教科书:Pratt, J.《经济情势下的财务会计》(Financial Accounting in an Economic Context)第五版, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (以下简称Pratt)

辅助教材：Intel(英特尔)公司2001公开的年度报告 (下载).

个案（案例）集：包括补充阅读资料及个案（案例）,可在校内影印到（以下简称CP）。

补充教材:为了符合个人的不同学习方式,如果对于本课程有进一步的兴趣,或要寻找课程补充资料,可在图书馆中找到下列书籍作为补充教材

Stickney, C., and R. Weil. 《财务会计:观念、方法与惯例简介》,第十版,

Thompson/Southwestern, 2003.Kieso, D., and J. Weygandt. 《中级会计学》.第十版. Wiley, 2001.


助教辅导

助教们是教学团队的重要成员，他们都尽心尽力协助你达成课程目标。助教们也负责辅导课和对习作和考试评分。

每周的助教辅导着重在簿记、报告、计算与发问（找寻挑战）,助教辅导也可以采个人或小组方式进行。


研究室商谈

如果您选修本课程但是课程进度落后，可与我们谈谈。如果你是有备而来，这些约谈将会有显著的成效。尽可能地写出您的问题，并与五个课程的挑战相联结。另外，当你对某些概念的理解有困难,应熟悉与章节主题相关的定义和注释。最重要的对于仍存困惑的问题不要所有隐瞒。并请透过我们的助理约定商谈时间。


评分方式

你的成绩评分将按以下比例计算：

前四个作业必需由个人独立完成，透过作业将引导你学习和练习课程资料，因此，我们不允许抄袭他人，要个人亲自练习作业。我们希望学生们可以互相讨论以理解或深入理解教材内容。

每个组再细分为二个小组，在小组聚会讨论案例或作业基础上完成小组作业,最终交出一个版本的小组作业。小组成员将获得相同的成绩，小组成员应自已控管避免有未实际参与成员情形发生。

你若不确定内部相互讨论是否适当时,可谘询教授或助教


重新评分规定

若你认为作业或考试成绩有误，将依下述程式提出重新评分要求：书写简短声明给课程助教并详述错误之处，并标着并提交何次的作业或考试。所有的重新评分申请必需于评分发还后七个工作天内申请，我们并保留是否全部重新评分的权力。


行为

专业行为是建立在互相尊重的概念上。这些行为包括(但却非只限于下列者)：

• 出席上课。全部同学会因每堂课的出席和参与而获益。缺课将影响你的课堂参与成绩，你应该坐在适当的位置，并在前方清楚的秀出你的名牌。
• 准时出席。迟到会打扰教授讲课和课堂讨论，同时也是对准时的同学不尊重的作为。
• 减少干扰。在上课时，应关掉手机和传呼机。你也不应随意在退席后又重回课堂。课堂开始后，你也应尽量避免私下交谈。
• 专注集中。虽然你可以用笔记型计算机来作笔记，可是你不能用笔记型计算机或其他手提设备在课堂上做其他事务。诸如上网流览、短线股票买卖、和回覆电邮都是很没礼貌而且骚扰周边同学和扰乱课堂的。
• 充分准备。对每一堂课，你应能有备而来地讨论任何指定阅读资料和回答任何指定的问题，包括领导对当天指定的个案作讨论。
• 尊重他人。你应尊重课堂的所有人。课堂参与的评分是反映同学是否遵守这些原则；学生可因表达宝贵见解而得分，也会因不遵守以上原则而失分的。
  

每个参与课程的学生遵守上述原则，将会因获得有价值的知识的肯定，若未遵守上述规定将丧失信任．详情可参阅史隆学院管理硕士行为规范。


课程简介

这个课程大纲介绍了课程的目标、教学理念，一些管理问题和日常作业，我们希望它能使你感受到我们致力于能让你从这堂课获得宝贵经验的承诺。

我们的目的是协助你建构一个了解财务、管理与税务报表的架构，与你先前的会计教育是相连续的。比如，”主持”Cooper和Lybrand的教育专案的前任会计学教授Jean Wyer博士，曾在一次会计博士学会上建议教授们放弃“借”和“贷”。Wyer博士是这样阐述的：

你不应该再使用以往需要编制平衡表与会计记录的方式，运用“借”与“贷”观念来教授会计学，现今电子资讯系统已经没有了T字帐或日记帐,而学生仅需要去了解第一堂课的会计记录的主要观念的公式:资产= 负债 + 业主权益

由于15.515可能与你的期望相当不同的，这个大纲概览了我们的目标，如何规划，以及每堂课具体如何构筑。

我们以基本的(1)课程挑战(2)我们课程的规划的主要特色(3)每次的作业,为策略的要素来帮助你达成我们课程的目的


课程的挑战

课程要求分成五个部份（五个挑战）来帮助你组织学习会计的方法。例如，它们能助你分辨在那种情况是有正确答案的；而那种情况则需要作抉择取舍。你可以视这些课程要求有若你日后作为资料制作者或是会计资料的使用者时自我反问的一系列问题。你要是想达成课程目标的话，你必须满足所有五项课程要求而且了解它们彼此是如何结合连贯的。Acknowledgment is hereby given to Professor G. Peter Wilson for his authorship of The Five Challenges.

1. 资料之记录和报导挑战

作为(会计报表的)制作者(会计师，财务总裁，会计总监，或其他负责人)，在决定对某项经济活动该如何记录和该选那种会计原则或税务考虑后(例如，已决定确认收入，支出作资本化入帐，或申请投资税务豁免)，你该如何对经济活动记录入帐，它对会计报表又会有什么影响，而你随后又如何累积这些资讯去制作有关报表？作为会计报表的使用者(投资者，债权人，员工，或其他利益相关者)，面对管理层对其经济活动的报导及他们在会计原则上的取舍，你会希望了解那些数位是如何记录的而它们又如何影响着会计报表(财务报告，管理报告，和税务报告)。例如，作为使用者，要是折旧支出是10元，你会想知道这10元是怎样记录的而这10元的分录对财务报表起了些什么作用。

2. 计算的挑战

作为制作者, ，在众多可行的方法中选定对某项经济活动该如何计算（计量），你又对有关经营活动作了该种计算方法所需要的种种假设后，你该如何计算第一项要求里报导(提及)的那些数字？作为使用者，在了解管理层选用什么会计程序去制作出第一项要求所指的那些数字，以及处理这些流程所需的资讯，你该如何去计算这些数字？例如，无论你是制作者或是使用者，要是你知道一个零票息债券10年内到期，你会如何利用隐含利率去计算出每期间的利息支出呢？

3. 判断能力的挑战

作为制作者，以你对基本业务活动的了解，你对适用的会计原则的抉择，甚至考虑到你个人动机，你如何选择会计程序并就相关的评量，认列，与揭露做出判断？作为使用者，你对业务活动一般知道得比制作者少，你也难以摸透制作者的私心到底是如实报导或是有意虚报，你怎样去判断第二项要求里报导的数字对你决策是否有用？例如，作为使用者，你该如何分析评估管理层计算折旧时所用的那些假设，包括有效寿命，残余价值，和将来支出情形？你有可能获取足够资讯吗？理想情况下，你希望获得哪些额外的相关资讯供决策之用？

4. 运用上的的挑战

作为制作者，为了作第三项要求那些判断，你应如何去尽力了解报导的数字如何影响那些决策，，以及这些决定对你自己、你的报告实体、及使用者会有什么后果？作为使用者，那些报导的数字能如何帮助你作出比较明智的决定呢？例如，你应如何运用它们去衡量报告的实体的绩效和你怎样对这些绩效表现与它过往绩效表现、竞争者的比较资料、和策略指标来作基准水准的比较分析？作为使用者，要达到第三项要求，你也需要知己知彼地了解其他使用者是如何运用这些数字以及他们决策(包括你自己的决策)和后果对管理层报导数字和经营决策的影响。

5. 汇集资料的挑战

无论你是制作者或是使用者，你该从那里收集第一至四项要求所需的资料？

首两项要求是有关流程相关活动，一般有正确答案而且是跟会计相关的(例如，簿记，按税法规定辨事，制作管理报告)。传统上，财务概论课程的重点主要集中在这些要求上。判断要求是最难掌握的，因为它是跟内容紧密相连的。你从分析实际的经营决策中去学习如何判断。你愈了解需要判断的问题背后的实务内容，以及更清楚报告主管的性格、动机、和报告的各种选择变化，你就更有把握去应付复杂的判断抉择。汇集资料的要求是其他几项要求的先决条件。比如，财务报表的使用者必定首先知道公司会在何处说明他们的会计政策，然后他们才能判断相关的数字的品质(满足判断的要求)，他们也必须知道从何处能找到适用的程式去满足计算上的要求。其他的要求也是互相牵连的。例如，使用者必须知道数字是如何计算的，才能判断这些数字是否有用。


课程结构

每次课堂教学、预习与每周的助教辅导均按照下列的指导方针进行：

学习目标
相关阅读资料
课程问题准备
作业
自由发问

Text: Pratt, J. Financial Accounting in an Economic Context. 5th ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (Hereafter cited as Pratt)

Supplement Material: Intel Corporation 2001 Annual Report distributed in class (download).

Case Pack: Includes supplemental readings and cases, available at campus copy center (hereafter cited to as CP).

Reserve Materials: People have different approaches to learning, and a text which is good for one person may not be the best for another. If you want to seek supplementary sources for the course material, or are interested in more advanced topics, we have placed the following books on reserve in the library:

Stickney, C., and R. Weil. Financial Accounting: An Introduction to Concepts, Methods, and Uses. 10th ed. Thompson/Southwestern, 2003.

Kieso, D., and J. Weygandt. Intermediate Accounting. 10th ed. Wiley, 2001.


T.A. Sessions

The T.A.s are important members of the teaching team and are committed to helping you reach the course objective. They are responsible for the help sessions and for grading most of the written assignments and exams.

There will be weekly T.A. sessions that focus on the record keeping and reporting, computation, and search challenges. The T.A.s will also be available on a limited basis for individual and small-group tutoring.


Office Visits

If you have been attending class and help sessions but are still falling behind you are encouraged to visit us. These meetings will be much more productive if you come well prepared. Whenever possible try to write out your questions and, if possible, map them into the five course challenges. In addition, be familiar with the definitions and notation related to a topic even if you are having conceptual difficulties. Most importantly, don't tell us that you understand something when you are still perplexed. Please make appointments through our secretary.


Grading Procedure

Your grade will be based on the following weights:

The first four assignments are to be done individually and are intended to help you learn and practice the mechanics of the course material. By this, we mean the work you turn in must be your own, as opposed to copied from another. This does not mean you have to do individual assignments in isolation. We expect that you will need to consult each other in order to understand, or better understand, the material, and may need assistance. Seeking and giving such assistance is encouraged.

Each team should split itself into two groups for the purposes of writing-up the group assignments, though you will likely meet as an entire team to discuss the case or other material the assignment is based on. Only one copy of each assignment will need to be turned in for each group. All group members whose names are on the assignment will receive the same grade. We leave it to each group to control (or allocate) free-ridership.

If you are unsure whether some particular form of interaction is proper under these rules please consult your professor and/or T.A. for clarification.


Regrade Policy

If you believe an error has been made in grading your homework or exam, you may request a regrade by doing the following: Write a brief note to your T.A. explaining why you think there is an error and submit both the note and the entire assignment or exam to which it pertains. All regrade requests must occur within seven (7) calendar days of the day graded material is returned to the class. We reserve the right to regrade the entire contents of any submitted assignment or exam.


Conduct

Professional conduct is built upon the idea of mutual respect. Such conduct entails (but is not necessarily limited to):

• Attending the class. Core classes are required for a reason, and each class benefits from the attendance and participation of all students. Your grade for participation will be affected by absences. You should sit in the appropriate seat and display a legible name card at all times.
• Arriving on time. Late arrivals are disruptive to both lectures and class discussion, and show disrespect to those who are on time. Class starts at 5 minutes after the half hour.
• Minimizing disruptions. All cell phones and pagers should be turned off during class. You should not leave and re-enter the class. You should avoid engaging in side conversations after class has begun.
• Focusing on the class. While you may take notes on laptops, do not use laptop computers or hand-held devices for other tasks while in class. Activities such as net surfing, day trading, and answering email are very impolite and disruptive both to neighbors and the class.
• Being prepared for class. You should be ready to discuss any assigned readings and to answer any assigned questions for each day's class, including being ready to open a case assigned for that day.
• Respect. You should act respectfully toward all class participants.
  

Class participation grading reflects student adherence to these principles; students gain credit for contributing valuable insights and students lose credit if they fail to adhere to any of the above guidelines. See the Sloan School web site for more information on the MBA Code of Conduct.


Introduction to the Course

This course guide describes the course objective, aspects of our teaching philosophy, some administrative issues, and the daily assignments for the course. We hope it will give you a sense of our commitment to help you make the course a rewarding experience.

Our goal is to help you develop a framework for understanding financial, managerial, and tax reports. Many at the forefront of accounting education have goals generally consistent with this course objective. For example, Dr. Jean Wyer, a former accounting professor and "Dean" of Cooper and Lybrand's educational programs, told professors at an Accounting Doctoral Consortium to abandon debits and credits. To paraphrase Dr. Wyer:

"You should not be teaching debits and credits; they are a holdover from the past that were needed to balance entries and accounts before we had computers. Modern electronic information systems do not have T-accounts or journal entries, and students need only understand a lesson taught the first day of an algebra course to master bookkeeping concepts: Assets = Liabilities + Owners' Equity."

Because 15.515 is likely quite different than you might expect, this guide provides an overview of our objectives, how we plan to get there, and additional details about how each class will be structured.

The essential elements of our strategy to help you reach the course goal are explained in the remainder of this guide: (a) the course challenges, (b) key features of the course game plan, and (c) the daily assignments.


Course Challenges

The course goal is divided into five subordinate challenges that can help you organize the way you learn accounting. For example, they can help you distinguish situations where there is a correct answer from those where judgment is required. You can view the challenges as a series of questions you will ask yourself later in your career as either a preparer or user of accounting information. To reach the course goal, you must meet all five challenges and understand how they relate to each other.

1. The Record Keeping and Reporting Challenge

As a preparer of accounting reports (accountant, chief financial officer, controller, or other responsible party), having determined the numbers you want to record for an economic event and having made related accounting or tax policy choices (e.g., having decided to recognize revenues, capitalize expenditures, or claim investment tax credits), how do you record this event, how does it impact accounting reports, and how do you subsequently aggregate information from this event and others to create these reports? As a user of accounting reports (investor, creditor, employee, or other stakeholder), given the accounting numbers management reported for an economic event and their accounting choices, you will want to know how the numbers were recorded and how they affect accounting reports. For example, as a user, given a depreciation expense of $10, you will want to know how it was recorded and how this entry affects financial statements.

2. The Computation Challenge

As a preparer, having chosen the accounting method you will use to measure an economic event from the acceptable alternatives and having made all of the assumptions about the related business activity that are needed to apply this method, how do you compute the number reported in challenge 1? As a user, knowing the accounting procedures management used to produce the numbers recorded in challenge 1 and the information that was needed to execute them, such as management's assumptions about the related business activity, how would you compute them yourself? For example, as a preparer or user, knowing that a zero-coupon bond matures in 10 years, how do you use the implicit interest rate to compute the periodic interest expense?

3. The Judgment Challenge

As a preparer, given your knowledge about the underlying business activity, your choices of acceptable accounting procedures, and your own incentives, how do you choose an accounting procedure and exercise related judgment concerning measurement, recognition, and disclosure? As a user, who has access to less information than preparers about this business activity and about preparers' personal incentives to report or misrepresent it, how do you judge the usefulness of numbers reported in challenge 2 to your decision? For example, as a user, how do you evaluate the assumptions management made when they computed depreciation, including the useful life, residual value, and pattern of future expenses? Do you have access to enough information? Ideally, what other related information would you like to have to address your decision?

4. The Usage Challenge

As a preparer, to exercise the judgment in challenge 3, how do you first learn as much as possible about the decisions that will be influenced by the reported numbers and the consequences of these decisions on yourself, your reporting entity, and users? As a user, how can the reported numbers help you make a more informed decision? For example, how can you use them to assess the reporting entity's performance and how can you benchmark these performance measures against their historical counterparts, competitors' comparables, and strategic targets? As a user, to meet challenge 3, you will also need to know as much as possible about how others use these numbers and the consequences of their decisions (and your own) on management's reporting and business decisions.

5. The Search Challenge

As either a user or a preparer, how do you locate the information needed to meet challenges 1 through 4?

The first two challenges relate to procedural activities that generally have a right answer and are most often associated with accounting (e.g., bookkeeping, tax compliance, and producing managerial reports). Traditionally, introductory accounting courses have focused almost exclusively on these challenges. The judgment challenge is the most difficult to master because it is contextual. That is, you learn judgment by analyzing actual business decisions. The richer the description of the business context in the practice problems you study and the more you know about the reporting managers' character and incentives and about reporting alternatives, the more you will be preparing yourself to deal with complex judgments. The search challenge is a prerequisite for the other four challenges. For example, users of financial reports must first know where companies report their accounting policies to judge the quality of the related numbers (meet the judgment challenge) and they must know where to find the appropriate formulas to meet the computation challenge. Some of the other challenges are also interdependent. For example, users must understand how the numbers were computed to judge their usefulness.


Structure of the Classes

For each session (defined broadly to include a class with the instructor, its preparation, and the related weekly T.A. session) the course guide includes a road map with the following sections:

Objectives
Reading Assignment
Class Preparation Questions
Graded Assignment
Optional Questions