This module aims to:

Provide students with an in-depth conceptual understanding of current research topics in accounting, finance and related areas;

Prepare students to understand and evaluate the latest developments in the key areas of relevant research with a specific reference to the roles of current research contributions in policy making and organisational development;

Equip students with the skills to develop a conceptual framework for understanding and critically appraising; the identification of an appropriate topic for research, conducting a structured literature review, identifying research gaps, critically evaluating and compiling research methods, and pinpointing the research implications and contributions;

Extend students’ practical research skills, and explore the roles and implications of current research findings in assessing contemporary organisations.

(LO1) Understand and evaluate the main issues in contemporary accounting and finance research under the current accounting and financial regulatory structure.

(LO2) Critically evaluate and interpret current research papers in relation to their research gaps, methodology, implications and contributions.

(LO3) Comprehend and critically appraise the prevailing accounting and financial regulatory structure and link their main elements to the research findings on financial and non-financial sectors.

(LO4) Acquire knowledge of a range of methods, tools and techniques related to accounting and finance research and its relevance to organisational and market developments.

(LO5) Critically appraise different methodological issues and practically link those issues to the data analysis and findings of current research papers in related areas.

(S1) Adaptability. Students will work on analysing current organisational issues and problems raised in published literature which will help in enhancing their adaptability skills.

(S2) Problem solving. Students will work on analysing problems raised in published literature.

(S3) Commercial awareness. Students will work on cases and problems raised in published literature about real world business operations.

(S4) Teamwork. Students will work in teams to develop a group project.

(S5) Organisation skills. Assessed group work, presentations and assessed course work will in enhancing students’ organisation skills.

(S6) Communication skills. Students will develop oral communication skills through presentations and written communication skills through their assessed coursework.

(S7) International awareness. Students will develop awareness about cases and problems of multi-national corporations identified in published literature.

(S8) Lifelong learning. Students will develop understanding and critical evaluation of published research papers.

(S9) Ethical awareness. Students will develop understanding of issues related to accountability, risk and corporate social responsibility.

2 hour lecture x 10 weeks
1 hour seminar x 5 weeks
125 hours self-directed learning

Accounting regulation, effectiveness of international Financial Reporting Standards;

Capital markets research in accounting/market-based accounting research;

Accounting conservatism, earnings management and related issues;

Auditing, and the relevance and reliability of audit reports;

Management accounting and business strategy, performance measurement and evaluation;

Accountability, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance, financial regulation, risk management, and ethics;

Asset pricing and portfolio management;

Corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate investment;

Private equity, venture capital, and financial innovation;

Financial markets and institutions, association between financial markets and corporate decisions;

Market microstructure and market liquidity;

Endogeneity and self-selection, related issues and problems in accounting and finance research.