The course will be entirely delivered using the English language. 

Module I: Amore, M.D., Minichilli, A., Taricco, P. (2021), Management, McGraw Hill.
Module II: Mio, C., Panfilo, S. (2024), Management Accounting. McGraw Hill
Module III: Teaching material prepared by the instructor. 

The course aims to provide students with a comprehensive framework of quantitative and qualitative data and tools necessary for strategic management and business analysis of organisations.
Specifically, the course contributes to shaping a professional profile capable of:
1. Understanding the dynamics of the business system, its interactions with the external environment, and corporate governance dynamics.
2. Mastering the principles and methodologies of accounting for the correct registration and reporting of economic and financial operations.
3. Utilizing internal accounting data for cost measurement, profit planning, and supporting operational and strategic decisions.
Expected Learning Outcomes
A. Knowledge and Understanding
The student will know and understand:
1. External Reporting: The preparation and structure of the Balance Sheet, the Income Statement, and the cash flow statement, including necessary Adjustments (such as Depreciation, Amortization, and handling Bad Debts).
2. Financial and Non-Financial Indicators : the construction, functioning and interpretation of the main financial and non-financial indicators.
3. Cost Concepts: The cost terms, concepts and classifications, as well as methodologies for the analysis and use of Cost behaviour.
4. Planning and Control Tools: Methods of Profit reporting under variable costing and absorption costing, Standard costs and variance analysis, and the importance of budgeting and Flexible budgets for performance reporting.
5. Fundamentals of Strategy and Governance: Concepts related to the dynamics of business and economics, the role of shareholder rights and corporate governance, and principles of strategic formulation (e.g., external analysis of competitive forces and strategic groups and internal analysis of resources, capabilities, and core competencies).
6.
B. Ability to Apply Knowledge and Understanding (Skills)
The student will be able to:
1. Prepare, read and comment the regular Financial Statements of a private enterprise.
2. Prepare, read and interpret the main financial and non-financial indicators/ratios of private enterprises.
3. Apply cost determination methods (Job-order and service department costing, Process costing) to calculate the cost of products or services.
4. Analyse Cost?volume?profit relationships and use Relevant costs for decision making to support operational and tactical decisions.
5. Develop a budgeting system for Profit planning and control company performance by comparing standard costs with actual costs (variance analysis).
6. Formulate basic business strategies (e.g., differentiation, cost leadership, and blue oceans) and evaluate the implications of corporate strategy (vertical integration and diversification).



C. Autonomy of Judgment, Communication Skills, and Learning Capacity
The student will acquire the following transversal skills:
1. Autonomy of Judgment: Critically evaluate the reliability of financial and managerial information and choose the most appropriate accounting methods for specific decision contexts.
2. Communication Skills: Clearly communicate economic and financial analyses and company performance results using specialized vocabulary, addressing both internal and external stakeholders.
3. Learning Capacity: Maintain updated knowledge regarding regulatory developments in financial accounting and new methodologies of Management Accounting and apply such notions in professional and academic contexts. 

None 

Frontal Teaching in Room classes; discussion of case-studies; seminars/talks. 

For students attending the course:
They are asked to complete a written test for each of the modules. The three tests will have the same weight. The sum of the scores of the three tests ? each of which should be beyond or equal to 18/30 -will concur to determine the final mark of the course. Indeed, the final mark will be built up by summing the three scores, and later dividing by 90. (average rounding offs will be applied). Oral test is not compulsory. Interaction in daily classes, and during the discussion of case-studies, is compulsory and is part of the general assessment of oral explanations of principles and concepts of main topics of the course.



For students non-attending the course:
They are asked to complete a written test covering the three modules of the course, achieving a total score equal to, or beyond 18/30. Oral test is compulsory, to complement the assessment provided by the unique and comprehensive written test. 

 

Module I: 1. The Dynamics of Business and Economics; 2. The Corporation and its Stakeholders; 3. Shareholder rights and Corporate Governance; 4. Managers and Business; 5. Organizational Structure and Culture; 6. Strategy; 7. External analysis: industry structure, competitive forces, and strategic groups; 8. Internal Analysis: Resources, Capabilities, 9. Business Strategy; 10. Corporate Strategy.


Module II: 1. Management accounting and the business environment; 2. An introduction to cost terms, concepts and classifications; 3. Cost behaviour: analysis and use ; 4. Job order and service department costing; 5. Process costing; 6. Cost-volume-profit relationships; 7. Profit reporting under variable costing and absorption costing; 8. Relevant costs for decision making; 9. Profit planning and the role of budgeting; 10. Standard costs and variance analysis. 11. Flexible budgets and performance reporting; 12. Management Control and Corporate Governance.

Module II: 1. The Accounting System; 2. Preparing Financial Statements of private enterprises; 3. Preparing the main financial and non-financial indicators of private enterprises; 4. Commenting and interpreting the Financial Statements and main financial and non-financial indicators of private enterprises. 

Prof. Sargiacomo will receive students on a regular 3-hour weekly basis. Receiving hours: Thursdays:11-14. E-mail: msargiacomo@unich.it. Additional on-line hours are delivered on a weekly basis to working students unable to attend university facilities, as well as to students having particular handicaps