Exam of 2011

EXAMINATION PAPER Sheet 1 of 6

Code ACFI5006

Session: 2010/11 Faculty of: Business and Law Programme: MSc Accounting & Finance Module: ACFI5006 Level: 5 Subject/Module Title: An Evaluation of Management Accounting Date: Thursday, 27 January 2011 Time Allowed: 3 hrs Start: 12:00 Finish: 15:00

Instructions to, and information for, candidates

Students are required to attempt ONE question from each Section. Plus ONE other question from either Section THREE questions in total. All questions carry equal marks. Time allowed – 3 hours. Seen CLOSED book exam. Students may not submit any pre-prepared material, with the exception of references and / or bibliographies.

PLEASE TURN OVER

Sheet 2 of 6

Code ACFI5006

SECTION A

Question One Wickramasinghe and Alawattage (2007) consider the mechanistic approach of Management Accounting from three perspectives: • • • Technical – Managerial view Pragmatic – Interpretive view Critical – Socio-economic view

Critically appraise each of the views identified above, and examine why the post-mechanistic Management Accounting function has evolved.

Question Two ‘Agency theory is the second most popular theory used in the interorganisational control literature (Hakansson & Lind, 2006). The notion of incomplete contracting is important from an agency theory perspective (Baiman & Rajan, 2002). Incomplete contracting means that it is impossible to incorporate all the information required to cover future contingencies in a final contract. Potential inefficiencies in the buyer-supplier relationship are consequences of at least the following two characteristics: information asymmetry and opportunism.’ (Hopper et al., 2007:284) Consider the two characteristics identified above; and critically consider their impacts on the management accounting function in the postmechanistic environment.

PLEASE TURN OVER

Sheet 3 of 6

Code ACFI5006

Question Three ‘Toyota’s speed to market, lean manufacturing, and ground