WM9QB-15 Performance Measurement and Financial Decision Making
Introductory description
A finance course for those on Management MSc Programmes to give the necessary financial and accounting knowledge to be able to analyse, interpret, extrapolate and produce financial data.
Module aims
To equip students with sufficient financial and accounting knowledge to be able to effectively communicate with the finance function, and interpret data given to them.
To allow students to be able to perform and interpret specific accounting and finance calculations, and to interpret and error-check any calculations supplied to them.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
A course to allow students with no or little financial knowledge to be able to use financial data in an effective manner, and be able to see the effect of their decisions and actions in the published financial data.
The topics covered are:
Interpretation of the basic financial statements
The links and feedback between a business operations and its financial data
The use of financial data to inform decision making, including calculations to allow the defence of a financial decision.
Calculation of various financial ratios, factors and decision-making outputs (for example, types of costing, NPV, IRR, ROCE, ARR, mIRR etc)
How to assess a company's financial performance from published data.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Critically assess a business' financial performance by integrating financial and business data to synthesise a clear opinion.
- Calculate, from novel datasets, the costs associated with the production of products or the provision of services
- Apply and justify appropriate financial and non-financial performance measures
- Work within a team to design and defend a financial decision and budget calculated from a complex and novel dataset.
Indicative reading list
Dyson, J.R.,(2020) Accounting for Non-Accounting Students, Tenth edition, Harlow, England: FT Prentice Hall. McKenzie, W, (2010) FT Guide to Using and Interpreting Company Accounts, Harlow, England: FT Prentice Hall. Goldenberg, D. 20160302, Derivatives Markets, Routledge. Available from: vbk://9781317423553 Bamber, M., Parry, S. 20201203, Accounting and Finance for Managers, 3rd Edition, Kogan Page. Available from: vbk://9781789667523 International finance : theory and policy / Paul R. Krugman, Maurice Obstfeld, Marc J. Melitz.
Subject specific skills
Analysis of complex data sets;
Presentation of analytical findings;
Ability to manipulate data concerning costing, budgeting, decision making and business financial performance.
Transferable skills
Teamwork, communication, numeracy, negotiation
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 5 sessions of 1 hour (3%) |
| Seminars | 20 sessions of 1 hour (13%) |
| Tutorials | 5 sessions of 1 hour (3%) |
| Online learning (independent) | 20 sessions of 1 hour (13%) |
| Other activity | 10 hours (7%) |
| Private study | 30 hours (20%) |
| Assessment | 60 hours (40%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
To re-enforce the class-based learning and allow students to practice questions etc. for discussion in seminars.
Other activity description
Self-study, reading and reflection
Syndicate work for in-module presentation (assessed) and individual test (assessed)
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-module group work | 20% | 10 hours | No |
|
Group work to calculate, present and defend a financial decision. |
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| Poster Presentation | 20% | 10 hours | Yes (extension) |
|
a one page pdf covering costing within a specific application. |
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| Post Module Assignment | 60% | 40 hours | Yes (extension) |
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A question to look at a listed company and assess its performance with specific, justified metrics. |
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Feedback on assessment
Feedback on marks for presentations/problems given during the module itself
Poster assessed and feedback given individually.
There is currently no information about the courses for which this module is core or optional.