INNOVATING CONTENT AND METHODOLOGY OF MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING EDUCATION IN VIETNAMESE UNIVERSITIES FOR MEETING INTERNATIONAL INTEGRATION

Management accounting is a compulsory subject in the curriculum of accounting at the Vietnamese universities. This subject provides management accounting knowledge and future accounting practising skills to students. In the trend of international integration in economics and education, the role of management accounting is more and more important, it requires accounting graduates to gain professional knowledge about accounting management to meet the needs of domestic and foreign organizations. It poses a challenge for Vietnamese universities in the renewal of contents and teaching methods of management accounting subject, especially when most of the stakeholders suggest increase this subject’s credits and contents. This paper researches the reality of management accounting teaching at the Vietnamese universities and suggests the solutions to innovate this subject’s contents and teaching methods. It helps to improve the education quality for accounting students in the trend of international integration.

Constructing constructivism in management accounting education: reflections from a teaching cycle with innovative learning elements

Purpose This study aims to address the possibility of integrating some elements of the “radical constructivist” approach to management accounting teaching. It answers the following two questions: to what extent should management accounting educators construct a “radical constructivist” foundation to guide active learning? Then, in which ways can management accounting educators use qualitative methods to facilitate “radical constructivist” education? Design/methodology/approach The study uses a teaching cycle that implements innovative learning elements, e.g. learning from ordinary people, designed following the principles of “radical constructivism”, to engage students with “externalities” at the centre of their knowledge construction. It adopts an ethnographic approach comprising interviews and participant observation for the data collection, followed by the application of qualitative content and narrative analysis of the data. Findings The study findings and reflections illustrate that the majority of students respond positively to radical constructivist learning if the educators can develop an innovative problem-solving and authentic environment that is close to their real lives. The radical constructivist teaching cycle discussed in this study has challenged the mindsets of the management accounting students as it altered the traditional objectivist academic learning approaches that students were familiar with. Its use of qualitative methods facilitated active learning. Student feedback was sought as part of the qualitative design, which provided a constructive mechanism for the students and educators to learn and unlearn from their mistakes. This process enriched the understanding of learners (students) and educators of successful engagement in radical constructivist management accounting education and provides a base upon which to design future teaching cycles. Originality/value The paper provides proof of the ability of accounting educators, as change agents, to apply radical constructivist epistemology combined with multiple qualitative research methods by creating new constructive learning structures and cultures associated with innovative deep-learning tasks in management accounting education.

The Inventory Control System’s Weaknesses Based on the Accounting Postgraduate Students’ Perspectives

The decisions made by the management in recording the amount of selling inventory in the year before the real year are as important as determining and defining the economic order size in the inventory management system. However, studies on accounting management, accounting education, and even operational management did not sufficiently discuss and evaluate such procedures to consider whether or not manipulations, frauds, or mistakes were made by the management. An obvious understanding to determine this kind of action by the managers considered as a vital element to the accounting education is represented in the recent study on the accounting postgraduate students by identifying their opinions in determining and describing whether the inventory management is weak or not and there are violations or not. The recent study is considered qualitative conducted by asking questions to 32 accounting postgraduate students regarding to the weaknesses of inventory management. The findings show that inventory management was not appropriately conducted and there were several problems and violations made by the sales managers. The other findings show that management inventory was used by the sales managers to sell the inventory in line with promoting their interests as they apply an earning management behavior. The findings also demonstrate that such case is not considered as a fraud but as a manipulation behavior.

A gap in management accounting education: fact or fiction

Purpose The aim of this paper is to gain insights into the gap that persists between management accounting education (MAE) and practice. Design/methodology/approach MAE is examined from four perspectives of the balanced scorecard (BSC), in terms of what is being taught at tertiary level: customer satisfaction, learning and growth, internal business and financial. A survey questionnaire was sent to management accountants selected randomly from a list of practicing management accountants identified by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in South Africa. Findings The study finds support for allegations that a gap exists between MAE and practice and indicates that to address this gap, a holistic focus using the four perspectives of the BSC would be useful to investigate the gap. Research limitations/implications Previous studies in relation to the gap in management education have focused on the lack of skills provided by tertiary education. As one of the few studies to focus on the overall performance of MAE, this study identifies that the gap is not limited to the provision of adequate skills. The findings show that the gap is significant in terms of customer perspective but is not significant in relation to the internal business, learning and growth and financial perspectives of the BSC. The study provides deeper insights into the gap and will help tertiary education providers to improve their performance. Practical implications As one of the few studies on gaps between MAE and practice, the study provides insights to the potential gaps. The findings serve as a basis for further empirical and theoretical enquiries. Originality/value The study contributes to the management accounting literature by focusing on the gap in MAE using a BSC approach. Rather than single out the lack of skills provided by MAE as a reason for the gap, this paper provides information on the four areas of the BSC as ways to identify the gap.

Using A Group Work Project As An Educational Tool In Management Accounting Education

Having pervasive skills is becoming more important to employers as well as to professional bodies and associations. Consequently, the ability to work in groups is regarded as an essential skill. Although working in groups is found to heighten the performance of students and lead to the development of various pervasive skills, group work still forms a very small part of most South African tertiary education teaching frameworks. As a consequence, most professional bodies have updated their competency models and syllabuses they prescribe to tertiary institutions. In response to this development, the Department of Accounting at Stellenbosch University in South Africa has developed a management accounting project requiring students to prepare a business plan for a new business venture while working in groups, giving consideration to the skills they believe they should develop. A questionnaire was created to investigate students perceptions of group work. Responses were favourable with the majority of respondents being of the opinion that the ability to work in groups is an important skill to develop while at university before commencing their professional careers. The study highlighted some obstacles which need to be considered in developing a project requiring group work. The main constraints appear to be group selection, group size, group management and assessing group work and time.