Accounting for Business Decision Making: Strategy Assessment and Control
Accounting information is the lifeblood of the organization, as it facilitates and influences operational and strategic decisions intended to achieve organizational goals. Organizations benefit from three decision-oriented roles of accounting: measurement, control, and communication. This course provides an introduction to accounting’s role in helping managers develop and implement, and improve the organization’s strategy.
Monthly Subscription Starting at AED 99 + VAT
- Level Foundation
- Duration 16 hours
- Course by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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Offered by
About
Accounting information is the lifeblood of the organization, as it facilitates and influences operational and strategic decisions intended to achieve organizational goals. Organizations benefit from three decision-oriented roles of accounting: measurement, control, and communication. This course provides an introduction to accounting’s role in helping managers develop and implement, and improve the organization’s strategy. In particular, you will learn how non-financial and financial information is created, organized, and communicated to help managers make strategic decisions, as well as measure strategic success. This course also provides an introduction to accounting as a control function inside the organization, which helps influence the alignment of managers’ and employees’ decisions with organizational goals. You will learn about different types of controls, including process controls, budgets, and performance measurement and evaluation tools and techniques. Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to: • Create and communicate accounting information that facilitates strategic decisions. • Use accounting information to develop, implement, and improve organizational strategy. • Implement controls that align managers’ and employees’ decisions with organizational goals. • Measure and evaluate manager and employee performance to control and motivate operational and strategic decision-making. If you enjoy this business course and are interested in an MBA, consider applying to the iMBA, a flexible, fully-accredited online MBA at an incredibly competitive price offered by the University of Illinois. For more information, please see the Resource page in this course and onlinemba.illinois.edu.Modules
About the Course
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- Orientation Quiz
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- Syllabus
- About the Discussion Forums
About Your Classmates
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- Getting to Know Your Classmates
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- Updating Your Profile
Module 1 Information
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- Module 1 Overview
- Module 1 Readings
Lesson 1-1: Fundamental Concepts
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- Lesson 1-1 Practice Quiz
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- 1-1.1. Defining and Measuring Capacity
- 1-1.2. Implications of Capacity Measurement
- 1-1.3. Application and Extension
- 1-1.4. What We’ve Learned
Lesson 1-2: Improving Productivity and Profitability
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- Lesson 1-2 Practice Quiz
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- 1-2.1. Identifying Constraints
- 1-2.2. Managing Constraints
- 1-2.3. Application and Extension
- 1-2.4. What We’ve Learned
Module 1 Activities
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- Module 1 Conceptual Quiz
- Module 1 Quantitative Analysis Quiz
Module 2 Information
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- Module 2 Overview
- Module 2 Readings
Lesson 2-1: Pricing and Profitability
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- Lesson 2-1 Practice Quiz
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- 2-1.1. Pricing Fundamentals
- 2-1.2. Pricing Mechanisms
- 2-1.3. Application and Extension
- 2-1.4. What We’ve Learned
Lesson 2-2: Pricing Internal Transfers
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- Lesson 2-2 Practice Quiz
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- 2-2.1. Decentralization and Reporting
- 2-2.2. Transfer Pricing Approaches
- 2-2.3. Application and Extension
- 2-2.4. What We’ve Learned
Module 2 Activities
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- Module 2 Conceptual Quiz
- Module 2 Quantitative Analysis Quiz
Module 3 Information
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- Module 3 Overview
- Module 3 Readings
Lesson 3-1: Planning and Budgeting
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- Lesson 3-1 Practice Quiz
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- 3-1.1. Budgeting in Organizations
- 3-1.2. Types of Budgets
- 3-1.3. Application and Extension
- 3-1.4. What We’ve Learned
Lesson 3-2: Monitoring via Standards
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- 3-2.1. Standards and Variance Analysis
- 3-2.2. Variance Analysis Concepts and Framework
- 3-2.3. Application and Extension
- 3-2.4. What We’ve Learned
Module 3 Activities
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- Module 3 Conceptual Quiz
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- Module 3 Peer Review Assignment
Module 4 Information
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- Module 4 Overview
- Module 4 Readings
Lesson 4-1: Assessing Strategic Success
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- Lesson 4-1 Practice Quiz
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- 4-1.1. Defining Strategy
- 4-1.2. Measure Attributes and Qualities
- 4-1.3. Financial Measures
- 4-1.4. What We’ve Learned
Lesson 4-2: Strategic Performance Measurement Systems
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- 4-2.1. Non-financial Measures
- 4-2.2. Purpose of Strategic Performance Measurement Systems
- 4-2.3. The Balanced Scorecard
- 4-2.4. What We’ve Learned
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- Module 4 Conceptual Quiz
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Wrapping Up the Course
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- Learn on Your Terms
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- Congratulations on completing the course!
Auto Summary
Discover how accounting can be a powerful tool in strategic decision-making with the "Accounting for Business Decision Making: Strategy Assessment and Control" course. This essential program is part of the business and management domain and is expertly designed to help managers leverage both financial and non-financial accounting information to shape and enhance organizational strategies. Under the expert guidance of experienced instructors from Coursera, this foundational course delves into the pivotal roles of accounting in measurement, control, and communication. Over a comprehensive 960-minute format, participants will explore how to create, organize, and communicate critical accounting data that aid in strategic decisions and measure success. Additionally, the course emphasizes the importance of accounting as a control mechanism, showcasing various control types such as process controls, budgets, and performance evaluation tools. Key learning outcomes include the ability to: - Craft and convey accounting information to support strategic decisions. - Utilize accounting data to formulate and refine organizational strategies. - Implement controls that align decisions with organizational goals. - Assess and motivate employee performance to foster strategic and operational decision-making. This course is ideal for those looking to build a solid foundation in accounting for business strategy, whether you're a budding manager or a professional seeking to enhance your decision-making skills. Flexible subscription options, including Starter and Professional plans, make it accessible to a wide range of learners. For those considering an advanced degree, this course also offers a pathway to the University of Illinois' iMBA program, a flexible and competitively priced online MBA. To learn more, visit the course's Resource page or the online MBA website. Embark on this journey to master the strategic applications of accounting and elevate your business decision-making capabilities.
Gary Hecht, Ph.D.