University of Phoenix

Southern California Campus

On-Ground Faculty Syllabus
Course Title: Management Accounting
Course Number: ACC 561

REQUIRED TEXT: Links to course materials and electronic resources for each week of class
are located on the page of the student Website. Content is
divided by weeks.

Horngren, C. T., Sundem, G. L., Stratton, W. O., Burgstahler, D., &

Schatzberg, J. (2008). Introduction to management accounting (14th
ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

GROUP NUMBER: GA09MBA07

LOCATION: Gardena

SCHEDULE: Tuesday 6 p.m. until 10 p.m.

CALENDAR: April 20, 27, May 4, 11, 18, 25, 2010

INSTRUCTOR: Norris (Rashe) Dorsey, Ed.D.

BIOGRAPHY:

Dr. Norris Dorsey is an expert on leadership, business, and public speaking. He is an Adjunct
Assistant Professor of Business Administration at the University of Phoenix. He also teaches at
Webster University, Los Angeles Mission and Pierce colleges. In addition, Dr. Dorsey
represents CSU-Northridge as a member of the Bridge Building Leadership Initiative (BBLI) for
people of color doing Service Learning sponsored by California Campus Compact (CCC).

Dr. Dorsey's research interest focuses on the study of minority leaders in nonprofit organizations.
His current research includes identifying success stories using the value leadership model. Dr.
Dorsey earned a B.S. degree in Management and an M.B.A and Ed.D. in Organizational
Leadership from the University of La Verne in Southern California. His professional work
experience includes accounting, sales and marketing.

WELCOME:

I'm glad you have chosen the University of Phoenix. Your experience in class will be
educational, rewarding, and enjoyable. You have made an important decision as you embark on
your education that will help groom you in your career path; develop the skills and knowledge to
achieve your professional goals, provide leadership, and to help you become a critical thinker.
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CONTACT
INFORMATION: Cell 818-402-5050

AVAILABILITY: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday or by e-mail

norris.dorsey@gmail.com or dorseyn@email.uophx.edu

.
ATTENDANCE: Attendance policy is set by the University. The University of Phoenix’s
teaching/learning model includes mandatory class attendance. The
instructor intends to strictly enforce the University’s policy. Remember
that individual participation is required of each student for the successful
completion of this course to demonstrate familiarity with the assignments
and the ability to transfer theory into practice. ABSENCE FROM
CLASS WILL HAVE A PROFOUND NEGATIVE EFFECT ON YOUR
GRADE. The table shown below, details the University of Phoenix policy
regarding absences versus the number of workshops in the class.

Number of workshops Maximum Absences

1 0
2-4 0
5-9 1
10-50+ 2

LEARNING
TEAMS: Learning Teams are an essential part of the academic experience for
students and Learning Team members need to make the necessary
commitment to working together to meet the criteria for Learning Team
Assignments. In addition to providing supplemental learning environment
for mastery of course content, learning teams provide students with an
opportunity to develop and refine teamwork skills. Learning Teams are
comprised of three to five students and will meet weekly outside of class
times in person, via teleconference, real-time electronic conferencing, or
asynchronous conferencing. Team grades will be awarded for Learning
Team assignments.

Each week, starting in Workshop Two, each Learning Team must

complete a Learning Team Log to be turned in to the faculty member.
Teams are still expected to spend between 4.5 – 5.5 hours per week
outside of class.

Students are still required to complete a Learning Team Log for each week
to document the Learning Team meetings, whether held face-to-face or
electronically. Students must turn in the logs to the faculty member.
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PARTICIPATION: Participation in all workshops is required. An absence for whatever reason

will result in the loss of the participation points for participation that
night. If a student is absent, he/she does not gain the benefit of class
involvement and is not contributing to the learning of other students in the
class. They will, however, make up all written work for the class missed.

PARTICIPATION
GRADING
CRITERIA: Participation is graded on individual and group contributions to class
discussions. The vast majority of managers' interactions with others are
oral. They generally spend very little time reading and even less time
writing reports. For this reason, the development of oral skills is given a
high priority in this course. The classroom should be considered a
laboratory in which a student can test their ability to convince their peers
of the correctness of their approach.

Some of the characteristics of effective class participation are:

1. Are the points that are made relevant to the discussion in terms of
increasing everyone's understanding, or are they merely regurgitation
of case facts?
2. Do your comments take into consideration the ideas offered by others
earlier in the class, or are the points isolated and disjointed? The best
contributions following the lead off tend to be those, which reflect, not
only excellent preparation, but good listening, and interpretative and
integrative skills as well.
3. Do your comments show evidence of a thorough reading and analysis
of the case?
4. Does the participant distinguish among different kinds of data; that is,
facts, opinions, assumptions, and inferences?

5. Is there a willingness to test new ideas or are all comments

cautious/"safe"?

6. Is the participant willing to interact with other class members by

asking questions or challenging conclusions?

Outstanding Contributor: Contributions in class reflect thorough

preparation. Ideas offered are usually substantive, provide one or more
major insights, as well as, direction for the class. Arguments, when
offered, are well substantiated and persuasively presented. If this person
were not a member of the class, the quality of the discussions would be
diminished significantly.

Good Contributor: Contributions in class reflect thorough preparation.

Ideas offered are usually substantive, provide good insights and sometimes
direction for the class discussion. Arguments, when presented, are,
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generally, well substantiated and are often persuasive. If this person were
not a member of the class, the quality of the discussion would be
diminished considerably.

Adequate Contributor: Contributions in class reflect satisfactory

preparation. Ideas offered are sometimes substantive, provide generally
useful insights, but seldom offer a major new direction for the discussion.
Arguments are sometimes presented, and are fairly well substantiated and
sometimes persuasive. If this person were not a member of the class, the
quality of the discussions would be diminished somewhat.

Non-participant: This person has said little or nothing in this workshop

or class. Hence, there is no adequate basis for evaluation. If this person
were not a member of the class, the quality of the discussions would not
be changed.

Unsatisfactory Contributor: Contribution in class reflects inadequate or

non-existent preparation. Ideas offered are seldom substantive; provide
few, if any, insights; and rarely provide a constructive direction for the
class discussion. Integrative comments and effective arguments are
completely absent. Class contributions are, at best, “time fillers” efforts to
make isolated, obvious, or confusing points. If this person were not a
member of the class, valuable class time would be saved.

Example of things that cause one not to earn the full amount of
participation points:
Doing homework in class
Not reading assigned material
Being disruptive
Arriving late, leaving early
Cell phone/pagers going off during class

CELL PHONES
AND PAGERS: Out of consideration for others, please turn your cell phone and pagers to
the silent mode. If they do not have a silent or vibratory mode, please
turn them off. These items tend to distract the other students when they
ring during class discussions or learning team activities.

LATE ARRIVAL
EARLY
DEPARTURE: Late arrival and early departure may constitute loss of participation points
at the discretion of the instructor.

COURSE
STANDARDS: The Teaching/Learning Model used at the University of Phoenix is based
on the assumption that in preparation for every course, students will
satisfy all prerequisites. During the course itself, students will achieve
certain learning outcomes. All performance assessment will depend upon
the accomplishment of these outcomes. Students are graded on
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achievement rather than effort. It is the responsibility of the student to be
prepared for each workshop.

The University trusts each student to maintain high standards of honesty,

ethical behavior, and academic integrity. It is assumed that students will
perform professionally in preparing work required for this class. All
assignments submitted in fulfillment of course requirements must be the
student’s own work. All assignments, except those designated as “group,”
are meant to represent the effort of each individual student. Group
projects and assignments should represent equal efforts by all group
members. While the University’s Teaching/Learning Model emphasizes
the sharing of professional experiences in the context of analyzing relevant
course materials, it is against the policy of the University of Phoenix for
students or faculty members to share information in class about present or
past employers that would be considered proprietary, confidential,
company sensitive, or a trade secret.

PLAGIARISM: PLAGIARISM POLICY, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CAMPUS

Plagiarism or academic dishonesty, whether accidental or deliberate, is a

serious violation of the Student Code of Conduct. The faculty member has
the option of using classroom sanctions or elevating the case to campus
level. Students are advised that written assignments may be submitted
by the faculty member to an online plagiarism detection service.

It is plagiarism to go to the Internet, find an article, copy it to the clipboard

and then drop it into your word processor. Listing the article as a
reference on the last page will not cover you. This is plagiarism.

There are a few things that you can do that will help you to avoid being
charged with academic dishonesty. Please note the following:
1) Anytime that you use the words or ideas of another person without
giving credit, it is considered plagiarism, WHETHER YOUR
ACTIONS ARE INTENTIONAL OR NOT!
2) Differences between direct and indirect quotes:
a) Direct Quotes: Includes the exact wording from the source.
b) Indirect Quotes: Summarizes or paraphrases the content from the
source.
3) APA in-text requirements:
a) Direct Quote: Author’s last name, publication date, and page
number.
b) Indirect Quote: Author’s last name, publication date.
4) Punctuation requirements: ALL word-for-word quotations MUST be
placed in quotation marks.
5) Exception to the rule: Common Knowledge – if the same information
can be found in three or more sources and those sources do not cite an
earlier source, the information is considered common knowledge.
Also, commonly known facts (e.g., Washington, D.C. is the capital of
the U.S.) do not need a citation, even if you had to look them up.
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When in doubt, CITE.

Avoiding Plagiarism
It is highly recommended that each student complete the Avoiding
Plagiarism tutorial located at the University of Phoenix Student and
Faculty website (http://mycampus.phoenix.edu). Look under tutorials in
the lower left hand corner.

WRITTEN WORK: All papers are to be typed, spell-checked and grammar checked, well
written with a logical flow of thought. Submit double-spaced with 1"
margins, and prepared in the APA format found in the Publication Manual
of the American Psychological Association or Little, Brown Compact
Book published by Harper Collins. Papers should be in 12-pitch font,
using a serifed font such as Courier or Times Roman. Indent paragraphs
five spaces to indicate a new paragraph. Please include a title page on all
papers. Although numbered, the title page does not count toward the
required number of content pages.

Please staple your papers together in the upper left hand corner. Do not
put them into a folder, binder, or plastic cover. Please also submit your
written work electronically via email, on diskette or CD-ROM. Electronic
submissions are due no later than 10pm the night of class.

To accommodate faculty and students in making APA more user friendly,

a highly useful 21 page complementary document has been prepared for
ease in learning and applying the APA style. This document is titled,
APA Style Quick Reference Guide (undated but released on March 1,
2000). Accompanying the APA Style Quick Reference Guide are two
other useful tools: APA Grading Tool and APA Sample Paper. Students
may download each of these three invaluable resources from the
mycampus student web site.

LATE WORK: Late work will not earn the full points possible. Work turned in up to one
week late will earn 25 percent less per week. For example, an assignment
worth 20 points maximum that is turned in one week late will earn only 15
points maximum; two weeks late will only earn 10 points, etc. ALL work
MUST be turned in by the last workshop to earn any points. In addition,
the instructor reserves the right to reduce the student’s grade one full
letter grade if the course is not completed by the originally scheduled end
date.

INCOMPLETE: An Incomplete will be considered only if the request for an Incomplete is

submitted before the end date and all assignments from a minimum of
three workshops are completed with a passing grade prior to the course
end date. Incompletes are given at the discretion of the faculty member.
STUDENT
ASSIGNMENTS The Student Resource Center (SRC) will no longer accept student
assignments from faculty members for student pick up. All students
interested in receiving final workshop written assignment(s) must provide
the faculty member with a self-addressed envelope. Envelopes are
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provided free of charge in the SRC. The University will pay postage to
mail back to the student the envelope with the assignment feedback and
assignment points. Students must provide their own envelopes in all off-
site (non learning center) locations. Postage will be paid by the
University. The faculty member will deliver the envelope to the SRC.

Course Description

This course applies accounting tools to make management decisions. Students learn to evaluate
organizational performance from accounting information. Other topics include financial statements, cost
behavior, cost allocation, budgets, and control systems.

Course Topics & Objectives

Week One: Decision Making

• Explain the role of budgets and performance reports in the management decision-making
process.
• Evaluate the role of ethics in accounting decision making.
• Evaluate relevant accounting information for business decision making.

Week Two: Financial Statements

• Apply the concepts, techniques, and conventions of basic financial accounting.

• Identify how measurement conventions affect financial reporting.
• Determine the relationships between the elements of the four financial statements.

Week Three: Cost Behavior

• Evaluate how cost behavior affects selection of cost drivers and management decisions.
• Analyze the cost-volume-profit relationships to predict effects of changes in sales or costs,
including the break-even sales volume.
• Compare and contrast the different methods of measuring cost functions.
• Explain how cost accounting systems are used to determine the cost of a product, service,
customer, or other cost objectives.

Week Four: Budgets

• Explain the major components, advantages, and disadvantages of a master budget.

• Assess the risks associated with sales forecasting.
• Construct an activity-based flexible budget.

Week Five: Cost Allocation

• Explain the methods of cost allocation.

• Analyze how factory overhead is applied to products.
• Compare and contrast uses of variable and absorption costing.

Week Six: Performance Management

• Evaluate how managers use control systems to achieve organizational goals.

• Compute return on investment, residual income, and economic value added.
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Recommended Weekly Point Values

Week One
Individual Assignment: Guillermo Furniture Store Scenario 8
Week Two
Assessed Discussion Question: Financial Statements 2
Learning Team Assignment: Financial Statement Analysis 10
Week Three
Assessed Discussion Question: Aunt Connie’s Cookies Simulation 2
Individual Team Assignment: Practice Text Exercises 5
Week Four
Assessed Discussion Question: Master Budget 2
Learning Team Assignment: Guillermo Furniture Store Analysis 13
Week Five
Individual Assignment: Text Exercises 8
Week Six
Individual Assignment: Final Examination 15
Learning Team Assignment: Guillermo Furniture Store Paper 17
All Weeks
Participation & Discussion Questions 18
Point Total 100
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Week One
Decision Making

• Explain the role of budgets and performance reports in the management decision-making
process.
• Evaluate the role of ethics in accounting decision making.
• Evaluate relevant accounting information for business decision making.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

• Read Ch. 1, 5 & 6 of Introduction to Management Accounting.

2. Individual Assignment: Guillermo Furniture Store Scenario

• Resource: Guillermo Furniture Store Scenario

• Read the Guillermo Furniture Store Scenario.
• Write a paper in no more than 700 words explaining the following:

o How could Guillermo use budgets and performance reports in his decision-making
process?
o How might ethics influence his accounting decisions?
o What accounting information is most relevant for Guillermo to consider when making
decisions?

• Format your paper consistent with APA standards.

3. Discussion Questions

• Prepare to discuss any of the following questions from pp. 34 & 35 of

Introduction to Management Accounting: 1-5, 1-7, 1-9, 1-14, 1-17, 1-22, & 1-26.
• Prepare to discuss any of the following questions from p. 229 of
Introduction to Management Accounting: 5-2, 5-4, 5-7, 5-16, & 5-21.
• Prepare to discuss any of the following questions from p. 275 of
Introduction to Management Accounting: 6-3, 6-7, 6-9, 6-14, 6-18, & 6-23.
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Week Two
Financial Statements

• Apply the concepts, techniques, and conventions of basic financial accounting.

• Identify how measurement conventions affect financial reporting.
• Determine the relationships between the elements of the four financial statements.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

• Read Ch. 15 & 16 of Introduction to Management Accounting.

• Review the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) website:
http://www.iasb.org/Home.htm
• Review the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) website:
http://www.fasb.org

2. Assessed Discussion Question: Financial Statements

• In what ways do the elements of the four financial statements interact with one another?
How might changing one of the financial statements affect the other financial statements?
Why is it essential to understand the relationship between the financial statements?

3. Learning Team Assignment: Financial Statement Analysis

• Choose three companies, one from each of the following three sectors: manufacturing, service,
and retail sales. One company must be foreign.

• Compute the quick and current liquidity ratios, the DuPont ratio, profit margin, asset utilization,
and financial leverage of each of the three companies.

• Write a paper in no more than 1,050 words discussing how differences in the industries and
different IASB and FASB measurement conventions affect presentations. If one of the companies
uses the cash basis of accounting, how would that differ from the accrual basis?

• Format your paper consistent with APA standards.

4. Discussion Questions

• Prepare to discuss any of the following questions from p. 715 of

Introduction to Management Accounting: 15-3, 15-9, 15-4, & 15-15.
• Prepare to discuss any of the following questions from pp. 768 & 769 of
Introduction to Management Accounting: 16-1, 16-9, 16-14, 16-15, 16-23, & 16-29.
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Week Three
Cost Behavior

• Evaluate how cost behavior affects selection of cost drivers and management decisions.
• Analyze the cost-volume-profit relationships to predict effects of changes in sales or costs,
including the break-even sales volume.
• Compare and contrast the different methods of measuring cost functions.
• Explain how cost accounting systems are used to determine the cost of a product, service,
customer, or other cost objectives.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

• Read Ch. 2–4 of Introduction to Management Accounting.

2. Individual Assignment: Practice Text Exercises

• Resource: Introduction to Management Accounting

• Complete the following problem sets from the text:

o Question 2-48, CVP and Financial Statements for a Mega-Brand Company, on p. 82

o Question 2-61, CVP in a Modern Manufacturing Company, on p. 87
o EXCEL Application Exercise, CVP and Break-Even, on p. 89
o Question 3-38, Mixed Cost, Choosing Cost Drivers, and High-Low and Visual-Fit
Methods, on p. 121-122

3. Learning Team Instructions: Guillermo Furniture Store Paper

• Review the Week Six Assignment and begin working on the cost relationships and behaviors
section for the Guillermo Furniture Store Paper.

4. Assessed Discussion Question: Aunt Connie’s Cookies Simulation

• Resource: Aunt Connie’s Cookies simulation

• Complete the Aunt Connie’s Cookies simulation located on the student website.
• Reflect on the prerogatives and choices of the manager of Aunt Connie’s Cookies.
• Write a paper in no more than 700 words explaining how Aunt Connie’s Cookies could use cost
accounting systems to determine its product costs.

5. Discussion Questions

• Prepare to discuss any of the following questions from pp. 75 & 76 of

Introduction to Management Accounting: 2-6, 2-9, 2-13, 2-15, 2-19, & 2-23.
• Prepare to discuss any the following questions from p. 118 of
Introduction to Management Accounting: 3-4, 3-10, & 3-20.
• Prepare to discuss any of the following questions from pp. 178 & 179 of
Introduction to Management Accounting: 4-2, 4-9, 4-15, 4-24, & 4-30.
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Week Four
Budgets

• Explain the major components, advantages, and disadvantages of a master budget.

• Assess the risks associated with sales forecasting.
• Construct an activity-based flexible budget.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

• Read Ch. 7 & 8 of Introduction to Management Accounting.

2. Learning Team Assignment: Guillermo Furniture Store Analysis

You are the analyst for Guillermo Furniture Store. You are asked to revise the store’s flex budget
by using Excel®. Assume Guillermo continues doing business with his current budget.

• Write a budget in no more than 700 words that includes risks associated with sales forecasts and
an analysis of ethical considerations in the preparation and subsequent use of the budget.
Consider how the organization’s code of ethics requires an ethics analysis for any performance
tool.

• Format your paper consistent with APA standards.

3. Assessed Discussion Question: Master Budget

• The master budget is a detailed and comprehensive analysis of an organization’s long- and short-
term goals. Identify the major inputs to the master budget and the usefulness of each.
Additionally, why would a company need to create a master budget? What are the advantages
and disadvantages?

4. Discussion Questions

• Prepare to discuss any of the following questions from pp. 325 & 326 of Introduction to
Management Accounting: 7-6, 7-11, & 7-19.
• Prepare to discuss any of the following questions from p. 367 of Introduction to
Management Accounting: 8-2, 8-3, 8-5, 8-9, & 8-14.
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Week Five
Cost Allocation

• Explain the methods of cost allocation.

• Analyze how factory overhead is applied to products.
• Compare and contrast uses of variable and absorption costing.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

• Read Ch. 12 &13 of Introduction to Management Accounting.

2. Individual Assignment: Text Exercises

• Resource: Introduction to Management Accounting

• Complete the following problem sets from the textbook and show your work.

o EXCEL Application Exercise 12-59, Allocating Costs Using Direct and Step-Down
Methods, on p. 584
o Question 13-B3, Comparison of Variable Costing and Absorption Costing, on p. 617
o Question 13-45, Variable and Absorption Costing, on p. 621
o Question 13-48, Overhead Variances, on p. 622
o Question 13-49, Variances, on p. 622

3. Discussion Questions

• Prepare to discuss any of the following questions from p. 566 of Introduction to Management
Accounting: 12-2, 12-5, 12-11, & 12-18.
• Prepare to discuss any of the following questions from p. 618 of Introduction to Management
Accounting: 13-1, 13-3, 13-13, 13-16, & 13-22.
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Week Six
Performance Management

• Evaluate how managers use control systems to achieve organizational goals.

• Compute return on investment, residual income, and economic value added.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

• Read Ch. 9 &10 of Introduction to Management Accounting.

2. Individual Assignment: Final Exam

• Resources: Final exam and assigned readings from all weeks

• Select the link to the final exam on your student webpage. The exam is
available from the end of Week Five through the end of Week Six.
• Complete the final exam. Only one attempt is allowed, which is timed
and must be completed in 3 hours. Results are auto-graded and sent to your facilitator.

Note. Final exam questions are adapted from Introduction to Management Accounting.

3. Learning Team Assignment: Guillermo Furniture Store Paper

• Resource: Guillermo Furniture Store Scenario

• Review the Guillermo Furniture Store Scenario.
• Write a paper in no more than 1,400 words in which you explain the following:

o How do the cost relationships and behaviors at Guillermo Furniture Store determine
decision-making prerogatives for the manager?

o What control system might Guillermo use to help it achieve his store’s organizational
goals?

o Provide a break-even analysis on the current situation considering the possible effects of
selling the flame-retardant separately. This must be presented in at least one table.

o Compute the return on investment, residual income, and economic value added for the
current situation.

Format your paper consistent with APA standards.

4. Discussion Questions

• Prepare to discuss any of the following questions from pp. 414 & 415 of Introduction to
Management Accounting: 9-27, 9-28, 9-30, & 9-31.
• Prepare to discuss any of the following questions from pp. 458 & 459 of Introduction to
Management Accounting: 10-7, 10-10, 10-14, 10-24, & 10-25.

These assignments are due in Week Five.