Assignment
UNIT NAME, UNIT CODE AND TERM
UNIT NAME ACCOUNTING INFORMATION FOR MANAGERS
UNIT NO. 700005 Year/Term 2018.1
Assignment Details
WEIGHTING 15% Due Date Week 7
MAXIMUM MARKS 100
OUTCOME ASSESSED 1,2 &
8 NO. OF PAGES (including cover sheet) 8
INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS
• The assessment is due to be uploaded by 9:00am Monday 16 April 2018 to the Turnitin dropbox on vUWS.
• Detailed submission instructions are on page 4 of this document
700005 Accounting Information for Managers Assignment Term 1 2018
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES
The following is a research assessment that you are required to discuss and analyse as per the ‘Required’ sections below. This task relates to the concept of good corporate governance and ethics and how it leads to better business sustainability.
Read the scenarios below and the answer the questions relating to the scenarios.
CASE STUDY
You have been asked to deliver a response in relation to corporate governance and ethics on the 5 scenarios below. In your response you will need to comment on the following situations in relation to the ASXCGC Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations. All scenarios assume that the organisation in question is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. You will need to cite any references you utilise to support your answers including both in text citations and referencing of sources of information
a. The External Auditor of a company went to Primary School with one of the company’s directors. This is disclosed in the first Audit Appointment Meeting.
b. A member of a board of directors for has not attended ANY Board of Directors meetings for 12 months as they have been working internationally.
c. The West is Best company has information that will have a significant effect on the future profitability of the business. They choose to disclose this information both on the company website and make a public statement.
d. All about the Money organisation currently has a manufacturing process that leaks hazardous waste into the local creek which in turn runs directly into the river catchment. The Board of Directors has just made the decision to continue to operate this manufacturing process as any alternative investigated will have a negative effect on profit.
e. The Chairman of the Board puts forward a proposal to increase the Salary for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) by 80% from the current level. This will place this CEO’s salary considerably above other CEO’s in the same industry.
Required:
1 Essay:
Using the information provided in the scenarios above and your knowledge of Corporate Governance, Ethics and Business Sustainability answer the following questions in essay format.
1. A brief introduction (including definitions) on Corporate Governance, Ethics, and Business Sustainability.
2. Five (5) body paragraphs which for each Scenario listed above (a, b, c, d, e) state if there are any breaches to or compliance with ASX CGC Principles and Recommendations. Ensure you specifically cite the particular ASX CGC Principle and Recommendation you are using for justifying your response
3. Concluding remarks on how sound corporate governance principles and practices and principles can lead to better business sustainability
2. Reference List:
Include any references you have used and cited in your essay. You must use the Harvard referencing system as per the guide available from the WSU library website. (Note: the reference list is not included in the word count).
References for the Textbook and ASX CGC Principles will need to be included in your Bibliography/Reference page as:
ASX Corporate Governance Council, 2014. Corporate Governance Principles and
Recommendations 3rd Edition. Sydney. Viewed XXXX- put the date you viewed it here.
https://www.asx.com.au/documents/asx-compliance/cgc-principles-and-recommendations3rd-edn.pdf
Birt, J, Chalmers, K, Maloney, S, Brooks, A & Oliver, J 2017, Accounting: business reporting for decision making, 6th edn, John Wiley & Sons, Milton
While attempting this task you are STRONGLY reminded of the importance of maintaining the originality of your work. Please make sure you use your own words to describe your ideas, and acknowledging the ideas, opinions and theories of others where you include them in your work. Submitting work that is not your own original effort has serious consequences ranging from the need to re-submit the assessment task to a finding of serious academic misconduct and suspension or exclusion from the college.
RESOURCES LIST TO ASSIST YOU
1. The ‘Individual Assignment Marking Guide’ on pages 6 ,7 and 8. It is imperative you follow this marking guide in order to have the opportunity to optimise the marks you may receive for this assignment. The marking guide shows what the marker will be looking for and what mark you will get if you reach certain levels of attainment. Print off a copy and use this to help you in your preparation.
2. Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 of the textbook. Birt, J, Chalmers, K, Maloney, S, Brooks, A & Oliver, J 2017, Accounting: business reporting for decision making, 6th edn, John Wiley & Sons, Milton
3. ASX Corporate Governance Principles 3rd Edition
http://www.asx.com.au/documents/asx-compliance/cgc-principles-andrecommendations-3rd-edn.pdf
4. Websites of the professional accounting bodies, such as, CPA Australia, and The ICAA Australia. These links are available through the accounting subject page of the WSU Library website (see internet link tab on said page).
5. The library resources link on vUWS and academic articles accessed via the library database. From library website e-Resources (scroll down to) Accounting select either ABI/INFORM or ACCOUNT. You can search using suitable keywords.
6. The library website at http://library.westernsydney.edu.au/main/sites/default/files/cite_Harvard.pdf This will ensure you use the correct referencing approach. This is the area that many students lose marks on please ensure that you not only cite all in text citations but also acknowledge your sources of information even if you have paraphrased.
SUBMISSION INFORMATION
1) Students are required to upload their assignment online through Turnitin on vUWS by 9:00am, Monday, 16 April 2018.
2) This is an online submission only assignment. The digital receipt generated by Turnitin and sent to the student’s email account should be retained as proof of submission.
3) The essay must be word processed in Arial or Times New Roman font, 12 point with a line-spacing of 1.5.
4) The length of the submitted work should be 750 words +/- 10% (excluding the appendix and reference list).
5) Please refer to the Learning Guide for details on Late Submissions and Special Considerations.
6) The Individual Assignment Marking Guide (see page 6-8) will show you how your mark has been determined and provide a form of additional feedback.
7) Please note this is an individual assignment and students should work independently. Any evidence of collusion will be reviewed and may lead to the application of the Student Misconduct Rule.
8) It is not necessary to include a cover page, table of contents or an executive summary. If included, these sections will not contribute towards the total word count or the total marks.
9) You must include a reference list and in-text citation wherever used. Please include any references you have used and cited in your essay. You must use the Harvard referencing system as per the guide available from the Western Sydney University library website. For guidance on referencing, please see the attached style guide in the vUWS folder. This will ensure that you use the correct referencing approach.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What sort of language does this assignment require?
Specialised terms, or “jargon”, should be defined but everyday terms should not. Do not assume that your reader is an expert in the area being discussed, nor assume that they are entirely uneducated.
How many references do we need?
The reference list should contain only those resources that have actually been referred to (or “cited”) in the assignment itself. The quantity of references is not as important as the quality of your references; the relevance of your references and how the references are used in your assignment. It is expected for a pass grade in this assignment that a minimum of 4 separate references are used.
Can we ask people we know and use their views and include it in the assignment?
No. Use published sources only.
Will our tutor (or other staff) read our drafts before we submit?
No. We will give guidance but will not actually read (or proof-read) any portion of the student’s work in advance.
Who should I ask if I have more questions?
You should ask your tutor as there may be other students who have the same questions and there is a need for consistency in advice.
How does the assignment contribute to my assessment mark?
This assignment is worth 15% of your total marks in the unit. You will be given a mark out of 100, which will then be converted to a mark out of 15 for this assessment task.
What is being asked for? Are we on the right track?
Making sure you understand what is being asked for is the first step! A good answer to a question that has not been asked is actually a bad answer! Reading Chapter 2 of the textbook would be a good starting point! In particular look at ethics, business sustainability and corporate governance. Other areas to consider are the role of corporate social responsibility and triple bottom line reporting and of course the ASX CGC Prinicples and Recommendations .
Part 1 (a)
Introduction
/15 There is no introduction. There is an attempt at an introduction but it does not
• include a thesis statement
OR
• preview the stages of the essay and
• does not include definitions of CG or Sustainability or Ethics There is an identifiable introductory statement which:
• includes a thesis statement
• includes only one definition of either corporate governance, sustainability or Ethics
BUT
• does not preview the stages of the essay. There is an
introductory statement which:
• includes a thesis statement
• includes two definitions of either Sustainability, corporate governance or
Ethics Definitions
BUT
• does not preview the stages of the essay There is a clearly identifiable introductory paragraph which:
• includes a thesis statement
• includes definitions of Sustainability, corporate governance and Ethics
BUT
• does not preview the stages of the essay.
There is a clearly identifiable introductory paragraph which:
• includes a thesis statement
• includes all definitions
• AND previews the stages of the essay.
0 1-4 5-7 8-10 11-13 14-15
Part 2 (a)
/9
There is no response to the question There is an attempt at a response but it has
• no justification AND
• no discussion of ethical considerations
AND
• no link to ASX CGC
Principles and
Recommendations
There is an attempt at a response from the perspective of the company but it has
• no justification OR
• no discussion of
ethical considerations
OR
• no link to ASX CGC Principles and
Recommendations
There is an attempt at a response from the
perspective of the company which includes a
• justification OR
• discussion of
ethical considerations
AND
• a link to ASX CGC Principles and/or
Recommendatio ns There is a considered response from the
perspective of the company which includes a
• justification including
linking to specific
ASX CGC
Principles and/or
Recommendations and
• discussion of ethical considerations
There is a detailed response from the perspective of the company which includes:
• detailed justification including linking to specific ASX CGC principles and recommendations of corporate governance and
• detailed discussion of ethical considerations
0 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9
Part 2 (b)
/9
There is no response to the question There is an attempt at a response but it has
• no justification AND
• no discussion of ethical considerations
AND
• no link to ASX CGC
Principles and
Recommendations
There is an attempt at a response from the perspective of the company but it has
• no justification OR
• no discussion of
ethical considerations
OR
• no link to ASX CGC Principles and
Recommendations
There is an attempt at a response from the
perspective of the company which includes a
• justification OR
• discussion of
ethical considerations
AND
• a link to ASX CGC Principles and/or
Recommendatio ns There is a considered response from the
perspective of the company which includes a
• justification including
linking to specific
ASX CGC
Principles and/or
Recommendations and
• discussion of ethical considerations
There is a detailed response from the perspective of the company which includes:
• detailed justification including linking to specific ASX CGC principles and recommendations of corporate governance and
• detailed discussion of ethical considerations
0 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9
Part 2 (c)
/9
There is no response to the question There is an attempt at a response but it has
• no justification AND
• no discussion of ethical considerations
AND
• no link to ASX CGC
Principles and
Recommendations
There is an attempt at a response from the perspective of the company but it has
• no justification OR
• no discussion of
ethical considerations
OR
• no link to ASX CGC Principles and
Recommendations
There is an attempt at a response from the perspective of the company which includes a
• justification OR
• discussion of
ethical considerations
AND
• a link to ASX CGC Principles and/or
Recommendatio ns There is a considered response from the perspective of the company which includes a
• justification including
linking to specific
ASX CGC
Principles and/or
Recommendations and
• discussion of ethical considerations
There is a detailed response from the perspective of the company which includes:
• detailed justification including linking to specific ASX CGC principles and recommendations of corporate governance and
• detailed discussion of ethical considerations
0 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9
Part 2 (d)
/ 9 There is no response to the question There is an attempt at a response but it has
• no justification AND
• no discussion of ethical considerations
AND
• no link to ASX CGC
Principles and
Recommendations
There is an attempt at a response from the perspective of the company but it has
• no justification OR
• no discussion of
ethical considerations
OR
• no link to ASX CGC Principles and
Recommendations
There is an attempt at a response from the
perspective of the company which includes a
• justification OR
• discussion of
ethical considerations
AND
• a link to ASX CGC Principles and/or
Recommendatio ns There is a considered response from the
perspective of the company which includes a
• justification including
linking to specific
ASX CGC
Principles and/or
Recommendations and
• discussion of ethical considerations
There is a detailed response from the perspective of the company which includes:
• detailed justification including linking to specific ASX CGC principles and recommendations of corporate governance and
• detailed discussion
of ethical considerations
0 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9
Part 2 (e)
/9 There is no response to the question There is an attempt at a response but it has
• no justification AND
• no discussion of ethical considerations
AND
• no link to ASX CGC
Principles and
Recommendations
There is an attempt at a response from the perspective of the company but it has
• no justification OR
• no discussion of
ethical considerations
OR
• no link to ASX CGC Principles and
Recommendations
There is an attempt at a response from the
perspective of the company which includes a
• justification OR
• discussion of
ethical considerations
AND
• a link to ASX CGC Principles and/or
Recommendatio ns
There is a considered response from the
perspective of the company which includes a
• justification including
linking to specific
ASX CGC
Principles and/or
Recommendations and
• discussion of ethical considerations
There is a detailed response from the perspective of the company which includes:
• detailed justification including linking to specific ASX CGC principles and recommendations of corporate governance and
• detailed
discussion of ethical consideratio ns
0 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9
Part 3
/10 There is no conclusion. There is an attempt at a conclusion but it does
not
• restate the thesis statement or
• summarize the main points. There is an identifiable concluding statement but it does not
• restate the thesis statement or
• summarize the main points. There is an identifiable concluding statement which
• restates the thesis statement and
• summarizes the main points There is a clearly identifiable concluding paragraph which
• restates the thesis statement
OR
• summarizes the main points
AND
• has a concluding statement regarding corporate governance practices and business sustainability. There is a clearly identifiable concluding paragraph which:
• restates the thesis statement
AND
• summarizes the main points
AND
• has a concluding statement regarding corporate governance
practices and business sustainability.
0-1 2-3 4-5 6 7-8 9-10
Written
Expression,
Spelling,
Grammar &
Punctuation
/10 • Does not use
formal, objective and concise
language
AND
• Has major grammatical errors
making the essay
difficult to comprehend. • Does not use formal, objective and concise
language
OR
• There are a lot of spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors. • Sometimes uses
formal, objective and
concise language
AND/OR
• There are some connections between ideas and sentences.
• There are some spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors • Often uses formal, objective and
concise language
AND/OR
• There are logical connections between ideas and sentences.
• There are a few
spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors • Predominately uses formal, objective and concise
language
AND
• Ideas are concise and formal
• There are some
clear and logical connections between ideas and sentences
• There are minor
spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors. • Almost always uses formal, objective and
concise language
AND
• Ideas are concise and formal
• there are clear and logical connections between ideas, sentences and paragraphs
• There are no spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors.
0-1 2-3 4-5 6 7-8 9-10
Harvard WSU
Reference
/15 Not in any known referencing format
• Missing required bibliographic details
OR
• no references or in text citations included
All or most references and in text citations are
not in Harvard WSU style but all required bibliographic details are present.
• May or may not include view date and URL present
AND/OR
• they are poorly formatted.
All references and in text citations are in Harvard WSU style but
• some required
bibliographic details are not present
AND/OR
• they are poorly formatted. The Harvard WSU
style for referencing and in text citations are acceptable??
• Most of the required bibliographic details are present and/or
• Not correctly formatted. The Harvard WSU
style for referencing and in text citations are very good.
• All required bibliographic details are present.
BUT
• It is not properly punctuated and/or
• May or may not include view date and URL.
• Correctly formatted. The Harvard WSU style for referencing and in text citations are excellent.
• Authors’ names and dates are presented correctly.
• Titles are italicised.
• All required bibliographic details are present.
• May or may not include view date and URL.
• Properly punctuated & formatted
0-2 3-5 6-8 9-11 12-13 14-15
Word Limit formatting and coversheet
750 words +/- 10% - 675-825 words
• Outside word
limit (less than 675 or greater than 825)
• Formatting does
not follow instructions (font size and spacing) • Within Word Limit
• Formatting follows
instructions (font size and spacing)
0 5