Accounting, Society and Sustainability
Overview
This unit aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical frameworks that underpin the discipline of accounting. Students will critically explore and apply accounting theories to explain accounting decisions and organisational outcomes in contemporary financial and non-financial reporting contexts. The unit places a strong emphasis on addressing real-world accounting and societal challenges, with a particular focus on sustainability and climate-related financial disclosures.
Requisites
01-November-2026
30-May-2027
31-October-2027
Unit learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Critically evaluate the theoretical frameworks, regulatory approaches, and political forces that influence contemporary accounting practices
- Apply accounting theories to analyse complex organisational scenarios and justify accounting decisions, accounting for ethical, societal, governance and Indigenous considerations
- Analyse and apply various sustainability reporting frameworks and related concepts, focusing on the contemporary application of climate risk reporting in the Australian context
- Exercise critical thinking and professional judgment to identify and assess accounting challenges, including issues related to the relevance, usefulness, and societal impact of accounting information
- Conduct research, analyse, and discuss complex contemporary financial and non-financial reporting issues, develop well-reasoned and coherent arguments, and draw well-considered conclusions on those issues
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
On Campus Class |
2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
Online (asynchronous) Lecture |
1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
Unspecified Activities Independent Learning |
9.5 | 12 weeks | 114 |
| Total | 150 |
Swinburne Online
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 12.50 | 12 weeks | 150 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULOs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation and Report | Individual | 10-20% | 1,2,3 |
| Project Report | Group | 20-30% | 2,4,5 |
| Test | Individual | 50-70% | 1,2 |
Content
- Introduction: Contemporary Issues in Accounting
- Theories in Accounting
- Regulatory Theories in Accounting & Products of the Financial Reporting Process
- Corporate Governance and governance in digital environment
- Ethics and ethical consideration in digital environment
- Positive Accounting Theory and Earnings Management
- Capital Market Research and Role of Technology in Accounting
- ESG and Sustainability Reporting
- Carbon Accounting and Climate related financial Disclosures
- The Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting, International and Australian Standard Setting
- Measurement and Fair Value including the impact of climate risk
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.