Accounting for Business Decision Making: Strategy Assessment and Control

Ends today! Save 40% on your access to 10,000+ programs and make a real impact in your career. Save now.

Accounting for Business Decision Making: Strategy Assessment and Control

This course is part of Fundamentals of Accounting Specialization

Instructor: Gary Hecht, Ph.D.

16,431 already enrolled

Included with Learn more

Ask Coursera

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

No prior experience required

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

No prior experience required

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Create and communicate accounting information that facilitates strategic decisions.
Use accounting information to develop, implement, and improve organizational strategy.
Implement controls that align managers’ and employees’ decisions with organizational goals.
Measure and evaluate manager and employee performance to control and motivate operational and strategic decision-making.

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

16 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Fundamentals of Accounting Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

Accounting information is the lifeblood of the organization, as it facilitates and influences operational and strategic decisions intended to achieve organizational goals. Organizations benefit from three decision-oriented roles of accounting: measurement, control, and communication.

This course provides an introduction to accounting’s role in helping managers develop and implement, and improve the organization’s strategy. In particular, you will learn how non-financial and financial information is created, organized, and communicated to help managers make strategic decisions, as well as measure strategic success. This course also provides an introduction to accounting as a control function inside the organization, which helps influence the alignment of managers’ and employees’ decisions with organizational goals. You will learn about different types of controls, including process controls, budgets, and performance measurement and evaluation tools and techniques. If you enjoy this business course and are interested in an MBA, consider applying to the iMBA, a flexible, fully-accredited online MBA at an incredibly competitive price offered by the University of Illinois. For more information, please see the Resource page in this course and onlinemba.illinois.edu.

You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course. You will then explore different measures of an organization's capacity and understand their implications for many different decisions, including product pricing.

What's included

8 videos5 readings5 assignments1 discussion prompt1 plugin

8 videosTotal 49 minutes

1-1.1. Defining and Measuring Capacity7 minutes
1-1.2. Implications of Capacity Measurement4 minutes
1-1.3. Application and Extension11 minutes
1-1.4. What We’ve Learned0 minutes
1-2.1. Identifying Constraints4 minutes
1-2.2. Managing Constraints5 minutes
1-2.3. Application and Extension6 minutes
1-2.4. What We’ve Learned11 minutes

5 readingsTotal 75 minutes

Syllabus15 minutes
About the Discussion Forums10 minutes
Updating Your Profile10 minutes
Module 1 Overview10 minutes
Module 1 Readings30 minutes

5 assignmentsTotal 80 minutes

Module 1 Conceptual Quiz30 minutes
Module 1 Quantitative Analysis Quiz10 minutes
Orientation Quiz10 minutes
Lesson 1-1 Practice Quiz15 minutes
Lesson 1-2 Practice Quiz15 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 60 minutes

Getting to Know Your Classmates60 minutes

1 pluginTotal 15 minutes

Demographic Survey15 minutes

In this module, you will learn about accounting's role in pricing decisions.

What's included

8 videos2 readings4 assignments

8 videosTotal 38 minutes

2-1.1. Pricing Fundamentals4 minutes
2-1.2. Pricing Mechanisms4 minutes
2-1.3. Application and Extension4 minutes
2-1.4. What We’ve Learned1 minute
2-2.1. Decentralization and Reporting8 minutes
2-2.2. Transfer Pricing Approaches5 minutes
2-2.3. Application and Extension12 minutes
2-2.4. What We’ve Learned0 minutes

2 readingsTotal 40 minutes

Module 2 Overview10 minutes
Module 2 Readings30 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 90 minutes

Module 2 Conceptual Quiz30 minutes
Module 2 Quantitative Analysis Quiz30 minutes
Lesson 2-1 Practice Quiz15 minutes
Lesson 2-2 Practice Quiz15 minutes

In this module, you will explore budgeting in organizations.

What's included

8 videos2 readings4 assignments1 peer review

8 videosTotal 57 minutes

3-1.1. Budgeting in Organizations2 minutes
3-1.2. Types of Budgets4 minutes
3-1.3. Application and Extension19 minutes
3-1.4. What We’ve Learned0 minutes
3-2.1. Standards and Variance Analysis3 minutes
3-2.2. Variance Analysis Concepts and Framework9 minutes
3-2.3. Application and Extension19 minutes
3-2.4. What We’ve Learned0 minutes

2 readingsTotal 40 minutes

Module 3 Overview10 minutes
Module 3 Readings30 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 90 minutes

Module 3 Conceptual Quiz30 minutes
Module 3 Quantitative Analysis Quiz30 minutes
Lesson 3-1 Practice Quiz15 minutes
Lesson 3-2 Practice Quiz15 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 120 minutes

Module 3 Peer Review Assignment 120 minutes

In this module, you will explore many aspects of this important system.

What's included

9 videos3 readings3 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt

9 videosTotal 30 minutes

4-1.1. Defining Strategy4 minutes
4-1.2. Measure Attributes and Qualities8 minutes
4-1.3. Financial Measures4 minutes
4-1.4. What We’ve Learned1 minute
4-2.1. Non-financial Measures4 minutes
4-2.2. Purpose of Strategic Performance Measurement Systems2 minutes
4-2.3. The Balanced Scorecard5 minutes
4-2.4. What We’ve Learned1 minute
Learn on Your Terms1 minute

3 readingsTotal 50 minutes

Module 4 Overview10 minutes
Module 4 Readings30 minutes
Congratulations on completing the course!10 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Module 4 Conceptual Quiz30 minutes
Lesson 4-1 Practice Quiz15 minutes
Lesson 4-2 Practice Quiz15 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Module 4 Peer Review Assignment 60 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 15 minutes

Final Reflections15 minutes

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

Gary Hecht, Ph.D.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

9 Courses128,329 learners

Offered by

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Explore more from Business Essentials

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Accounting for Business Decision Making: Measurement and Operational Decisions
Course
Status: Free Trial
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Managerial Accounting: Tools for Facilitating and Guiding Business Decisions
Course
Status: Free Trial
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Managerial Accounting: Cost Behaviors, Systems, and Analysis
Course
Status: Free Trial
University of Michigan
Accounting for Decision Making
Course
Category: Preview

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Learner since 2018

"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."

Jennifer J.

Learner since 2020

"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."

Larry W.

Learner since 2021

"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."

Chaitanya A.

"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Frequently asked questions

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.