BA4F04 - Managing Financial Resources (2024/25)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2024/25 | ||||||||||||
| Module title | Managing Financial Resources | ||||||||||||
| Module level | Certificate (04) | ||||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 30 | ||||||||||||
| School | Guildhall School of Business and Law | ||||||||||||
| Total study hours | 300 | ||||||||||||
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| Running in 2024/25(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) | No instances running in the year |
Module summary
Managing Financial Resources (Module code BA4F04GN) explores the use of financial statements and financial tools for decision making in a business context using financial ratios.
The module aims to provide students with the analytical and communication skills necessary for the understanding of financial resources with an emphasis on problem- solving techniques in a business context.
Module aims
This module aims to:
• Analyse the purpose and format of the financial statements.
• Equip students with techniques to carry out basic financial ratio analysis and interpretation of the financial statements.
• Encourage students to identify and consider the information needs of various stakeholders.
• Enable students to use cost information to improve business performance.
• Investigate the reasons for variance in an organisation’s budget.
Syllabus
• Introduction to basic accounting
• the purpose of financial statements in profit and non profit organisations
• Types of financial statements & interpreting financial statements
• Type of stakeholders & their various information needs
• Cost classification & calculation of unit cost per unit
• Budget & budgeting decisions
• Variance analysis for making decisions
Learning and teaching
The module will be delivered through weekly teaching and learning sessions of 3-hour duration over 15 weeks. These will involve classroom teaching, individual and group work activities. The group work will provide an opportunity for students to examine and discuss the topics. There will be a fieldtrip to a financial institution for students to link the theory learned to a real work situation.
Students will receive pre-prepared material, including weekly lecture notes and handouts. They will develop useful transferable skills such as oral and written communication, working in a team, research and problem-solving skills through individual and group-work exercises.
Industry experts from recognised accredited professional bodies and successful business entrepreneurs
with relevant student workshop experience will be invited as guest speakers during the one workshop session with a focus on career skills, employability issues and emerging trends.
Learning outcomes
On completing the module students will be expected to be able to:
1. Understand the financial statements and interpret the financial performance of a business using ratio analysis.
2. Evaluate the information needs of different stakeholders.
3. Demonstrate understanding of the use of cost information for business performance.
4. Analyse an organisation’s budget by using variance analyses.
Bibliography
Core-Textbooks:
• Elliott, B. and Elliot, J., (2013), Financial Accounting and Reporting, 16th ed, Harlow: Pearson
Recommended Textbooks:
• Carey, M., Knowles, C., & Towers-Clark, J., (2011), Accounting a SMART Approach, Oxford: OUP
• Dyson, G., (2010), Accounting for Non Accounting Students, 8th ed. Harlow: Pearson
• Walsh, C., (2008), Key Management Ratios, 4th ed, Harlow: Pearson
• Weetman, P., (2011), Financial and Management Accounting, 5th ed, Pearson