Accounting and Finance Research Project Proposal: Learning Outcomes and Tasks

Research Project Proposal Learning Outcomes

The Learning Outcomes of the Research Project Proposal are that you will be able to:

• Demonstrate a detailed, critical and research-informed knowledge and understanding of an area of Accounting and/or Finance chosen by the student

• Demonstrate knowledge of synthesis, critical evaluation and critical analysis

• Produce a proposal on an identifiable Accounting and/or Finance research problem based on a feasible research question

• Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of alternative research designs and how best to execute a basic research project

The Research Proposal should be submitted using the Accounting and Finance Research Proposal Form. This form is downloadable from the Accounting and Finance Project module area in Canvas. The Accounting and Finance Research Proposal Form is comprised of two sections:

• The Proposal Template

• The Ethical Review Form

You are required to complete both sections; together, these form the Accounting and Finance Research Project Proposal.

The proposal form has a consent form for participant(s) to sign if you are conducting research with individual participants.

If you are conducting research directly with a company, you will need to provide evidence of consent (a signature from a senior manager in the company) to authorise you to carry out your research. The proposal,

The broad areas students can consider for the generation of a specific topic are:

• Environmental, Social and Sustainability Reporting - costs versus benefits to key stakeholders.

• A three-year financial and business performance evaluation and analysis of an organisation.

• Big Four UK Accounting Firms and the range of services they offer from audit, advisory, tax and consultancy – overlapping of duties and payment of excessive fees has led to conflict of interest and reporting of scandals.

• A critical analysis of current environment tax in the UK, and how it could be improved to ensure sustainable use of the environment.

• The impact of recent tax changes (i.e. Income tax, National Insurance and Corporation tax) on small businesses both self-employed or limited company. The impact of Tax avoidance activity on the UK economy, and corresponding antiavoidance strategies.

• A critical evaluation of additional stamp duty on buy-to-let and the second home ownership market.

• An examination of the impact of Marginal Tax rates on employees’ decisions to work or not to work.

• Reduced and Zero-rating value-added tax items cause the UK Government significant loss of revenue. Should they instead impose a fixed rate value added tax on all purchases in order to collect as much tax as possible and to improve fiscal neutrality? What will the implications of doing so be?

• An analysis and evaluation of the management of an organisation’s short and longterm finance over a three-year period.

• A critical analysis and evaluation of an organisation and two of its competitors’ dividend policies over a 3-year period.

• Impact of capital structure on a firm’s performance

• Determinants of capital structure

• Impact of dividend policy on a firm’s performance

• Determinants of dividend policy

• Impact of working capital management on a firm’s performance

• Determinants of working capital management

• Impact of corporate governance mechanisms on a firm’s performance