48669 - Quantitative Methods for Business Decision-making (4 Credits)

Learning outcomes

The course aims at developing managerial skills with particular reference to the ability to analize costs and use them for decision making.  It provides basics of:

• cost accounting and analysis,
• management control system.

Course contents

The course consists of 8 sessions that will be held in accordance to the following schedule:

 

PLAN

 

CLASS No.1
Lecture: Introduction. Some basics of management accounting (as basis for decision making)
Textbook: Introduction and Chapter 1.

CLASS No. 2
Lecture: Fixed costs, variable costs, and the cost-volume-profit analysis (Break-even analysis).  Differential costs. 
Textbook: Chapters 2, 3 and 14 (no: paragraph 14.3, from p. 310 to p. 313; paragraph 14.6, from p. 328 to p. 333).

CLASS No. 3
Case analysis: Fixed costs, variable costs, and the cost-volume-profit analysis (Break-even analysis).
Cases to analyze: A, B and C (case in English, "Hospital Supply Inc.", only on-line and following what said during the lecture).

CLASS No. 4
Lecture: Full costs accounting.
Textbook: Chapters 4 (no: paragraph 4.2, from p. 73. to p. 81; pp. 94-95), 5 (no: last portion of paragraph 5.3, pp. 113-114; paragraph 5.4, p. 114-120) and 6.

CLASS No. 5
Case analysis: Full costs accounting. 
Cases to analyze: D and E.

CLASS No. 6
Lecture: Variance analysis (1st part). 
Textbook: Chapter 8 (no: paragraph 8.4, pp. 188-190).

CLASS No. 7
Lecture: Variance analysis (2nd part).
Textbook: Chapter 8 (no: paragraph 8.4, pp. 188-190).
Cases to analyze: F and G.

CLASS No. 8
Lecture: Management control system.
Textbook: Chapters 10 (no: from p. 226 to p. 231; from p. 232 to p. 234), 11.
Preparation to examination

Readings/Bibliography

The course's textbook is:

Anthony, R. N., Hawkins, D. F., Macrì, D. M., Merchant K. A. (2005). Sistemi di Controllo. Analisi economiche per le decisioni aziendali. Milano: McGraw-Hill.

The portions that has to be studied are the ones specified in the program. It is suggested to read each portion of the book before each class.
After each class (sometimes, before each class) further teaching material, consisting of slides and cases/exercices, will be published on the e-learning platform, at the following URL address: http://economia.ei.unibo.it/ATutor/login.php (use your UNIBO's user-id and password).

Teaching methods

Lectures, group exercices and case discussions.

Assessment methods

Written examination; oral examination is optional (only after passing the written examination).

Links to further information

http://www.unibo.it/docenti/emanuele.padovani

Office hours

See the website of Emanuele Padovani