Insegnamento a.a. 2022-2023

The most important topics we consider during this course are the following:

• Cost definition and cost classification.
• Cost behaviour and Break Event Point analysis.
• Costs and decision making in actual contexts.
• Pricing decisions.
• Traditional and Activity Based Cost accounting systems.
• Job costing and process costing systems.
• Budgets, standard costing systems and variance analysis.
• Reporting systems.
• Responsibility accounting.
• Decentralization and performance measurement.
• Transfer pricing.

• Appreciate the role of quantitative accounting techniques to support decision-making.
• Understand the relationships between costs, revenues and profit at various activity levels.
• Comprehend management accounting as models to analyze business decisions and advise on the most appropriate course of action.
• Appreciate the role of the planning and control mechanisms in formulating standards and budgets and in assigning responsibility to managers.
• Understand the principles of cost allocations for pricing, stock valuation, and decision making in marketing, sales and operations. 

• Evaluate the best option in decision making to maximize the company’s result.
• Set profitable prices compared to the costs incurred by the company.
• Define goals and target to meet the expectations of stakeholders.
• Motivate managers to accomplish the expected performances.
• Delegate targets’ acquisition to the team of collaborators.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Exercises (exercises, database, software etc.)

During the lessons, a selected number of exercises are solved in class.

• The exam consists of two partial written tests. Students pass the exam if both tests are positive. The final grade is the average of the two grades (rounded).
• The partial written tests will be managed in face to face or online (depending on Covid-19 restrictions). Each partial tests in face to face will consist of 3 exercises + 1 qualitative open questions in 50 minutes. The partial test online will consist of 12 multiple choice questions in 25 minutes + 2 exercises in 25 minutes. 
• The exercises and most multiple choice questions are addressed to test the role of quantitative accounting techniques to support decision-making; to understand the relationships between costs, revenues and profit at various activity levels; to understand the principles of cost allocations for pricing and to evaluate the best option in decision making to maximize the company’s result.
• The qualitative open questions and some multiple choice are addressed to test the comprehension of management accounting as models to analyze business decisions and advise on the most appropriate course of action; to appreciate the role of the planning and control mechanisms in formulating standards and budgets and in assigning responsibility to managers to set profitable prices compared to the costs incurred by the company to define goals and motivate managers to accomplish the expected performances.

• The exam consists of a final written exam. In this case, students need to enter one of the formal exam dates.
• The final written exam will be managed in face to face or online (depending on Covid-19 restrictions). The final written exam in face to face will consist of 4 exercises + 2 qualitative open questions in 70 minutes. The final written exam online will consist of 16 multiple choice questions in 35 minutes + 3 exercises in 35 minutes. 
• The exercises and most multiple choice questions are addressed to test the role of quantitative accounting techniques to support decision-making; to understand the relationships between costs, revenues and profit at various activity levels; to understand the principles of cost allocations for pricing and to evaluate the best option in decision making to maximize the company’s result.
• The qualitative open questions and some multiple choice are addressed to test the comprehension of management accounting as models to analyze business decisions and advise on the most appropriate course of action; to appreciate the role of the planning and control mechanisms in formulating standards and budgets and in assigning responsibility to managers to set profitable prices compared to the costs incurred by the company to define goals and motivate managers to accomplish the expected performances.

• The reference textbook is: HORNGREN, SUNDEM, BURGSTAHLER, et al., Introduction to Management Accounting, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2014, Sixteenth Edition (chapters 1-14 version or chapters 1-17 version).
• The course materials (slides, solutions, mock exams, etc.) are available on the e-learning at Bocconi.