HA2011 Management Accounting – Group Assignment Brief: Performance Measurement Systems

1. Assessment Overview

• Unit Code: HA2011
• Unit Name: Management Accounting
• Assessment Type: Group Report
• Weighting: 30%
• Word Limit: Maximum 3,000 words
• Due Date: Week 10, Friday 11:59 PM (AEST)
• Group Size: 3 – 5 students

2. Assessment Purpose and Learning Outcomes

This assessment task requires students to function as a collaborative management accounting task force. You will apply key theoretical frameworks from Week 9, specifically the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), to a real-world context. The task evaluates your ability to plan and control business operations while utilizing financial metrics such as Return on Investment (ROI) and Residual Income to drive strategic decisions.

Successful completion of this report maps to the following Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs):

• Appraise the mechanics of pricing decisions within complex market structures (ULO 3).
• Analyze divisional performance through the calculation and interpretation of ROI and residual income (ULO 4).
• Design and implement management control systems to improve organizational efficiency (ULO 7).

3. The Scenario: ASX Strategic Task Force

You have been appointed as a Management Accountant for a firm listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). The Managing Director has established a task force to evaluate the feasibility of adopting a Balanced Scorecard (BSC) system. Your group must select a unique ASX-listed company (not already selected by another group on the shared Excel registry) and produce a professional advisory report.

4. Report Requirements

Your group report must address the following critical components with depth and academic rigor:

1. Organizational Profile: Provide a detailed description of your chosen ASX company, including its industry, primary revenue streams, and current market position.
2. Financial Performance Analysis: Calculate the company’s Return on Investment (ROI) using the formula: $$ROI = frac{text{Net Profit}}{text{Total Assets}}$$ Follow this with a critical discussion on strategic methods the firm could employ to improve this metric.
3. Theoretical Framework: Define the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) and provide a comprehensive description of its four traditional perspectives: Financial, Customer, Internal Process, and Learning & Growth.
4. Competitive Advantage: Analyze how the implementation of a BSC could specifically enhance the competitive advantages of your selected firm.
5. Suitability & Conclusion: Critically discuss the overall suitability of the BSC for your company, weighing the implementation costs against the strategic benefits.

5. Formatting and Submission Guidelines

• Format: MS Word, 12-pt Arial font, 2 cm margins, single-spaced.
• Structure: Must include a Holmes Cover Page, Assignment Participation Table, Executive Summary (placed before the Table of Contents), Introduction, Body with logical headings, Conclusion, and Reference List.
• Academic Integrity: All submissions must pass through SafeAssign. Similarity scores must remain within acceptable institutional limits.
• Referencing: Adhere strictly to the Harvard Referencing Style for both in-text citations and the final bibliography.

Sample Report Part

The transition from traditional financial reporting to a multidimensional performance measurement system is essential for firms operating in the volatile Australian market. For an ASX-listed entity, relying solely on Return on Investment (ROI) can lead to short-termism, where managers may delay necessary capital expenditures to artificially inflate current returns. By integrating the Balanced Scorecard, a firm can align its operational activities with its long-term vision, ensuring that internal process improvements directly translate into enhanced customer value. As argued by Kaplan and Norton (2018), the BSC allows organizations to track financial results while simultaneously monitoring the development of intangible assets required for future growth. Specifically, for a service-oriented firm, the “Learning and Growth” perspective ensures that staff training is treated as a strategic investment rather than a mere expense. Consequently, the suitability of the BSC for our selected firm is high, as it provides the necessary transparency to satisfy both internal management and external shareholders regarding sustainable performance.

Peer-Reviewed References

• Hoque, Z. (2021). Strategic Management Accounting: Concepts, Processes and Issues. 3rd edn. Spiramus Press Ltd.
• Kaplan, R. S. and Norton, D. P. (2018). ‘Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System’, Harvard Business Review, 74(1), pp. 75–85. [Classic reference for foundational theory].
• Madsen, D. Ø. and Stenheim, T. (2020). ‘The Balanced Scorecard: A Review of Theoretical and Empirical Research’, Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change, 16(3), pp. 437–459. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/JAOC-03-2020-0040
• Nielsen, S. and Roslender, R. (2023). ‘The Balanced Scorecard at 30: Reflecting on its Evolution and Impact’, British Accounting Review, 55(4), pp. 101–118. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bar.2023.101198
•  (2022). Strategic Management Accounting. 4th edn. London: SAGE Publications.

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