The module aims to provide students with an understanding of:

The responsibilities of organisations to various stakeholders;

The context of financial information requirements, a conceptual framework for financial reporting;

Key financial statements of companies consistent with recognition and presentation in IAS1 and IAS7;

Interpretation of financial statements;

How financial modelling can be used in decision making by management;

How management plan for and exercise control of financial resources;

Financial decision making;

How major capital resource decisions are made to optimise shareholder wealth;

How and from where business can raise capital.

(LO1) Understand the conceptual basis of financial reporting;

(LO2) Define the scope of responsibilities of organisations and their corporate governance arrangements and specify the role of financial resources within that context;

(LO3) Define the resources available to an organisation;

(LO4) Prepare and interpret basic financial statements in compliance with the international accounting standards IAS1 and IAS7;

(LO5) Understand the tools of the management of financial resources in terms of, inter alia, financial reporting, management accounting and financial management;

(LO6) Use of financial models to analyse and predict financial performance;

(LO7) Demonstrate an awareness of how key theoretical models and the management accounting framework can support financial decision making in relation to costing, budgeting, performance evaluation and financial reporting;

(LO8) Develop a comprehensive understanding of theories and the application of techniques in finance and financial management to support company valuation and resource management of a business;

(LO9) Utilise financial data to analyse decision alternatives and identify consequences for profitability as well as all stakeholders.

(S1) Problem solving skills

(S2) Numeracy

(S3) Commercial awareness

(S4) Ethical awareness

Hybrid delivery, with social distancing on campus.

Face-to-face seminars x 8 hours
The strong industry focus employed in a variety of case studies allows students to see connections to other disciplinary areas such as marketing and strategy. The teaching approach enables students from a variety of industry-related MBAs to connect their financial resource studies to their industry-based studies.

Online synchronous learning x 8 hours
Bringing together key elements from the lectures to enable both solo and team work in identifying strengths and weaknesses in financial statements to allow both historical analysis and forecast performance issues.

Online asynchronous learning materials x 12 hours
Series of podcasts and online exercises to complement the lectures and provide a background for some of the theoretical content with references to real world activities and examples.

Self-directed learning x 72 hours
Independent study. Students are provided with reading that is used in the lecture programme. This varies from one year to the next. Additional reading and learning resources (spreadsheets, financial modelling material) are provided to support student learning.

Definitions of organisations and their stakeholders;

The context of financial reporting – a conceptual framework;

Key financial statements: income statements, balance sheet, cash flow statements;

Presentation of financial statements;

Ratio analysis and introduction to financial interpretation;

Introduction to management accounting;

Cost management concepts and cost behaviour;

Short term financial decision making;

Financial modelling;

The role of budgets and budgeting in organisational objectives including cash budgets;

An introduction to the financing of businesses;

The time value of money and optimising financial decisions over time;

Capital budgeting decisions;

Dealing with risk: sensitivity and scenario analysis.