NB: The readings are to be done before classes each week.
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10. Assessment details Assessment task 1 – 10% Task Description Research Project part 1 – Literature Review
Survey the accounting literature on the adequacy, transparency and predictive ability of accounting information contained in annual reports. The purpose of the literature review is to establish a theoretical context for your research project. It should therefore deal with each theme or issue in logical progression. This assignment is to be completed by students working individually. An electronic version (disk, CD or email) must be submitted together with a hard copy.
Task length 1000 words maximum Links to unit’s learning Through a systematic search of the literature, this assignment outcomes is designed to help you to put into practice your knowledge of
accounting theory development, to review user perspectives and behavioural issues, and to reconsider the conceptual framework issues. As such it assesses learning outcomes 1, 2, 5 and 6 and is an important formative part of assessing learning outcome 4.
Assessment criteria/ Criterion Weight
Relevance and comprehension of material 40%Evidenced by:
demonstrated understanding of materiallocation of and appropriate use of relevant literaturecomprehensive consideration of the literature
Quality of discussion and argument 40%Evidenced by:
logical development of explanations and argumentsclear, precise and economical expressionaccurate use of informationappropriate justification for your research
Style and presentation 20%Evidenced by:
correct spellingcorrect grammar and syntaxstructure clarified by headings and paragraphsreferences properly noted and listedgood organisation and ease of reading
guidelines Date due 5.00 pm - Monday, 16th August 2004
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Assessment task 2 – 25% Task Description Research Project part 2
This assignment requires you to undertake and report, in the form of an academic paper, an original piece of research regarding the adequacy of information contained in company annual reports.
Recent corporate collapses and subsequent prosecutions of high-profile personnel have led to public criticism of the disclosure of accounting information. Further some accountants are of the view that the financial statements are too complex to help users make informed decisions, whilst others suggest that insufficient useful information is provided.
The purpose of this assignment is to ascertain the use, usefulness and perceived integrity of general purpose financial reports (Corporate Annual Reports) for a particular user group (shareholders). This assignment is to be completed by students working in pairs. There are two main reasons for this stipulation: security of questioners during the survey process, and avoidance of questioner bias in the responses.
You are encouraged to use your task 1 literature reviews in this
assignment, re-drafting them to make good use of the feedback provided and the combined knowledge of both parties. Twenty (20) survey responses from shareholders are required to be submitted by each pair of students. Completed questionnaire forms are to be initialled by the respondent, and attached as an appendix to the hard copy of your assignment. The survey instrument (questionnaire) is attached as an appendix to this unit outline.
Both an electronic & a hard copy of the paper are required.
Task length 3000 words maximum (excluding bibliography & appendices) Links to unit’s learning Learning outcomes 2-6 outcomes Assessment guidelines In marking this assignment the assessor will:
• consider correct format, expression, grammar and spelling • have regard to correct referencing and bibliography; and • check that arguments and conclusions are logically formulated
and complete.
Date Due 5.00 pm - Wednesday, 22nd September 2004
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Assessment task 3(1) – 10% Students will be required to complete either assignment 3(1) or assignment 3(2). Your assignation will be agreed with your lecturer in the first week of semester. Task Description Tutorial submission –
Multiple choice question & short answer assignment
In groups of 3, students will be assigned to prepare 7 multiple choice questions and 1 short answer question, based upon the readings for their allocated topic. In addition, each individual member of the group will be required to provide constructive feedback on the work of their team and comment on the work of others.
Each multiple-choice question should have four answer choices, listed a – d, and solutions must be provided that explain the reasons for the correct and incorrect answers. The solution to the short answer question should provide every marker with sufficient detail to ensure a reliable and equitable result for all. The questions must be in a format suitable for presentation on overhead film so that they can be clearly read by other tutorial participants. The purpose of this assignment is to help you identify the main ideas in your assigned readings for this unit. The preparation of multiple choice and short answer type questions will give you an idea of how such questions are designed and structured, and how their content might be chosen. This will better enable you to answer such questions in your future careers. Once you graduate from university, much of the assessment with which you will be confronted in gaining professional qualifications and in continuing professional development, will be in this format. The evaluation process aims to develop your ability to critically analyse your own work and the work of others, which closely parallels situations in a professional business career. The questions and answers are to be delivered to the lecturer by 5.00 pm on the Friday preceding the date of the allotted seminar. They may be in hard copy, or preferably sent by e-mail as a Word attachment. All e-mail submissions will be acknowledged by the lecturer when they are received. The onus is upon the students to ensure that an acknowledgment is obtained.
Task length N/A Links to unit’s learning Learning outcomes 3, 5 and 6 outcomes
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Assessment criteria/ Criterion Weight
Questions:Relevance and comprehension of material 40%Evidenced by:
demonstrated understanding of materialrelevance to main points of readingscomprehensive consideration of the literaturesuitability for testing knowledge of other studentsability to test understanding, rather than simple
memorising of informationSupplied Answers:Quality of discussion and argument 40%Evidenced by:
appropriate justification for answers givenclear, precise and economical expressionaccurate use of informationlogical explanations and argumentsprovision for other equally acceptable answers
Style and presentation 10%Evidenced by:
correct spelling, grammar and syntaxgood organisation and structureappropriate format used
Evaluation and Feedback 10%Evidenced by:
identification of strengths and weaknesses in relation to: teamwork, Q&As, students' answers,
and the process of peer assessmenttimeliness of the feedback provided
guidelines
Date due 5.00 pm - Friday preceding the date of the allotted tutorial. Evaluations – 1 week after the allotted tutorial
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Assessment task 3(2) – 10% Students will be required to complete either assignment 3(1) or assignment 3(2). Your assignation will be agreed with your lecturer in the first week of semester. Task Description Tutorial submission – Critique and Oral Presentation
Working in pairs, students are to critique the readings for the week as assigned, and make a presentation to their peers in the appropriate class lasting no longer than 10 minutes. A brief printed summary in support of your presentation is also required and is to be distributed to the class at the commencement of the tutorial. The presenting team should be prepared to answer questions from their colleagues. On one(1) other occasion students choosing to complete assignment 3(2) will also be required to provide an assessment on the work of fellow students completing assignment 3(2).
Task length 10 minute presentation; No more than a 2 page summary Links to unit’s learning Learning outcomes 2, 3, 5 and 6 outcomes Assessment criteria/ Marks for this assessment task will be awarded based on the guidelines clarity and style of your presentation, the quality of your
discussion, your ability to answer questions from colleagues, and your demonstrated comprehension of the material having regard to the following points.
When reading any kind of information it is important that we do so in an enquiring frame of mind. This is particularly the case when you are to critique the assigned readings for this assignment. If we are to rely on the information presented, we must be satisfied that the arguments are logically derived and soundly supported. A well-written paper gives some assurance that the author has taken care to check their sources and present the information correctly. It is important, also, to be able to assess whether the conclusions are internally and/or externally valid, and what contribution they make to the accounting debate. It is also important to be able to distil the main arguments of the literature succinctly. Students who are assigned to critique readings will thus be developing additional skills in information assessment and use as well as the communication skills needed to present their findings in a clear and unambiguous manner. 5% of the achievable mark will be based on the evaluation task.
Date due 5.00 pm - Friday preceding the date of the allotted tutorial. Evaluations – 1 week after the allotted tutorial
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Assessment task 4 – 15% Task Description Weekly test – MCQ & short answer
A selection of the multiple choice and short answer questions prepared by students completing assessment task 3(1) will be administered at each tutorial. These questions are to be answered by every student in attendance and will be conducted with the integrity of a test environment. Answers will be provided at the completion of the test when papers will be exchanged and marked by your peers. All students are required to submit answer sheets on four (4) occasions of their choice, at the end of the relevant tutorial. Answer sheets may not be submitted after the end of the tutoiral, and students may not submit answers to the questions in the weeks in which they have prepared them. Assessment will begin in Week 4.
Task length 10 minutes Links to unit’s learning Learning outcomes 1 and 5 outcomes Assessment criteria/ A total of 10 marks is achievable for each submitted test. guidelines 1 mark will be allocated to each correctly answered multiple
choice question with the remaining 3 marks available for the short answer question.
Date due At the end of the relevant tutorial – as agreed with the
lecturer. Final Exam – 40% Description/conditions Closed book examination – 3 hours duration
The exam will enable you to demonstrate breadth and depth of understanding across all the course material. All topics are examinable.
It is the policy of the School of Accounting & Finance not to offer supplementary examinations.
In order to pass this unit you will need to achieve an overall mark of at least 50%.
Date The final exam is conducted by the University Registrar in the
formal examination period. See the Current Students homepage on the University’s website.
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Assessment/Learning Outcomes/Generic Graduate Attributes Matrix
Assessment task 1: Research Project part 1 - Literature Review
Assessment task 2: Research Project part 2
Assessment task 3(1): Prepare MCQ & short answer question
Assessment task 3(2): Critique and oral presentation
Assessment task 4: Weekly test - MCQ & short answer
Final Examination: 3 hour - closed book
Learning Outcomes:
UTas Generic Graduate Attributes:
Matrix adapted from Unit Outline, Faculty of Business, University of the Sunshine Coast (2003)
Problem-solving skills
Global perspectives
Social responsibility
Learning Outcome 5:
Learning Outcome 6:
Knowledge
Communication skills
Learning Outcome 1:
Learning Outcome 2:
Learning Outcome 3:
Learning Outcome 4:
11. Submission of assignments
Your assignments are to be presented and submitted in accordance with the Guide for Students - Presentation and Submission of Assignments issued by the Faculty of Commerce. The appropriate individual / group assignment cover sheet must accompany all assignments. Your attention is also particularly drawn to the University’s rules on plagiarism. Assignments containing any plagiarised information will gain a zero mark and will be subject to the disciplinary processes of the University. Assignments will be marked as quickly as possible after all have been submitted, and returned with comments and grades awarded. For all assignments that are required to be completed in pairs or groups of 3, it is your responsibility to find another student/s to work with. You should reach agreement with your partner/s for all assignments by the end of Week 2. If you do not have a partner by Week 3, post a message on WebCT to ensure that all pairs are in place by the end of Week 3 at the latest. In order to undertake the survey for assignment 2 in particular, you will need to allow yourselves plenty of lead time.
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12. How your final result is determined
Method of Assessment Value Due dates (a) Continuous assessment Research Project – part 1
10%
5.00 pm, 16th August 2004
Research Project – part 2 25% 5.00 pm, 22nd September 2004 Tutorial submissions Weekly MCQ test
10% 15%
To be agreed with lecturer To be agreed with lecturer
60% (b) Written examination 40% During examination period 100%
You will need to achieve an overall mark of at least 50% to pass the unit.
13. Requests for extensions
Consistent with the Faculty’s policy on late submission, extensions of time will only be granted on medical or compassionate grounds. They will not be granted because of work or other commitments. Requests for extension must be made to the unit coordinator in writing on the School’s Application of Extension Form (available on WebCT) before the due date of the assignment. Medical certificates or other evidence, which supports the application, must be attached and must contain information which justifies the extension sought.
14. Penalties
Over-length Work Where word limits have been specified, students should take care not to exceed this word limit as any course work exceeding the word limit will not be assessed. It will be returned to the student/s for re-submission and must be resubmitted within 48 hours of being returned. A penalty of 20% will be automatically deducted from the resubmitted assignment.
Late Submission of Continuous Coursework The penalty for late submission of assignments in this Unit is 10% of the available mark for each day the assignment is late.
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15. Academic referencing
In your written work you will need to support your ideas by referring to scholarly literature, works of art and/or inventions. It is important that you understand how to correctly refer to the work of others and maintain academic integrity.
Failure to appropriately acknowledge the ideas of others constitutes academic dishonesty (plagiarism), a matter considered by the University of Tasmania as a serious offence.
The appropriate referencing style for this unit is the Harvard referencing method. The recommended text for this unit, Fleet, W, Summers & Smith, B. 2004, Communication Skills Handbook for Accounting, provides detailed information about using the Harvard referencing system. Further information on presentation of assignments, including referencing styles is available at: http://www.utas.edu.au/library/assist/gpoa/gpoa.html You can also access information about the referencing style used in this unit in the Faculty of Commerce Guide for Students available via WebCT or from the school’s website - http://www.utas.edu.au/accfin/documents/general/FacStudGuide2002.pdf.
Please read the following statement on plagiarism. Should you require clarification please see your unit coordinator or lecturer. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a form of cheating. It is taking and using someone else's thoughts, writings or inventions and representing them as your own; for example, using an author's words without putting them in quotation marks and citing the source, using an author's ideas without proper acknowledgment and citation, copying another student's work.
If you have any doubts about how to refer to the work of others in your assignments, please consult your lecturer or tutor for relevant referencing guidelines, and the academic integrity resources on the web at http://www.utas.edu.au/tl/supporting/academicintegrity/index.html.
The intentional copying of someone else’s work as one’s own is a serious offence punishable by penalties that may range from a fine or deduction/cancellation of marks and, in the most serious of cases, to exclusion from a unit, a course or the University. Details of penalties that can be imposed are available in the Ordinance of Student Discipline – Part 3 Academic Misconduct, see http://www.utas.edu.au/universitycouncil/legislation/
The University reserves the right to submit assignments to plagiarism detection software, and might then retain a copy of the assignment on its database for the purpose of future plagiarism checking.
For further information on this statement and general referencing guidelines, see http://www.utas.edu.au/plagiarism/
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16. Further information and assistance
If you are experiencing difficulties with your studies or assignments, have personal or life planning issues, disability or illness which may affect your course of study, you are advised to raise these with your lecturer in the first instance.
There is a range of University-wide support services available to you including Student Services, International Services and Learning Development. Please refer to the Current Students homepage at: http://www.utas.edu.au/students/
Should you require assistance in accessing the Library visit their website for more information at http://www.utas.edu.au/library/
SCHOOL OMBUDSPERSON
If you have any concerns aobut this unit then in the first instance you should discuss the matter with your lecturer. However, if you do not feel comfortable approaching your lecturer, or if you do have a discussion with the lecturer and are dissatisfied with the outcome, then you may contact one of the following people who also teach in the School of Accounting and Finance:
Peter Collett
Room: 422, Commerce Building, Hobart Campus
Telephone: 6226 2277
Email: [email protected]
Belinda Williams
Room: A257, Launceston Campus
Telephone: 6324 3661
Email: [email protected]
STUDENTS WITH DIABILITIES –
UNIVERSITY AND FACULTY EQUITY PLANS
Goal 1 of the University of Tasmania Equity Plan provides for: “An inclusive teaching and learning environment that values diversity, supports the pursuit of academic excellence and produces high quality education and employment results for all students and staff”. The Faculty of Commerce Equity Plan facilitates the University Plan at an operational level and has developed an ‘Action Plan’. The Action Plan for Goal 1 lays down procedures to ensure that all students, including those with disabilities, have equal access to lecture and course materials. The School of Accounting & Finance complies with these procedures.
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APPENDIX 1: Questionnaire
Explain to the potential respondent that you are carrying out a survey as part of an assignment for your Commerce Degree at the University of Tasmania, and ask whether they are a direct shareholder in any company. If they are not, thank them, and explain that your task is to survey only company shareholders. If they are a shareholder, ask whether they are willing to answer some questions about their reactions to the information in annual reports. If they are willing to continue, the following questions should be asked in numerical sequence, and responses noted on the question sheet.
To provide context for the study, please ask your respondents for the following Demographic information: Postcode: Gender: M/F Occupation: Age: (Circle) 18-34 35-54 55-64 65+ For how many years have you been a public company shareholder? How would you describe your level of participation in the share market? Active (regularly trade shares) Passive (Not a regular trader)
How would you describe your highest level of accounting/financial knowledge? Accounting/finance qualifications (Tick one only) Accounting/financial work experience Little accounting/financial knowledge No knowledge of accounting or finance Other (please describe)
Questions 1. How many annual reports do you see in an average year? 2. How many of these reports are …… å Published hard-copy documents ………….
å Electronic format only…………………….. å NOT Australian listed companies ………...
3. Do you read any or any part of them?
If no: ask why not and note the reason. Then thank the respondent for their time. No further questions. The reasons will be reported as part of your findings.
If yes: proceed through the following questions.
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4. In general, would you say that most of the annual reports you read…
Include only Concise Financial Reports Include only Full Annual Reports Include both the concise financial reports and the full financial reports
5. As a source of information on any company, do you rely on their financial reports to....?
(Tick one only) A great degree Some degree Only a little Not at all
6. In general, whenever you read financial reports do you tend to…? (Tick one only)
Read them in detail Read the financial section only Read the front narrative section only Just scan them File them for later reading
7. On a scale of 1 (not informative) to 5 (very informative), at what level do you find the information in annual reports sufficiently informative to assess: (Circle as appropriate)
Not
Informative Very
Informative
----------------------------------------------------------- a) Potential investment decisions 1 2 3 4 5
b) Corporate performance 1 2 3 4 5
c) Good corporate citizenship 1 2 3 4 5
d) Compliance with regulation e) Future developments
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
8. Please rank the following sections of annual reports in their order of usefulness for predicting the future performance of the company (1 = most useful, 6 = least useful).
Directors’ report Chairperson’s review Financial statements Text Audit report Other
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9. How confident are you with the information provided in the annual reports of listed companies?
Very confident Quite confident Not quite so confident Not at all confident Don’t know
10. Compared with say 12-18 months ago, has your level of confidence in the annual reports
of listed companies…? Increased Decreased Not really changed Don’t know
11. Why is that?
12. Do you agree or disagree either strongly or a little with these statements:
Annual reports are just another piece of company advertising…
Agree strongly Agree a little Neither agree nor disagree Disagree a little Disagree strongly
Annual reports are too complex to be useful…
Agree strongly Agree a little Neither agree nor disagree Disagree a little Disagree strongly
13. In general, what additional information do you believe company annual reports should
contain, and why?
14. In general, what information do you believe should be eliminated from annual reports, and why?
15. Do you have any other comments to make about annual reports or accounting information in general?
I confirm that I was interviewed by two students, and was made aware that this survey is part of the assessment requirements for a Commerce Degree at the University of Tasmania. I understand that all responses are confidential, and that individual respondents will not be identified.
Initials of respondent:
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