ABSTRACT

Developed by a graduate student and leveraging his experience with a family owned business, this case provides an interesting scenario addressing – and integrating – a number of factors relating to fraud, including incompatible duties, the fraud triangle, psychological factors, and “red flags”. Results from an under-graduate AIS course support the case's efficacy as a student assignment. Student performance on the case closely corresponded with other assessment of learning measures, supporting the use of the case for evaluation purposes. The case also increased student interest and motivation. Most importantly, use of the case resulted in measured enhancement of students' abilities to recognize problems in an accounting system. A spreadsheet was developed to increase the efficiency of grading the case.

ABSTRACT

An appreciation for the complementary nature of manual and automated controls is fundamental for the proper evaluation and maintenance of accounting information systems (AIS). Additionally, the implementation of application access controls is often critical for ensuring an appropriate separation of duties and, ultimately, the reliability of a given transaction processing system. This paper describes a project where students act as consultants for Bellwether Garden Supply (BGS), a small retailer in Norcross, GA.¹ In the case setting, BGS is in the process of completing the implementation of Sage 50. BGS management has asked student consulting teams to evaluate its current purchases and disbursements processes and organizational structure, to make any revisions necessary to accommodate the new technology, and to document the post-implementation process using Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN). The case provides a rich, semi-structured setting where students can: improve their understanding of application access controls, separation of duties, and other key controls in the purchases and disbursements process; gain an appreciation of the importance of the context in which accounting applications are implemented; and enhance their communication skills using BPMN.

ABSTRACT

Research regarding accounting program curricula design has been extensive. While attention has been given to generic skills, the relative importance of specific functional skills has been lacking. The importance of accounting information systems (AIS) knowledge and skills has been assumed but rarely tested although it is an integral part of most accounting programs. Little attention has been given to the comparative value of AIS topics within the overall accounting curricula. In this study, 56 CPAs were surveyed to elicit opinions about the importance of individual accounting skills and determine the importance of AIS to the program. Responses support the value of AIS skills to practitioners and compare well to generic and other functional skill sets. Accounting educators will benefit from this research by gaining a new perspective on the importance of AIS within the overall accounting program and external stakeholders ranking of skills.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Objectives of the Accounting Cycle Project

Perceived problems with students' understanding of the accounting cycle, the journals comprising the accounting system, and the use of spreadsheets within the cycle resulted in the development of this accounting cycle project. The project spans a three-year period, providing students with the repetition typically required for deeper learning. The objectives of this project include the following.

Students will demonstrate their understanding of the five books of original entry by using them to maintain a manual accounting system for a company.
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the accounting cycle by completing the

Separating Cats from Dogs: A Case Designed to Enhance Students' Abilities to Identify Incompatible Duties and Employee Red Flags

ABSTRACT

Bellwether Garden Supply: Revising Purchase and Disbursement Processes and Controls in the Implementation of a New Accounting Application

ABSTRACT

The Importance of Accounting Information Systems in the Accounting Curricula: A CPA Perspective

ABSTRACT

The An Excel-Based, Multi-Year Accounting Cycle Project for either the First Intermediate Accounting Course or an AIS Course

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Objectives of the Accounting Cycle Project

Security Considerations for Implementing Accounting Processes in the Cloud

Does Using Real Organizations for Team Projects in an AIS Class Make a Difference?

Applying Internal Control Concepts Using Database Design: An Educational Case

Analyzing Characteristics of ERP Adopters in the AIS Curriculum

Integrating Business Cycles and Transaction Processing: The Kayak Roll Case