AFX4070 - Issues in financial accounting

Leader: Associate Professor Paul Mather

Offered

Clayton First semester 2007 (Day)

Synopsis

Topics are selected from the development of financial accounting theory, contracting theory and accounting policy choice (including debt contracts, political costs, management compensation and efficient contracting), corporate governance, behavioural research, the returns-earnings relation, the explanatory power of earnings, post-earnings announcement drift and other anomalies, information content of cash flows and accruals, earnings quality, market reaction to accounting regulation and value relevance of accounting information.

Objectives

The learning objectives of this unit are to:

• discuss research paradigms in financial accounting;
• discuss the economic consequences of accounting regulation;
• distinguish between alternative perspectives of corporate governance and appreciate its interaction with contracting theory and financial accounting;
• critically evaluate empirical research and identify major research questions in financial accounting;
• apply critical thinking, problem solving and presentation skills in individual and/or group activities dealing with issues in financial accounting.

Assessment

Assignment (4000 words): 30%
Seminar presentations: 20%
Examination (3 hours): 50%

Contact hours

3 hour session per week

Prerequisites

Enrolment in an honours or masters program offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics

Prohibitions

AFC4120