Courses

Accounting (ACCT) 356

Strategic and Competitive Analysis (Revision 5)

Revision 5 closed, replaced by current version.

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Delivery Mode:Individualized study online or grouped study.**

Credits:3

Area of Study:Applied Studies
(Business and Administrative Studies)

Prerequisite:ACCT 355. MKTG 396 is recommended but not required.

Centre:Faculty of Business

ACCT 356 is not available for challenge.

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**Note:Students registering in grouped study, or grouped study international mode are advised that there may be some differences in the evaluation and course materials information indicated below. To obtain the most up-to-date information, contact the Faculty of Business Student Support Centre at 1-800-468-6531.

Overview

ACCT 356 introduces strategic concepts and tools that a manager in an organization is likely to find useful. This course focuses on helping students think strategically as they evaluate an organization’s potential and opportunities for change. Thinking strategically involves setting objectives and then aligning what the organization is, or can become in the short run, with the organization’s environment. The information organizations need to monitor, evaluate, and improve strategy is called strategic performance measures. Helping planners identify the nature and scope of strategic performance measures in an organization is a critical role for management accountants.

Outline

Lesson 1: Introduction to Strategy

Lesson 2: Strategy and Competitive Intelligence

Lesson 3: Competitive Analysis Tools—Part 1

Lesson 4: Competitive Analysis Tools—Part 2

Lesson 5: Customer Analysis

Lesson 6: Competitive and Resource Analysis

Lesson 7: Strategic Scans

Lesson 8: Evolutionary Analysis Tools

Lesson 9: Financial Analysis and Budgeting

Lesson 10: Accounting and Strategy

Evaluation

To receive credit for ACCT 356, you must achieve a composite course grade of at least a “D” (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

Assignment 1	Assignment 2	Final Exam	Total
20%	20%	60%	100%

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Note: Students planning to transfer this course to a Professional Accounting designation (i.e., CMA, CGA, CA) are advised that they will be required to achieve a grade higher than the minimum passing grade. See the Professional Accounting Designation Web site for details.

Course Materials

Textbook

Fleisher, C. S., & Benoussan, B. E. (2003). Strategic and competitive analysis: Methods and techniques for analyzing business competition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. ISBN 0130888524

Other Materials

The course materials also include a reading file. All other course materials will be accessed online.

Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.

Opened in Revision 5, April 25, 2006.