ACC30008 Accounting Theory Sample Assignment

Context for the assignment

Use an aspect or aspects that relate to the context of the article Win at all costs: Cricket and banks caught tampering with ethics (Links to an external site.) (Bartholomeusz 2018) and choose five quality scholarly research journal articles that adopt at least one of the accounting theories covered in Chapters 3 or 5 of Rankin et al. (2018) to write a Report.

Assignment brief

In light of the article Win at all costs: Cricket and banks caught tampering with ethics (Links to an external site.) (Bartholomeusz 2018), the Chair of the Board of Commonwealth Bank has commissioned you to write a report explaining what insights you can contribute to the business culture and/or ethics. In your report, you must provide an explanation of at least five quality, scholarly journal articles that present research on this issue.

Important: These articles must be drawn from journal titles listed on the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) list, which represents a measure of quality.

*Refer to the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) journal rankings (Links to an external site.) (ABDC n.d.).

Scholarly journal articles

You will need to make sure that the title of the journal(s) in which the articles you want to use are published are on the ABDC list. It is suggested that you find relevant articles first, using the Library Database ‘Business source complete’, identify the journal title from which the article comes and then make sure this journal title appears on the ABDC list. This list is a way of ensuring that the articles you choose come from peer-reviewed, scholarly journal titles.

Format

A report format is required for this assignment. In a report, the Executive summary should provide an overview of the whole report, including any recommendations. This is a ‘thinking’ assignment and what is expected is your personal view based on research and the evidence that has been sourced. Further, an assignment which presents more quotes than constructive analysis and argument may be heavily penalised.

Suggested report structure

  1. Title page.*
  2. Contents page.*
  3. Executive summary (which provides an overview of the whole report).*
  4. Introduction and purpose (200–300 words).
  5. Responses to specific task (1400–1600 words) using appropriate headings and sub-headings.
  6. Conclusion (200–300 words).

* The word limit for this assignment excludes title page, references and executive summary, but includes footnotes, endnotes and appendices.

Note: Markers will only read the Conclusion (which is worth 10%) if the assignment overall is within the word limit.

Further instructions for assignment preparation

The assignment should also include the following:

  • Be all your own (individual submission) work.
  • 5 spacing for clarity and a high standard of presentation is expected.
  • Unit name and code.
  • Contain correct referencing, using the Swinburne Harvard style.
  • Include a list of references (alphabetical by first author’s surname) adequately referencing your sources (in-text references should refer to the surname of the author/authors and the year of the publication).
  • The assignment gives you autonomy in deciding how you want to relate the scholarly research articles of your choice to the task.
  • In using research articles, your comments and insights are more important than just describing what the article is about.
  • You need to do all this within the word count of 2000 words. Therefore, think about how you will weight your emphasis and how headings and sub-headings can help you remain succinct.
  • Remember this is NOT a literature review. Please do NOT merely reproduce the contents of articles. Assignments that are excessive in their use of ‘quotes’ (even when appropriately referenced) are in danger of demonstrating inadequate original thought.
  • It is a good idea to prepare a plan or a skeleton of the report and include brief points, before you start writing. This will help you to keep the report organised.
  • Keep it simple. It is much better to discuss a few points in detail rather than discussing many points at a surface level.
  • Please make sure that you do a good job of proofreading and editing. Poor grammar, spelling or expression will cost you marks and these marks are lost quickly.

Assignment criteria

  1. Presentation: editing, grammar, punctuation, role-playing, structure.
  2. Quality of Executive summary.
  3. Quality of response to assignment task: research, logic and coherence of argument.
  4. Quality of conclusion.
  5. Quality of referencing.

Your work will be assessed using the following marking guide:

Assignment 2 marking guide

Criteria

No Pass

Pass
50-59%

Credit
60-69%

Distinction
70-79%

High Distinction
80-100%

Presentation: Editing, grammar, punctuation, role-playing, structure
(30%)

Did not meet criteria.

Acceptable standard of presentation with clear communication.

Good standard of presentation, including editing, grammar, punctuation, roleplaying and structure. Clear communication of ideas.

High standard of presentation, including editing, grammar, punctuation, roleplaying and structure. Excellent communication of ideas.

Excellent standard of presentation, including editing, grammar, punctuation, roleplaying and structure. Outstanding communication of ideas.

Quality of executive summary
(10%)

Did not meet criteria.

Acceptable summary of the key points of the report. Some points missed.

Good summary of the key points of the report.

Excellent summary of the key points of the report. Clearly worded.

Outstanding summary of the key points of the report. Clear and concise.

Quality of response to assignment task: research, logic and coherence of argument
(40%)

Did not meet criteria.

Basic reference to relevant sources linked to unit content. Some evidence of a coherent argument throughout the report.

Clear research supported by relevant sources linked to unit content. Linkage between the theories and assignment scenario. Coherent argument throughout the report.

Significant research supported by relevant sources linked to unit content. Clear linkage between theories and assignment scenario, supported by relevant examples. Clear and coherent argument throughout.

Outstanding research supported by relevant sources linked to unit content. Detailed linkage between the theories and assignment scenario, supported by clear and strong examples and arguments throughout the report.

Quality of conclusion
(10%)

Did not meet criteria.

Acceptable conclusion providing key findings and recommendations. Some points missed.

Good conclusion, providing the key findings and recommendations of the report.

Excellent conclusion, drawing together the key findings and recommendations of the report. Clearly worded.

Outstanding conclusion, drawing together the key findings and recommendations of the report. Clear and concise.

Quality of referencing
(10%)

Did not meet criteria.

Inappropriate referencing technique.

Use of sources mostly cited in text and referenced appropriately at end of report.

Use of sources cited correctly in text and referenced correctly according to Swinburne Harvard style.

Use of high- quality sources cited correctly in text and referenced correctly according to Swinburne Harvard style.