BFA302

ACCOUNTING THEORY

School of Accounting and Finance

Faculty of Commerce

Semester 2 2004

Unit Outline

Bernadette Smith
&
Assoc. Prof. Gary O’Donovan

CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B

Contact details

Unit coordinator/lecturer: Bernadette Smith, BCom(Hons)

Associate Lecturer
Campus: Hobart
Room: 417
e-mail: B.N.Smith@utas.edu.au
phone: (03) 6226 2282
fax: (03) 6226 7845
Consultation hours: Wed. 1pm – 2pm & Thurs. 5pm – 6pm (Hobart)
Tues. 2pm – 3pm (Launceston) Room A262
Other times by appointment

Unit lecturer: Gary O’Donovan, BBus, Dip Ed, GradDipCDP, PhD, CPA
Associate Professor
Campus: Hobart
Room: 505
e-mail: Gary.ODonovan@utas.edu.au
phone: (03) 6226 2278
fax: (03) 6226 7845
Consultation hours: Any time by appointment

Unit lecturer (visiting): Michael Gaffikin, BCom Well, MBA(Hons)

Massey, DipTchg NZ, PhD Syd, FCPA
Professor
University: University of Wollongong

e-mail: gaffikin@uow.edu.au
phone: (03) 6226 2266 (at UTas)
fax: (03) 6226 7845 (at UTas)
Consultation hours: By appointment

© The University of Tasmania 2003

Contents

Unit Summary 4
Learning Outcomes 5
Generic graduate attributes 5
Prior knowledge &/or skills 6
Further learning resources required 6
Details of teaching arrangements 8
Learning expectations and strategies 8
Specific attendance/performance requirements 10
Unit schedule 10
Assessment details 11
Assessment/learning outcomes/generic attributes matrix 17
Submission of assignments 17
How your final result is determined 18
Requests for extensions 18
Penalties 18
Academic referencing 19
Plagiarism 19
Further information and assistance 20
Appendix 1: Questionnaire 21

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1. Unit Summary
BFA302 - Accounting Theory

Offered: Hob: sem 2, Ltn: sem 2, Offshore: sem 2

BFA 302 Accounting Theory represents the capstone of your studies in financial
accounting at the pass degree level. The unit examines financial accounting from a
theoretical perspective and provides a framework whereby contemporary accounting
issues and practice can be evaluated. It also provides skills in applying accounting
theories to the practice of accounting in relation to advanced professional accounting
issues. The unit is seen as an extension of the applied units you studied in the first two
years of your degree. It also provides an excellent grounding for honours and post-
graduate studies.

This unit not only provides a theoretical framework within which accounting issues
and practices can be examined, it also gives you the opportunity to develop high level
analytical skills and the ability to authoritatively present arguments and opinions on a
broad range of accounting issues. Knowledge of historical and contemporary issues
also gives you an opportunity to understand the rationale for the existence of current
accounting policies and practices, and the directions in which accounting policies may
develop.

It is important to understand that this unit covers a breadth of theories, philosophies

and issues. You should expect that your lecture and tutorial materials, readings and
assignments will not necessarily cover the same areas. They are all to be regarded as
different aspects of a whole learning process.

Staff: Bernadette Smith, Associate Professor Gary O’Donovan &

Professor Michael Gaffikin

Unit weight: 12.5%

Teaching pattern: 1.5-hr lecture, 1.5-hr tutorial, 2 independent study weeks

(13 wks)
Prerequisites: BFA201

Assessment: Continuous assessment (60%); exam (40%)

Required texts: Godfrey, J., Hodgson, A. & Holmes, S. 2003, Accounting

Theory, 5th edn, John Wiley & Sons, Brisbane.

BFA302 Readings Collection

Recommended text: Fleet, W, Summers & Smith, B. 2004, Communication Skills

Handbook for Accounting, John Wiley & Sons, Brisbane.

Courses: [C3C] [C3E]

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2. Learning Outcomes
On completion of this unit, you should be able to:

1. Describe and apply alternative theoretical frameworks in examining

accounting issues and practices;

2. Systematically evaluate accounting research literature;

3. Work in teams to consider key concepts in relation to historical and

contemporary accounting issues, effectively communicate this information
in a clear and unambiguous manner; and be able to constructively evaluate
the process;

4. Conduct an original research project; collect and critically analyse data and
report results in the form of an academic paper;

5. Analyse emerging issues in accounting theory and evaluate the social and
ethical implications and responsibilities of the accounting profession;

6. Demonstrate written and oral communication skills through the

presentation of logical, coherent arguments for and against current and
proposed accounting concepts, policies and practices.

3. Generic graduate attributes

By undertaking this unit you will progress in the development of the University of
Tasmania Generic Graduate Attributes in the following ways:

• Knowledge - being able to discuss and apply a range of underlying

principles that help to explain accounting behaviour; knowledge is also
specifically developed in the application of research and analysis skills.

• Communication skills - through written and /or oral presentations,

conducting interviews, working effectively in groups and being able to
give constructive feedback in relation to your interaction with others.

• Problem-solving skills - through the interpretation and analysis of data

you will be able to logically test your hypotheses, identify limitations and
evaluate results in relation to the extant literature. Competencies in
information literacy will also be developed through searching, evaluating
and using relevant literature to support your arguments.

• Global perspectives - by demonstrating an awareness of the role of

accounting within globalisation processes and being able to critically
appraise current developments in relation to international standards.

• Social responsibility – through the acknowledgement of ethical, social

and environmental responsibilities within the accounting profession.

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4. Prior knowledge &/or skills
You must have passed BFA201 Financial Accounting. In addition it is expected that
you are familiar with, and able to discuss, practical issues involved in accounting
practices and policies. This unit provides the theoretical perspective by which these
are evaluated.

5. Further learning resources required

Statements of Accounting Concepts
These are contained in sets of Accounting Standards published by the Australian
Accounting Research Foundation, Prentice Hall, or contained in the handbooks of
CPA Australia and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.

Additional journal articles may be made available during the semester.

SUPPLEMENTARY REFERENCES

You will benefit from reading as broadly as possible. Accounting theory concerns
ideas, and the more literature you survey the more exposure you will gain to
alternative approaches to accounting. References that might be helpful include:

Belkaoui, A.R. 2000. Accounting Theory, 4th Edn, Thomson, London.

Belkaoui, A.R. & Jones, S. 2002. Accounting Theory, 2nd Edn, Thomson, Southbank.

Bloom, R. & Elgers, P. 1995 Foundations of Accounting Theory & Policy, Dryden,
USA.

Cotesta, P.V et al, 1998. Writing for Accounting Students, Butterworths, Sydney.

Deegan, C. 2003. Financial Accounting Theory, McGraw-Hill, Roseville, NSW.

Henderson, S., Peirson, G. & Harris, K. 2004. Financial Accounting Theory, Pearson
Education Australia, French Forest, NSW.

Puxty, A.G. 1998. The Social and Organisational Context of Management

Accounting, International Thomson, London, Reprint 1998

Whittred, G, Zimmer, I., & Taylor, S. 2000 Financial Accounting Incentive Effects
and Economic Consequences, Fifth Edition, Holt Rinehart and Winston, Sydney,

OTHER READING

You are expected to read beyond the textbooks, especially for your assignments, and
if you seek a distinction grade you will need to keep abreast of new issues and
developments. This can be done by reading widely, including the financial press,
journals of the professional accounting bodies, and most importantly, the scholarly
literature. In reading the scholarly literature, you should focus on the theory contained

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at the start and end of papers. Whilst the methodology is important, our main focus is
on the theory developed through research and the conclusions drawn. The major
scholarly journals that you may find both readable and useful include:

Abacus
Accounting and Business Research
Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal
Accounting Forum
Accounting Horizons
Accounting Organisations and Society
Accounting Research Journal
Australian Accounting Review
The British Accounting Review
Critical Perspectives on Accounting

This is a small sample. Many useful accounting journals are in the University Library,
and are also available electronically.

ON-LINE RESOURCES
WebCT will be used to supplement your studies in this unit. WebCT may be accessed
on computers in computing laboratories at the University or on your computer at
home or at work. For instructions on how to access WebCT go to the ‘Support
Services’ link at http://www.utas.edu.au/coursesonline. The PDF document located
under ‘Teaching and Learning Resources’ covers:
• software and hardware requirements
• accessing the internet
• how to log on and off
• how to get help
WebCT features that will be used in this unit include:
• Unit Information – includes a copy of this Unit Outline, tutorial allocations,
the Faculty Guide for Students, assignment cover sheets, applications for late
submission, assignment results, past exam papers and links to other useful
sites identified by teaching staff in the unit. Marks for assignments will also
be posted in this area.
• Learning Resources – includes lecture slides, tutorial questions and activities
as well as any other resources such as additional readings that may be
prescribed during the course of the semester.
• Communication – includes the ‘Discussion’ and ‘Mail’ facilities. You are
encouraged to ask questions via the WebCT discussion board as this allows all
students in the unit the opportunity to participate. The ‘Mail’ area has an
optional feature that allows you to automatically forward your WebCT mail to
an email address that you frequently use.

To navigate through the various facilities offered in WebCT always click on the
‘breadcrumbs’ – i.e. åHome åUnit Information åUnit Outline. WebCT files will be
in PDF format and can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. (This software is already
installed on most computers but otherwise is freely available to download).

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6. Details of teaching arrangements
We have planned this unit to occupy, on average, 12 hours per week of your time for
13 weeks. The hours are allocated between:

Lecture 1.5 hours x 11 weeks

Tutorial 1.5 hours x 10 weeks
Reading & independent study 9 hours
12 hours per week

Designated independent study week 12 hours x 2 weeks

If you are not a fast reader you may have to spend longer on independent study as it is
intended that most of your learning will be done through your reading,
independent study, and written assignments.

7. Learning expectations and strategies

Expectations
The University is committed to high standards of professional conduct in all activities,
and holds its commitment and responsibilities to its students as being of paramount
importance. Likewise, it holds expectations about the responsibilities students have as
they pursue their studies within the special environment the University offers.
The University’s Code of Conduct for Teaching and Learning states:
Students are expected to participate actively and positively in the
teaching/learning environment. They must attend classes when and
as required, strive to maintain steady progress within the subject
or unit framework, comply with workload expectations, and submit
required work on time.

This is a demanding unit worthy of a final year university course. It is intended to

introduce you to many new, and often complex, concepts, and to extend your
knowledge of the philosophy of accounting. As it is also a final year unit, all aspects
of your work are expected to be of a high standard, both in academic content and
quality of presentation.

Standardisation

In order to maintain the high reputation of the School of Accounting and Finance in
the wider community – educationally, academically and by business – the School does
not standardise student results. Rather, the School expects high standards of their
students, and insists that students devote sufficient time and effort to their studies
throughout the semester to achieve grades of pass or higher on merit.

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Learning strategies

If you are studying this unit you must already have developed skills and strategies that
have helped you achieve success in previous accounting units. However, this unit
requires more reading, more theorising (and abstract thinking), and good verbal and
writing skills. The emphasis is on reading, understanding, discussing and writing,
and not on technical procedures.

It is vitally important that your preparation work be done before you attend classes.
Otherwise, you will gain very little from attendance, and will be unable to contribute
to the development of group knowledge.

Encouraging you to study and learn independently is an important goal of university

education. It is a feature of a reflective approach to learning in which you reflect on
what it is you are learning and how you plan your learning strategy.

The tutorial sessions in particular will provide an interactive forum for the
development and sharing of ideas. Participation is an important facet of this unit, and
below are some points that are useful to consider when discussing issues:

• are your points pertinent to the discussion? Do they increase the

understanding of the class?

• Is there continuity in your contributions or do the comments tend to be

disjointed and isolated? The best class contributions are those that reflect
thorough preparation and good listening, interpretive and integrative skills;

• do your comments reflect a willingness to put forth new, challenging ideas or

are they always agreeable and “safe”?

• are you able and willing to interact with others by asking questions, providing
supportive comments or challenging constructively what has been said?

Do not be reluctant to ask questions or contribute ideas, even if only partly formed,
as these can often form a basis for very constructive interaction.

Depending on your reading and writing skills, you should achieve success in this
unit if you:

• keep up-to-date with the reading;

• consolidate your reading by making appropriate short notes and summaries;
• give yourself plenty of time to write your assignments;
• prepare for and actively participate in the seminar sessions; and
• take responsibility for your own learning.

If you fall behind with your reading and rush your written work you will find that you
have too much to make up before the examination and will be under-prepared.

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8. Specific attendance/performance requirements
There are no specific attendance requirements for this unit, however in order to pass
the unit you must achieve an overall mark of at least 50%.

9. Unit Schedule
Week Wk begin. Topic Reading*
1 Jul 12 Introduction to Accounting Theory. GHH 1
Normative, Positive & Critical
Theories.
2 Jul 19 Historical Development of Accounting. GHH 2 & 3
Accounting Theory Construction.
3 Jul 26 Capital Markets Research. GHH 9 & 10
Positive Accounting Theory. Ball & Brown (1968)
4 Aug 2 Behavioural Aspects and User- GHH 11
Usefulness of Accounting. Chew (2002) Smith (2004)
5 Aug 9 Independent Study GHH 13
Normative Theory:
A Conceptual Framework for
Accounting
6 Aug 16 Normative Theory: GHH 6, 7 & 8 (Scan)
Foundational Concepts and Gibson & Goyen (1996)
Measurement Issues
7 Aug 23 Normative/Positive Theory: GHH 12
Standard-Setting in a Political Collett, Godfrey & Hrasky
Environment (2001)
Aug 30
MID SEMESTER BREAK

8 Sep 6 Globalisation: Theoretical Issues & Graham & Neu (2003)

Debates
9 Sep 13 Ethics and the Accounting Discipline Collett (1995)
10 Sep 20 Independent Study Gibson (1996)
Critical Theory: Gibson (2000)
11 Sep 27 Critical Theory: An alternative tba

12 Oct 4 Stakeholder, Political Economy and GHH 19

Legitimacy Theories Gibson & O’Donovan (2001)
O’Donovan (1999)
13 Oct 11 Social & Environmental Accountability GHH 19

*Key: GHH: Godfrey, Hodgson & Holmes

Articles are in the Book of Readings

NB: The readings are to be done before classes each week.

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10. Assessment details

Assessment task 1 – 10%

Task Description Research Project part 1 – Literature Review

Survey the accounting literature on the adequacy, transparency
and predictive ability of accounting information contained in
annual reports. The purpose of the literature review is to
establish a theoretical context for your research project. It
should therefore deal with each theme or issue in logical
progression.

This assignment is to be completed by students working

individually.

An electronic version (disk, CD or email) must be submitted

together with a hard copy.

Task length 1000 words maximum

Links to unit’s learning Through a systematic search of the literature, this assignment
outcomes is designed to help you to put into practice your knowledge of
accounting theory development, to review user perspectives
and behavioural issues, and to reconsider the conceptual
framework issues. As such it assesses learning outcomes 1, 2,
5 and 6 and is an important formative part of assessing learning
outcome 4.

Assessment criteria/ Criterion Weight

guidelines Relevance and comprehension of material 40%
Evidenced by:
demonstrated understanding of material
location of and appropriate use of relevant literature
comprehensive consideration of the literature
Quality of discussion and argument 40%
Evidenced by:
logical development of explanations and arguments
clear, precise and economical expression
accurate use of information
appropriate justification for your research
Style and presentation 20%
Evidenced by:
correct spelling
correct grammar and syntax
structure clarified by headings and paragraphs
references properly noted and listed
good organisation and ease of reading

Date due 5.00 pm - Monday, 16th August 2004

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Assessment task 2 – 25%

Task Description Research Project part 2

This assignment requires you to undertake and report, in the
form of an academic paper, an original piece of research
regarding the adequacy of information contained in company
annual reports.

Recent corporate collapses and subsequent prosecutions of

high-profile personnel have led to public criticism of the
disclosure of accounting information. Further some
accountants are of the view that the financial statements are too
complex to help users make informed decisions, whilst others
suggest that insufficient useful information is provided.

The purpose of this assignment is to ascertain the use,

usefulness and perceived integrity of general purpose financial
reports (Corporate Annual Reports) for a particular user group
(shareholders).

This assignment is to be completed by students working in

pairs. There are two main reasons for this stipulation:
security of questioners during the survey process, and
avoidance of questioner bias in the responses.

You are encouraged to use your task 1 literature reviews in this

assignment, re-drafting them to make good use of the feedback
provided and the combined knowledge of both parties.

Twenty (20) survey responses from shareholders are required

to be submitted by each pair of students. Completed
questionnaire forms are to be initialled by the respondent, and
attached as an appendix to the hard copy of your assignment.

The survey instrument (questionnaire) is attached as an

appendix to this unit outline.

Both an electronic & a hard copy of the paper are required.

Task length 3000 words maximum (excluding bibliography & appendices)

Links to unit’s learning Learning outcomes 2-6

outcomes
Assessment guidelines In marking this assignment the assessor will:
• consider correct format, expression, grammar and spelling
• have regard to correct referencing and bibliography; and
• check that arguments and conclusions are logically formulated
and complete.

Date Due 5.00 pm - Wednesday, 22nd September 2004

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Assessment task 3(1) – 10%

Students will be required to complete either assignment 3(1) or assignment 3(2).

Your assignation will be agreed with your lecturer in the first week of semester.

Task Description Tutorial submission –

Multiple choice question & short answer assignment

In groups of 3, students will be assigned to prepare 7 multiple

choice questions and 1 short answer question, based upon the
readings for their allocated topic. In addition, each individual
member of the group will be required to provide constructive
feedback on the work of their team and comment on the work
of others.

Each multiple-choice question should have four answer

choices, listed a – d, and solutions must be provided that
explain the reasons for the correct and incorrect answers. The
solution to the short answer question should provide every
marker with sufficient detail to ensure a reliable and equitable
result for all. The questions must be in a format suitable for
presentation on overhead film so that they can be clearly read
by other tutorial participants.

The purpose of this assignment is to help you identify the main

ideas in your assigned readings for this unit. The preparation of
multiple choice and short answer type questions will give you
an idea of how such questions are designed and structured, and
how their content might be chosen. This will better enable you
to answer such questions in your future careers. Once you
graduate from university, much of the assessment with which
you will be confronted in gaining professional qualifications
and in continuing professional development, will be in this
format. The evaluation process aims to develop your ability to
critically analyse your own work and the work of others, which
closely parallels situations in a professional business career.

The questions and answers are to be delivered to the lecturer by

5.00 pm on the Friday preceding the date of the allotted
seminar. They may be in hard copy, or preferably sent by e-
mail as a Word attachment. All e-mail submissions will be
acknowledged by the lecturer when they are received. The
onus is upon the students to ensure that an acknowledgment is
obtained.

Task length N/A

Links to unit’s learning Learning outcomes 3, 5 and 6

outcomes

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Assessment criteria/ Criterion Weight
guidelines Questions:
Relevance and comprehension of material 40%
Evidenced by:
demonstrated understanding of material
relevance to main points of readings
comprehensive consideration of the literature
suitability for testing knowledge of other students
ability to test understanding, rather than simple
memorising of information
Supplied Answers:
Quality of discussion and argument 40%
Evidenced by:
appropriate justification for answers given
clear, precise and economical expression
accurate use of information
logical explanations and arguments
provision for other equally acceptable answers

Style and presentation 10%

Evidenced by:
correct spelling, grammar and syntax
good organisation and structure
appropriate format used
Evaluation and Feedback 10%
Evidenced by:
identification of strengths and weaknesses in relation to:
teamwork, Q&As, students' answers,
and the process of peer assessment
timeliness of the feedback provided

Date due 5.00 pm - Friday preceding the date of the allotted tutorial.
Evaluations – 1 week after the allotted tutorial

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Assessment task 3(2) – 10%

Students will be required to complete either assignment 3(1) or assignment 3(2).

Your assignation will be agreed with your lecturer in the first week of semester.

Task Description Tutorial submission – Critique and Oral Presentation

Working in pairs, students are to critique the readings for the

week as assigned, and make a presentation to their peers in the
appropriate class lasting no longer than 10 minutes. A brief
printed summary in support of your presentation is also
required and is to be distributed to the class at the
commencement of the tutorial. The presenting team should be
prepared to answer questions from their colleagues.

On one(1) other occasion students choosing to complete

assignment 3(2) will also be required to provide an assessment
on the work of fellow students completing assignment 3(2).

Task length 10 minute presentation; No more than a 2 page summary

Links to unit’s learning Learning outcomes 2, 3, 5 and 6

outcomes
Assessment criteria/ Marks for this assessment task will be awarded based on the
guidelines clarity and style of your presentation, the quality of your
discussion, your ability to answer questions from colleagues,
and your demonstrated comprehension of the material having
regard to the following points.

When reading any kind of information it is important that we

do so in an enquiring frame of mind. This is particularly the
case when you are to critique the assigned readings for this
assignment. If we are to rely on the information presented, we
must be satisfied that the arguments are logically derived and
soundly supported. A well-written paper gives some assurance
that the author has taken care to check their sources and present
the information correctly. It is important, also, to be able to
assess whether the conclusions are internally and/or externally
valid, and what contribution they make to the accounting
debate. It is also important to be able to distil the main
arguments of the literature succinctly. Students who are
assigned to critique readings will thus be developing additional
skills in information assessment and use as well as the
communication skills needed to present their findings in a clear
and unambiguous manner.
5% of the achievable mark will be based on the evaluation
task.

Date due 5.00 pm - Friday preceding the date of the allotted tutorial.
Evaluations – 1 week after the allotted tutorial

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Assessment task 4 – 15%
Task Description Weekly test – MCQ & short answer

A selection of the multiple choice and short answer questions

prepared by students completing assessment task 3(1) will be
administered at each tutorial. These questions are to be
answered by every student in attendance and will be conducted
with the integrity of a test environment. Answers will be
provided at the completion of the test when papers will be
exchanged and marked by your peers. All students are
required to submit answer sheets on four (4) occasions of their
choice, at the end of the relevant tutorial. Answer sheets may
not be submitted after the end of the tutoiral, and students may
not submit answers to the questions in the weeks in which they
have prepared them. Assessment will begin in Week 4.

Task length 10 minutes

Links to unit’s learning Learning outcomes 1 and 5

outcomes
Assessment criteria/ A total of 10 marks is achievable for each submitted test.
guidelines 1 mark will be allocated to each correctly answered multiple
choice question with the remaining 3 marks available for the
short answer question.

Date due At the end of the relevant tutorial – as agreed with the
lecturer.

Final Exam – 40%

Description/conditions Closed book examination – 3 hours duration

The exam will enable you to demonstrate breadth and depth of

understanding across all the course material.
All topics are examinable.

It is the policy of the School of Accounting & Finance not to

offer supplementary examinations.

In order to pass this unit you will need to achieve an overall

mark of at least 50%.

Date The final exam is conducted by the University Registrar in the

formal examination period. See the Current Students
homepage on the University’s website.

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 Assessment/Learning Outcomes/Generic Graduate Attributes Matrix
Assessment task 1: Research Project part 1 - Literature Review
Assessment task 2: Research Project part 2
Assessment task 3(1): Prepare MCQ & short answer question
Assessment task 3(2): Critique and oral presentation
Assessment task 4: Weekly test - MCQ & short answer
Final Examination: 3 hour - closed book

Learning Outcomes:
Learning Outcome 1:
Learning Outcome 2:
Learning Outcome 3:
Learning Outcome 4:
Learning Outcome 5:
Learning Outcome 6:
UTas Generic Graduate Attributes:
Knowledge
Communication skills
Problem-solving skills
Global perspectives
Social responsibility
Matrix adapted from Unit Outline, Faculty of Business, University of the Sunshine Coast (2003)

11. Submission of assignments

Your assignments are to be presented and submitted in accordance with the Guide for
Students - Presentation and Submission of Assignments issued by the Faculty of
Commerce. The appropriate individual / group assignment cover sheet must
accompany all assignments. Your attention is also particularly drawn to the
University’s rules on plagiarism. Assignments containing any plagiarised
information will gain a zero mark and will be subject to the disciplinary processes of
the University. Assignments will be marked as quickly as possible after all have been
submitted, and returned with comments and grades awarded.

For all assignments that are required to be completed in pairs or groups of 3, it is your
responsibility to find another student/s to work with. You should reach agreement
with your partner/s for all assignments by the end of Week 2. If you do not have a
partner by Week 3, post a message on WebCT to ensure that all pairs are in place by
the end of Week 3 at the latest. In order to undertake the survey for assignment 2 in
particular, you will need to allow yourselves plenty of lead time.

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12. How your final result is determined
Method of Assessment Value Due dates

(a) Continuous assessment

Research Project – part 1 10% 5.00 pm, 16th August 2004
Research Project – part 2 25% 5.00 pm, 22nd September 2004
Tutorial submissions 10% To be agreed with lecturer
Weekly MCQ test 15% To be agreed with lecturer
60%
(b) Written examination 40% During examination period
100%

You will need to achieve an overall mark of at least 50% to pass the unit.

13. Requests for extensions

Consistent with the Faculty’s policy on late submission, extensions of time will only
be granted on medical or compassionate grounds. They will not be granted because
of work or other commitments. Requests for extension must be made to the unit
coordinator in writing on the School’s Application of Extension Form (available on
WebCT) before the due date of the assignment. Medical certificates or other
evidence, which supports the application, must be attached and must contain
information which justifies the extension sought.

14. Penalties
Over-length Work
Where word limits have been specified, students should take care not to exceed this
word limit as any course work exceeding the word limit will not be assessed. It will
be returned to the student/s for re-submission and must be resubmitted within 48
hours of being returned. A penalty of 20% will be automatically deducted from the
resubmitted assignment.

Late Submission of Continuous Coursework

The penalty for late submission of assignments in this Unit is 10% of the available
mark for each day the assignment is late.

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15. Academic referencing
In your written work you will need to support your ideas by referring to scholarly
literature, works of art and/or inventions. It is important that you understand how to
correctly refer to the work of others and maintain academic integrity.

Failure to appropriately acknowledge the ideas of others constitutes academic

dishonesty (plagiarism), a matter considered by the University of Tasmania as a
serious offence.

The appropriate referencing style for this unit is the Harvard referencing method. The
recommended text for this unit, Fleet, W, Summers & Smith, B. 2004,
Communication Skills Handbook for Accounting, provides detailed information about
using the Harvard referencing system.

Further information on presentation of assignments, including referencing styles is

available at:
http://www.utas.edu.au/library/assist/gpoa/gpoa.html
You can also access information about the referencing style used in this unit in the
Faculty of Commerce Guide for Students available via WebCT or from the school’s
website - http://www.utas.edu.au/accfin/documents/general/FacStudGuide2002.pdf.

Please read the following statement on plagiarism. Should you require clarification
please see your unit coordinator or lecturer.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a form of cheating. It is taking and using someone else's thoughts, writings or
inventions and representing them as your own; for example, using an author's words
without putting them in quotation marks and citing the source, using an author's ideas
without proper acknowledgment and citation, copying another student's work.

If you have any doubts about how to refer to the work of others in your assignments,
please consult your lecturer or tutor for relevant referencing guidelines, and the academic
integrity resources on the web at
http://www.utas.edu.au/tl/supporting/academicintegrity/index.html.

The intentional copying of someone else’s work as one’s own is a serious offence
punishable by penalties that may range from a fine or deduction/cancellation of marks and,
in the most serious of cases, to exclusion from a unit, a course or the University. Details of
penalties that can be imposed are available in the Ordinance of Student Discipline – Part 3
Academic Misconduct, see http://www.utas.edu.au/universitycouncil/legislation/

The University reserves the right to submit assignments to plagiarism

detection software, and might then retain a copy of the assignment on its
database for the purpose of future plagiarism checking.

For further information on this statement and general referencing guidelines, see
http://www.utas.edu.au/plagiarism/

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16. Further information and assistance
If you are experiencing difficulties with your studies or assignments, have personal or
life planning issues, disability or illness which may affect your course of study, you
are advised to raise these with your lecturer in the first instance.

There is a range of University-wide support services available to you including

Student Services, International Services and Learning Development. Please refer to
the Current Students homepage at: http://www.utas.edu.au/students/
Should you require assistance in accessing the Library visit their website for more
information at http://www.utas.edu.au/library/

SCHOOL OMBUDSPERSON
If you have any concerns aobut this unit then in the first instance you should discuss
the matter with your lecturer. However, if you do not feel comfortable approaching
your lecturer, or if you do have a discussion with the lecturer and are dissatisfied with
the outcome, then you may contact one of the following people who also teach in the
School of Accounting and Finance:

Peter Collett
Room: 422, Commerce Building, Hobart Campus
Telephone: 6226 2277
Email: Peter.Collect@utas.edu.au

Belinda Williams
Room: A257, Launceston Campus
Telephone: 6324 3661
Email: Belinda.Williams@utas.edu.au

STUDENTS WITH DIABILITIES –

UNIVERSITY AND FACULTY EQUITY PLANS
Goal 1 of the University of Tasmania Equity Plan provides for: “An inclusive
teaching and learning environment that values diversity, supports the pursuit of
academic excellence and produces high quality education and employment results for
all students and staff”. The Faculty of Commerce Equity Plan facilitates the
University Plan at an operational level and has developed an ‘Action Plan’. The
Action Plan for Goal 1 lays down procedures to ensure that all students, including
those with disabilities, have equal access to lecture and course materials. The School
of Accounting & Finance complies with these procedures.

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APPENDIX 1: Questionnaire

Explain to the potential respondent that you are carrying out a survey as part of an assignment
for your Commerce Degree at the University of Tasmania, and ask whether they are a direct
shareholder in any company. If they are not, thank them, and explain that your task is to
survey only company shareholders.

If they are a shareholder, ask whether they are willing to answer some questions about their
reactions to the information in annual reports. If they are willing to continue, the following
questions should be asked in numerical sequence, and responses noted on the question sheet.

To provide context for the study, please ask your respondents for the following
Demographic information:

Postcode:

Gender: M/F

Occupation:

Age: (Circle) 18-34 35-54 55-64 65+

For how many years have you been a public company shareholder?

How would you describe your level of participation in the share market?
Active (regularly trade shares)
Passive (Not a regular trader)

How would you describe your highest level of accounting/financial knowledge?

Accounting/finance qualifications (Tick one only)
Accounting/financial work experience
Little accounting/financial knowledge
No knowledge of accounting or finance
Other (please describe)

Questions

1. How many annual reports do you see in an average year?

2. How many of these reports are …… å Published hard-copy documents ………….

å Electronic format only……………………..
å NOT Australian listed companies ………...
3. Do you read any or any part of them?

If no: ask why not and note the reason. Then thank the respondent for their time. No
further questions. The reasons will be reported as part of your findings.

If yes: proceed through the following questions.

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4. In general, would you say that most of the annual reports you read…

Include only Concise Financial Reports

Include only Full Annual Reports
Include both the concise financial reports and the full financial reports

5. As a source of information on any company, do you rely on their financial reports to....?
(Tick one only)
A great degree
Some degree
Only a little
Not at all

6. In general, whenever you read financial reports do you tend to…? (Tick one only)
Read them in detail
Read the financial section only
Read the front narrative section only
Just scan them
File them for later reading

7. On a scale of 1 (not informative) to 5 (very informative), at what level do you find the
information in annual reports sufficiently informative to assess: (Circle as appropriate)

Not Very
Informative Informative

-----------------------------------------------------------
a) Potential investment decisions 1 2 3 4 5
b) Corporate performance 1 2 3 4 5
c) Good corporate citizenship 1 2 3 4 5

d) Compliance with regulation 1 2 3 4 5

e) Future developments
1 2 3 4 5

8. Please rank the following sections of annual reports in their order of usefulness for
predicting the future performance of the company (1 = most useful, 6 = least useful).

Directors’ report
Chairperson’s review
Financial statements
Text
Audit report
Other

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9. How confident are you with the information provided in the annual reports of listed
companies?
Very confident
Quite confident
Not quite so confident
Not at all confident
Don’t know

10. Compared with say 12-18 months ago, has your level of confidence in the annual reports
of listed companies…?
Increased
Decreased
Not really changed
Don’t know

11. Why is that?

12. Do you agree or disagree either strongly or a little with these statements:

Annual reports are just another piece of company advertising…

Agree strongly
Agree a little
Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree a little
Disagree strongly

Annual reports are too complex to be useful…

Agree strongly
Agree a little
Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree a little
Disagree strongly

13. In general, what additional information do you believe company annual reports should
contain, and why?

14. In general, what information do you believe should be eliminated from annual reports,
and why?

15. Do you have any other comments to make about annual reports or accounting information
in general?

I confirm that I was interviewed by two students, and was made aware that this survey is part
of the assessment requirements for a Commerce Degree at the University of Tasmania.
I understand that all responses are confidential, and that individual respondents will not be
identified.

Initials of respondent:

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