Individual Assignment Specifications
Purpose:
This assignment aims at developing your understanding of the purpose and use of Management Accounting Systems (MAS) and its usefulness in aiding managers make informed decisions. You are to critically evaluate the literature (using journal articles) to analyse the practical use of MAS by contemporary companies, in terms of their relevance to the real-life companies’ decision-making by managers and achievement of business goals.
Word limit: 3000 words
Assignment Task: You are required to conduct a literature search and critically review a specific MAS in this assignment.
Part A
Choose ONE of the MAS studied in this unit from the list below, and answer the questions that follow:
• Budgeting System
OR
• Standard Costing System
Questions:
1. Briefly discuss the features of your chosen MAS. (3 marks)
2. Discuss the potential benefits of your chosen MAS. (3 marks)
3. List 4 specific examples of the type of information your chosen MAS can provide to assist managers make decisions. (2 marks)
4. Identify 1 specific Australian organisation that your chosen MAS is suited for and explain why. (3 marks)
Part B
Choose one peer reviewed journal article (from any country) on the: Use of your chosen MAS in a real-life organisation (i.e. a case-based empirical study). The article should be published between 2000 – 2020. Choose your article only after you have accessed and reviewed several relevant articles, and then choose the best article that will answer the questions below.
Questions:
1. Based on your chosen journal article, briefly summarise how the MAS was designed and implemented in the real-life organisation. (4 marks)
2. Based on your chosen journal article, did the MAS in the study satisfy the features discussed in Part A (Q1 and Q2)? Why or why not? Include examples in your answer from your journal article. (4 marks)
3. Based on your chosen journal article, how useful was the accounting information to the internal users in the organisation? Discuss with examples from your journal article. (4 marks)
4. Based on your literature findings, state two key lessons that would inform contemporary organisations about the practical use of your chosen MAS. (4 marks)

Additional Information:
a) You are encouraged to choose the journal article from the following Accounting and Management Accounting Journals:
Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal; Journal of Management Accounting Research Journal of Applied Management Accounting Research
b) Your chosen journal article in Part B must be uploaded (as a separate PDF file) together with your assignment (as a MS WORD file format).
marks will be deducted if you do not submit the journal article with your assignment.
c)The assignment must be in MS Word format, no spacing, 12-pt Arial font and 2 cm margins on all four sides of your page with appropriate section headings and page numbers.
Assignment Structure:
The report should include the following components:
a. Assignment cover page clearly stating your name and student number
b. Abstract (one paragraph)
c. Table of contents
d. A brief introduction or overview of what the report is about.
e. Body of the assignment with appropriate section headings
f. Conclusion
g. List of References
Marking Criteria
Marking Criteria Weighting
Part A
1. Briefly discuss the features of your chosen MAS. 3%
2. Discuss the potential benefits of your chosen MAS. 3%
3. List 4 specific examples of the type of information your chosen MAS can provide to 2%
assist managers make decisions.
4. Identify 1 specific Australian organisation that your chosen MAS is suited for and 3%
explain why.
Part B
1. Based on your chosen journal article, briefly summarise how the MAS was designed 4%
and implemented in the real-life organisation.
2. Based on your chosen journal article, did the MAS in the study satisfy the features 4%
discussed in Part A (Q1 and Q2)? Why or why not? Include examples in your answer
from your journal article.
3. Based on your chosen journal article, how useful was the accounting information to 4%
the internal users in the organisation? Discuss with examples from your journal article.
4. Based on your literature findings, state two key lessons that would inform 4%
contemporary organisations about the practical use of your chosen MAS.
Overall Presentation of Assignment 3%
TOTAL Weight 30%

Marking Rubric
Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

Part A
Briefly discuss the (2.1 - 3 marks) (1.9 - 2 marks) (1.6 – 1.8 marks) (1.1 – 1.5marks) (0 - 1 marks)
features of your chosen Present an Present a very Present a good Present a Unable to
MAS. (3 marks) excellent good discussion discussion of the reasonable explain the
discussion of of the features features of your discussion of features of your
the features of of your chosen chosen MAS. the features of chosen MAS.
your chosen MAS. your chosen
MAS. MAS.
Discuss the potential (2.1 - 3 marks) (1.9 - 2 marks) (1.6 – 1.8 marks) (1.1 – 1.5marks) (0 - 1 marks)
benefits of your chosen Present an Present a very Present a good Present a Unable to
MAS. (3 marks) excellent good discussion discussion of the reasonable explain the
discussion of of the potential potential benefits discussion of potential
the potential benefits of your of your chosen the potential benefits of your
benefits of your chosen MAS. MAS. benefits of your chosen MAS.
chosen MAS. chosen MAS.
List 4 specific examples of (1.7 - 2 marks) (1.3 – 1.6marks) (0.9 – 1.2 marks) (0.5 –0.8 marks) (0 – 0.4 marks)
the type of information Clear, concise A very good list A good list of 4 Adequate list of Unable to
your chosen MAS can and excellent of 4 examples examples of the 4 examples of present a
provide to assist list of 4 of the type of type of the type of proper list of 4
managers make examples of the information information your information examples of the
decisions. (2 marks) type of your chosen chosen MAS can your chosen type of
information MAS can provide to assist MAS can information
your chosen provide to assist managers make provide to assist your chosen
MAS can managers make decisions. managers make MAS can
provide to assist decisions. decisions. provide to assist

managers make managers make
decisions. decisions. or
confusing.

Identify 1 specific (2.1 - 3 marks) (1.9 - 2 marks) (1.6 – 1.8 marks) (1.1 – 1.5marks) (0 - 1 marks)
Australian organisation 1 specific 1 specific 1 specific 1 specific Unable to
that your chosen MAS is Australian Australian Australian Australian identify 1
suited for and explain organisation organisation organisation organisation specific
why. (3 marks) identified that is identified that is identified that is identified that is Australian
suited to your suited to your suited to your suited to your organisation
chosen MAS chosen MAS chosen MAS with chosen MAS that is suited to
with clear, with very good good with adequate your chosen
concise explanation to explanation to explanation to MAS and to
compelling justify it. justify it. justify it. justify it.
explanation to
justify it.
Part B
Based on your chosen (3.6 - 4 marks) (2.9 – 3.5marks) (2.1 – 2.8 marks) (1.6 – 2 marks) (0 – 1.5 marks)
journal article, briefly Present an Present a very Present a good Present a Unable to
summarise how the MAS excellent good discussion discussion of how reasonable explain how the
was designed and discussion of of how the MAS the MAS was discussion of MAS was
implemented in the real- how the MAS was designed designed and how the MAS designed and
life organisation. (4 was designed and implemented in was designed implemented in
marks) and implemented in your real-life and your real-life
implemented in your real-life organisation implemented in organisation
your real-life organisation based on your your real-life based on your
organisation based on your journal article. organisation journal article,
based on your journal article. based on your or confusing.
journal article. journal article.
Based on your chosen (3.6 - 4 marks) (2.9 – 3.5marks) (2.1 – 2.8 marks) (1.6 - 2 marks) (0 – 1.5 marks)
journal article, did the Clear, concise, Present a very Present a good Present a Unable to
MAS in the study satisfy compelling good discussion discussion reasonable explain whether
the features discussed in discussion on on whether the on whether the discussion on the costing
Part A (Q1 and Q2)? Why whether the costing system costing system in whether the system in the
or why not? Include MAS in the in the study the study satisfy costing system study satisfy the
examples in your answer study satisfy the satisfy the the features in the study features
from your journal article. features features discussed in Part satisfy the discussed in
(4 marks) discussed in discussed in A (Q1 and Q2) features Part A (Q1 and
Part A (Q1 and Part A (Q1 and with examples discussed in Q2) with lack of
Q2) with Q2) with provided from Part A (Q1 and examples
examples examples your journal Q2) with provided from
provided from provided from article. examples your journal
your journal your journal provided from article, or
article. article. your journal confusing,
article.
Based on your chosen (3.6 - 4 marks) (2.9 – 3.5marks) (2.1 – 2.8 marks) (1.6 - 2 marks) (0 – 1.5 marks)
journal article, how useful Present an Present a very Present a good Present a Unable to
was the accounting excellent good discussion discussion of how reasonable explain how
information to the discussion of of how useful useful the discussion of useful the
internal users in the how useful the the accounting accounting how useful the accounting
organisation? Discuss accounting information was information was accounting information was
with examples from your information was to the internal to the internal information was to the internal
journal article. (4 marks) to the internal users in the users in the to the internal users in the

users in the organisation organisation with users in the organisation
organisation with examples examples from organisation with examples
with examples from your your journal with examples from your
from your journal article. article. from your journal article,
journal article. journal article. or confusing.
Based on your literature (3.6 - 4 marks) (2.9 – 3.5marks) (2.1 – 2.8 marks) (1.6 - 2 marks) (0 – 1.5 marks)
findings, state two key Clear, concise, A very good two A good two key An adequate Unable to
lessons that would inform compelling two key lessons that lessons that two key lessons present two key
contemporary key lessons that would inform would inform that would lessons that
organisations about the would inform contemporary contemporary inform would inform
practical use of your contemporary organisations organisations contemporary contemporary
chosen MAS. (4 marks) organisations about the about the organisations organisations
about the practical use of practical use of about the about the
practical use of your chosen your chosen practical use of practical use of
your chosen MAS. MAS. your chosen your chosen
MAS. MAS. MAS, or
confusing.
Overall Presentation (2.1 - 3 marks) (1.9 - 2 marks) (1.6 – 1.8 marks) (1.1 – 1.5marks) (0 - 1 marks)
(3 marks) Include all Include all Include all Include most Lack key
elements and is elements and is elements and is elements and is elements and is
very well well presented. generally adequately poorly
presented. Writing flows presented presented. presented.
Writing flows clearly and appropriately. Writing Writing does
clearly and sections are Writing mostly sometimes does not flow clearly
sections are linked flows well and not flow clearly leaving the
linked very effectively. sections are leaving the paper to seem
effectively. Referencing is linked. paper to seem disjointed.
Referencing is of a high Referencing is in disjointed in Referencing is
exemplary. standard. accordance with areas. not in
English is used English is used guidelines. Referencing is accordance with
very effectively effectively with English is used somewhat in relevant
and error-free. very few errors effectively with accordance with guidelines. Basic
present. few errors guidelines. Basic English is used
present. English is used with errors
with some present.
errors present.
Total Marks (30) /30