EPN-V2

ØABED4500 Management Control Systems Course description

Course name in Norwegian
Internstyring
Study programme
Master Programme in Business Administration
Weight
10.0 ECTS
Year of study
2020/2021
Curriculum
SPRING 2021
Schedule
Programme description
Course history

Introduction

In this course, students acquire knowledge of how management control and incentive systems should be designed to achieve value creation in decentralised organisations. The course focuses on mechanisms that different management levels can use to stimulate effort and focus on value creation for the owners in line with the company's strategy. Interaction between formal reward systems and more informal motivational factors is an important topic.

Recommended preliminary courses

Strategic Human Resources Management.

Required preliminary courses

None.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge

The student has

  • insight into the most important issues relating to elements of management control systems
  • an understanding of the effect of different goals on the performance of different responsibility centres
  • the ability for critical reflection on the relationship between formal reward systems and other forces driving internal and external motivation

Skills

The student is capable of

  • applying motivation theory, principal-agent theory, accounting concepts and microeconomic insights to complex management control problems in companies
  • relating the choice of management control approaches to the company's strategies at group and entity level

Content

The course builds on the insight that a company's management does not necessarily satisfy the objectives of investors and credit providers. Incentives and controls systems are important means of eliminating goal conflicts. Agency models (adverse selection and moral hazard) are therefore important in the course. Recent research and current articles will play a key role in the course.

Teaching and learning methods

The course is taught in plenary lectures, and through students working on different assignments.

Course requirements

Three written assignments must be handed in by set deadlines during the semester. The scope of the assignment (number of pages) varies depending on the nature of the assignment. Approval of the assignments is a condition for taking the exam. If the assignment is not approved, the student will be given one opportunity to submit an improved version. The lecturer will inform students of deadlines for submission.

Assessment

Written exam (four hours) is held at the end of the semester.

Permitted exam materials and equipment

None.

Grading scale

A grade scale with grades from A to E for pass and F for fail is used.

Examiners

An internal and an external examiner will grade the exam papers.