Academic Business Articles for Management Accounting and SMEs

Task

Aim

The goal of the paper is to give students knowledge and experience using the library and finding academic business articles.  Further, it will give the student an opportunity to read, understand and apply academic literature using appropriate business writing skills, that is, to write concisely and clearly. Most importantly, appreciating how managerial accounting and business decisions can be affected by knowing current literature (how academic research can benefit the business practitioner).

Your approach:

You will be playing the part of a new associate at LMNOP LLP accounting.  You have been instructed by your boss, Paulina Presto, to prepare a brief summary of 2 research articles (that you have the freedom to find) and how she can use this information when advising her clients.

Each student will:

- Go to the library (in person or online) and find 2 electronic articles that relates to Management Accounting and Small and/or Medium Sized Businesses (SMEs) or Small and/or Medium Sized Businesses (SMEs) and one of the topics we covered in class.  Articles will need to be from an academic peer reviewed journal (the article must have something to do within this topic area and look for articles that are somewhere between 10-30 pages in length each – don’t find an article too short or too long!).  You should use a minimum of 2 key terms to use in your search.  You might have to play around in the search function a little to find appropriate articles – and find some articles that have some interest to you! 

Some key words that you may want to try are (but you certainly could use other search words if you feel they apply):

o Small and Medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and at least one of the following suggestions:

o Management Accounting

o Cost Accounting

o Managerial Accounting

o Strategic management accounting

o Decision Making

o ABC Costing

o Variance analysis

o Flexible Budgets

o The Balanced scorecard

o Cost Volume Profit

o Capital Budgeting

o Contribution Format

o Contribution method

Your paper will consist of (follow this closely!!!!!- take a look at my example memo in Moodle for guidance on format):

- Title page with your name, student number, Section, date submitted as well as the professor’s name. - The paper will not exceed 5 pages (excluding the title page and references page), double spaced, 12pt font, Times new Roman.  If you like to use word count as a measuring stick, it should be somewhere between 1,500 and 3,000 words. - It will be written in a Memo style and should discuss the following.

o Who wrote the articles you found, when and where was it published and what search key words you used.  (I should be able to re-perform a search and find the same articles)

o Summary of the research papers (about 3 pages)

o What the implication is for Management Accounting and SMEs (how will Paulina use the information when she helps her clients)?

o Personal reflection, what did you learn about the process of finding, reading and writing about research (about 1 page)? - A reference section at the end of the document and appropriate citations as required within the document as needed.  Please us APA referencing. (I’ve included a step-by-step instructions on how to add a source at the end of the example memo found on Moodle) - 

Word of caution:  I scan each paper through an online database that looks for plagiarism, as well as plagiarism within the class.  If you are quoting the papers directly, make sure you properly cite the quote, otherwise I expect this paper to be from your mind, and your mind only. 

Any student caught copying another student’s paper, wholly or in part, will face academic penalty that could result in minimally a zero on the assignment to expulsion from the University.  So do the work on your own.  Any papers that are alike will all be deemed as plagiarized and receive zero.   

Also, some advice for written work.  Proof read your papers!  My suggestion is complete the paper, wait a day, then re-read it to see if it makes sense and that it flows, then hand it in.  What is written is as important as how it is written!

Your paper will be graded on how concisely and clearly you convey your thoughts and the use of an appropriate business tone, the quality of your summary of the research articles, tying in how the research.