The Nature and Purpose of the Contemporary Business Organisation Introduction In today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and globalised business environment, traditional views of organisations as profit maximising, hierarchical machines are increasingly inadequate. Contemporary business organisations are now expected to balance financial performance with ethical responsibility, social contribution, innovation, and sustainability. This shift has prompted scholars and practitioners to reconsider the fundamental question: What is a business for? Drawing on key academic and practitioner literature—including Schermerhorn et al. (2023), Goldman et al. (2015), Handy (2002), Liker and Meier (2006), Malik (2015), and McKinsey & Company (2020)—this essay explores the evolving nature of contemporary business organisations. It examines how modern management theory, stakeholder capitalism, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and leadership practices shape organisational purpose, structure, and performance. Contemporary Views of Organisations and Management Contemporary management theory views organisations as open, adaptive systems rather than closed, mechanistic entities. Schermerhorn et al. (2023) describe organisations as coordinated systems of people and resources working within dynamic internal and external environments. Managers operate through the core functions of planning, organising, leading, and controlling to achieve both efficiency and effectiveness. However, these functions are now exercised in contexts characterised by uncertainty, technological disruption, global competition, and heightened social expectations. Goldman, Nienaber, and Pretorius (2015) extend this view by arguing that the essence of the contemporary business organisation lies in its human and ethical foundations. They suggest that organisations must be understood not only as economic entities, but also as social systems embedded within broader societal structures. This perspective challenges traditional control oriented models and emphasises adaptability, learning, and legitimacy. Modern organisations must therefore continuously respond to stakeholders, environmental pressures, and moral expectations to remain viable. Rethinking the Purpose of Business The question of organisational purpose is central to understanding contemporary business. Handy (2002) famously challenges the view that profit maximisation is the primary goal of business. He argues that profit is essential for survival, but it should be seen as a means rather than an end. Using the metaphor of profit as oxygen, Handy explains that while businesses cannot survive without profit, it is not the purpose of their existence. Instead, Handy (2002) presents business as a social institution that exists with the permission of society. As such, organisations hold responsibilities toward employees, customers, communities, and the broader social system. This argument aligns strongly with stakeholder theory, which suggests that long term success depends on balancing the interests of multiple stakeholders, not privileging shareholders alone. When businesses neglect this social contract, trust erodes, and organisational legitimacy is threatened. Stakeholder Capitalism and Organisational Value Building on these ideas, Hunt, Simpson, and Yamada (2020) argue that stakeholder capitalism is not simply a moral stance but a strategic necessity. In their McKinsey & Company article, they contend that companies focusing solely on short term shareholder value often undermine long term performance. In contrast, organisations that invest in employees, customers, communities, and the environment are more resilient, innovative, and trusted. Stakeholder capitalism integrates purpose into strategy by recognising that value creation is collective and interconnected. Leaders are encouraged to define a clear organisational purpose, embed values into decision making, and align incentives with long term outcomes. While financial performance remains important, it is viewed as an outcome of sustainable stakeholder relationships rather than the sole objective. This perspective reflects a significant shift in contemporary management thinking and aligns with growing global interest in ESG (environmental, social, and governance) frameworks. Corporate Social Responsibility as a Strategic Capability CSR plays a critical role in enabling stakeholder oriented business models. Malik (2015) reviews contemporary CSR literature and argues that CSR enhances firm value only when it is strategically integrated. CSR is most effective when it builds organisational capabilities such as trust, reputation, employee commitment, innovation, and risk management. These capabilities, often intangible, contribute to sustainable competitive advantage under the resource based view of the firm. Malik (2015) cautions against treating CSR as philanthropy or symbolic activity. Superficial initiatives may damage credibility and fail to produce meaningful outcomes. Instead, CSR should be embedded in core strategy, aligned with organisational competencies, and supported by leadership commitment. Importantly, financial benefits from CSR often emerge indirectly and over the long term, reinforcing the need for patience and measured evaluation. Operational Excellence and the Toyota Way While purpose and responsibility define why organisations exist, operational systems explain how they perform. Liker and Meier’s (2006) Toyota Way Fieldbook provides a practical framework for implementing sustainable management principles through Toyota’s 4Ps: philosophy, process, people and partners, and problem solving. Toyota’s long term philosophy emphasises purpose beyond short term profit, closely aligning with Handy’s (2002) arguments. Its process focus seeks efficiency through waste elimination and system design rather than employee pressure. The strong emphasis on people development and continuous improvement reinforces the idea that organisational learning and respect for individuals are central to performance. Importantly, leadership at Toyota is framed as teaching and enabling, rather than commanding and controlling. This holistic system demonstrates how values, operations, and leadership can be integrated into a sustainable organisational model. Leadership in Contemporary Organisations Across the literature reviewed, leadership emerges as a decisive factor in shaping contemporary organisations. Schermerhorn et al. (2023) highlight the importance of human, conceptual, and emotional intelligence skills. Goldman et al. (2015) and Handy (2002) emphasise leadership responsibility for ethical conduct and societal contribution, while McKinsey (2020) stresses leadership’s role in balancing stakeholder interests. Contemporary leaders are expected to be vision driven, ethically grounded, and capable of managing complexity. Leadership is no longer confined to authority or hierarchy but is increasingly defined by influence, credibility, and purpose. Transformational and values based leadership approaches are particularly relevant in driving innovation, entrepreneurship, CSR, and sustainability within modern organisations. Conclusion The contemporary business organisation is fundamentally different from the traditional, profit driven models of the past. As the literature demonstrates, modern organisations are open systems embedded within complex social, economic, and ethical environments. Their purpose extends beyond profit to include stakeholder value, social legitimacy, and long term sustainability. Concepts such as stakeholder capitalism, strategic CSR, and operational excellence—supported by strong leadership—define how organisations create enduring value. Together, the works of Schermerhorn et al. (2023), Goldman et al. (2015), Handy (2002), Liker and Meier (2006), Malik (2015), and McKinsey & Company (2020) suggest that successful contemporary businesses are those that integrate purpose, people, processes, and performance. In doing so, they not only achieve competitive advantage but also contribute positively to society, reinforcing the evolving essence of business in the 21st century. References Goldman, G. A., Nienaber, H., & Pretorius, M. (2015). The essence of the contemporary business organization: A critical reflection. Journal of Global Business and Technology, 11(2), 1–13. Handy, C. (2002). What’s a business for? Harvard Business Review, 80(12), 49–55. Hunt, V., Simpson, B., & Yamada, Y. (2020). The case for stakeholder capitalism. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com Liker, J. K., & Meier, D. (2006). The Toyota Way fieldbook: A practical guide for implementing Toyota’s 4Ps. McGraw Hill. Malik, M. (2015). Value enhancing capabilities of CSR: A brief review of contemporary literature. Journal of Business Ethics, 127(2), 419–438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2051-9 Schermerhorn, J. R., Bachrach, D. G., Woods, P., Junaid, F., McKeown, T., & Co, M. J. (2023). Exploring management (1st Asia Pacific ed.). Wiley.
ACCT11059
Assessment 1 _ STEP 5 _ Study Guide 1-3 KCQ's
ACCT11059: Accounting, Learning and Online Communication (HT3, 2025) Assessment 1 – STEP 5 Samantha Sutton My Thoughts on Chapters 1 through 3 of the study guides. Chapter 1 I found Martin's core philosophy, that business education should be grounded in real-world business realities, deeply reassuring, confirming the intrinsic motivation of our Unit Coordinator to make this a truly valuable unit. I want to get as much value out of my time learning this unit as possible. Chapter One reiterates that there are businesses everywhere, of all kinds of shapes and sizes. I have never been to Yeppoon but looking through the pictures, I get a sense of the size of the town, which is like my current location. This first chapter and the small-town touch of the attached pictures grounded this concept of “Firm” for me. Big or small basic principles apply to all. Accounting pretty much is now, as it has always been, since the time of Luca Pacioli. One way this chapter engage me was through the logical evolution of accounting which was the undertone I perceived. I am at a point in my life where I know what accounting is, but my understanding is lacking. I wish to be able to have a lasting and positive impact, in any workplace I am engage in while giving my understanding of accounting, breadth and depth is my goal for this unit. I have a basic understanding of journals and ledgers, as explained in this chapter. I work in administration and transcribe invoices into Xero for hours on end some days, with some very specific processes for how I go about this. This skill has limited value, anyone can copy and paste, enter quantity and price, adjust GST, accordingly, gather secondary authorization paperwork and re-assess entries for errors and allocation directions. Then I just save as a draft and the man with the MBA takes it from there. Chapter 2 The change over the last 100 years of who wants to see, and who has the right to see, financial statements has changed. However, the rate of change is much slower than what we see in areas like technology. The limited rights of the equity investor, and what they can access, has been the most surprising aspect of this chapter to me, as I have always assumed equity investors would have unlimited access to all information. Conversely, the power of big banks to demand information and their legal backing to gain access was not surprising. The separation of professional managers from the source of equity, in fact, is what I found very interesting, since this potential tension could be the catalyst for increased transparency in firms' financial statements. Given that those buying shares must place huge trust in management, I am focused on my own professional development. The chapter's coverage of management and financial accounting has helped clarify my future career planning. Yet, as I read through the list of regulators and governing bodies, such as GAAP and AASB, I feel completely overwhelmed; I don’t even know where to start to truly understand what is contained within those documents. Furthermore, I am intimidated by the Corporations Act, knowing it governs so much of what I will do. I never intentionally do wrong, but ignorance could lead to unintentional errors, and I have no idea how to read and understand such a structured document. The idea that there are unwritten rules based on judgment and assumptions has made me question everything I ever thought about accounting. Nevertheless, I have been pushing myself to be a more active learner, taking time to think over what I am learning and discussing it with my MBA coworker. This opportunity to have a sounding board has brought about more specific linking of what I am learning to my daily work. As a result, I looked through my employer's company statements and was able to make some sense of what I was looking at, whereas before it seemed beyond my grasp. Despite this progress, I keep coming back to the term accrual accounting and am struggling to get this to solidify into genuine understanding. I grasp the words and the key point that we recognise the "economic substance" when it occurs. However, Martin's detailed recount of his travel makes sense, but it feels complex when trying to understand other activities like storing grain in a bunker: Do we record the economic substance when the grain gets to the bunker? Or when we truck it to a buyer? Or when the buyer pays? Ultimately, I am personally committed to relevance and faithful representation in all the financial work that I do. Chapter 3 True to form, I found I needed tactile chapters in front of me to read them like a novel, so I printed the first three chapters of our study guide and set about giving them a good read. It wasn’t long before the highlighters had the pages lit up, and I started to feel like I had a new friend in Martin, who uses such a fantastic metaphor when introducing financial statements. I had to really reflect on his point that if we are not interested in something, we usually don’t really remember. I can relate to this on a personal level and have had some serious self-reflection on how to train my brain to become obsessed with my studies, a "season of obsession," I have been calling it. Understanding we use footnotes to give us the uncluttered balance sheets that we see in company financial statements has helped me to have more confidence in the relevance of some of the listed items on my company's financial statements. Furthermore, as I read through this chapter and came across the section on subsidiary companies, some of my previous knowledge about the corporate company I work for started to fall into place. For instance, we have a parent company and multiple other minority equity investors, which clearly links what I'm learning to the real world I live in. I found it funny that we refer to "the bottom line" as the ultimate summation of something, only to find the actual bottom line is simply what we made minus what we spent. I have been exploring the extended accounting equation from the very first moment I laid eyes on it, but it was not until I had made my way through this chapter that I had the courage to finally add numbers to this equation. I found this very difficult to get to balance and tried multiple times; I think this is something I might reach out to an Academic Learning Centre (ALC) person for assistance within the near future. I have heard the term "cash is King," but have never known why that might truly be the case. Now I am starting to understand that cash is already liquid! Conversely, I found the process of emptying temporary accounts of Revenue and Expenses very confusing So, wrapping up Chapters 1-3, I'm feeling really good about the course's whole philosophy—Martin made the idea of the "Firm" feel real, and that sparked my "season of obsession" to dive deep. It’s definitely fueling my goal to move past my boring Xero invoice-copying job and into the strategic stuff the "man with the MBA" handles. Reflection on Chapters 1 through 3 I was honestly shocked to find out that equity investors have limited access to data, which highlights the massive amount of trust they place in management. This, combined with the sheer mountain of official rules—like the Corporations Act and the standards from the AASB—is totally intimidating and makes me nervous about making accidental errors. It also made me realize how much of accounting is built on messy judgment, not just math! Despite the fear, I'm still pushing forward. My coworker is awesome, and I'm starting to figure out my company's statements. But I keep getting stuck on the toughest parts: I couldn't get the extended equation to balance (total headache!), and I can't quite nail accrual accounting—the timing for the grain bunker just breaks my brain. Even though I get why "cash is King," figuring out the closing process for those temporary accounts is still a confusing mess. Ultimately, I’m committed to sticking with it because I want my work to truly be relevant and faithfully represented.
ACCT11059 -Assessment 1 _ Step 3 _Morgan Sindall Group & Peer Blog Reviews
ACCT11059: Accounting, Learning and Online Communication (HT3, 2025)
Assessment 1 – STEP 3
Samantha Sutton
The company I have been assigned is
The Morgan Sindall Group
Website link - Morgan Sindall Group | About
My personal Blog link - Home | Samantha
STEP 3
Morgan Sindall’s Annual Reports & KCQ’s
Link to my company’s Annual Reports
Morgan Sindall Group | Reports and presentations
My thoughts of my company:
After the allocation of my company, I opened the website, and my first thought was “This is a large and complex company” how am I ever going to understand the complexities that make this company what it is today.
Which it truly is, large and diverse! I always find my understanding of something is solidified when I understand the lifecycle or evolution from beginning to present day. Much like Sheldon Cooper from the Tv sitcom big bang. I next went back through the many strategic acquisitions that make up the present-day Morgan Sindall Group and started from the beginning. Understanding how this company was foundered and the core elements of the original Company. After review of the financial statements, I felt more comfortable with this BIG company, it started to feel to me like something I could eventually rap my head around.
As I have never had to locate a company’s annual report I was excited to dive in and familiarise myself with the different financial statements, the fact that these reports can have differing names and how to identify what the company was presenting to me was my first challenge. My printed 4/5 pages of financial statements very quickly became covered in notes as I became more familiar with our unit content and was able to engage this leaning to see the Morgan Sindall Group’s financial statements through the right “Len’s”. I also find this Accounting “lens” very fluid in nature and slightly surprise and an obvious ignorance on my behalf. Of course, there needs to be flexibility as no two businesses are the same or managed by the same people. Adding the people aspect to this made me really contemplate deeply.
Company Background& KCQ’s:
The Morgan Sindall Group as we know it today was originally founded in 1977 by John Morgan and Jack Lovell as the private company Morgan Lovell. This successful, profitable and cash rich company was based in London UK and specialized in office fit-out & refurbishment.
Willian Sindall plc was and established regional construction & property group. Due to the Uk property market crash in the early 1990’s William Sindall began to experience hardships when the devaluation of its assets was realised. The Reverse Take-Over (RTO) of the William Sindall plc in 1994 by Margan Lovell, gave Morgan Lovell the public listing it needed for access to capital markets. This acquisition cost Morgan Lovell 13.5Mil Pound, and marked the change in name from Morgan Lovell to The Morgan Sindall Group, combining the profitable business line (Morgan) with the established construction name (Sindall). This instant and cost-effective listing on the Londen Stock Exchange (LSE) accelerated the company into becoming a giant in the industry.
The Morgan Sindall Group perused a strategy of targeted acquisitions after 1994, which focused heavily on, affordable housing, infrastructure and regeneration.
The 1990 acquisition of Lovell partnerships which at the time was one of the largest partnership housing operations in the UK, gave Morgan Sindall an immediate market leading presence. This key division now benefits the Morgan Sindall Group with mixed-tenure developments in partnership with government and housing associations.
From 2001 through to 2007 the Morgan Sindall Group expanded through further acquisitions, into infrastructure & utilities, social housing maintenance and urban regeneration & construction. Through utilities specialization, market penetration, integrated outsourcing, market share dominance, evolving capacities, client base expansion, the addition of new divisions and the delivery of services in high-end niche’s, the Morgan Sindall Group is able to offer its stakeholders a profitable, dynamic and industry leading company and its shareholders, dividends of 56.1mil pound in 2024.
KCQ #1
What made the accumulated Tax losses of William Sindall attractive to Morgan Lovell.
The targeted acquisition of William Sindal by the Morgan Lovell gave Morgan Sindall most obviously, it’s access to capital market on the (LSE) but I was ever so curious as to what would make tax losses appealing to someone looking to buy a company. I currently know very little about taxation, I have read this termed as a “tax shield”. I wondered how these losses would offset future income. It is a general conclusion that tax losses are a bad thing.
I came across this equation:
Tax Loss = Total Allowable Deductions - Total Taxable Income
So, sales, services and interest are one key element of this equation, with things like salaries, rent, utilities and depreciation being the other.
The word “loss” posses a challenge for me as I associate this word with decreasing. Where in this instance it reflects an increase in an amount you don’t have to pay in tax. Several years of William Sindall having less income than their total allowable deductions, meant each year the remaining amount left unallocated to outstanding taxable profit was carried forward into the next year. As Morgan Lovell was a very profitable company at the time of the acquisition and had a large taxable income amount, applying William Sindall’s Tax losses, allowed the company to “pay” less in tax by having outstanding tax amounts deducted from the (loss carry forward amount). I wondered if this leverage gained by the new Morgan Sindall Group gave management the confidence to continue to expand as it did by paying tax with accumulated losses enabling the company to reinvest the amount they would have paid in tax back into the company and further acquisitions. Still a brave move in my opinion to have such a large conceptual perspective on what the firm would become. John Morgan would be a very interesting person to speak with I imagine.
The link below is John Morgan CEO of Morgan Sindall Group and his leadership team giving a review on the 2024 Year-
The Link below is employees reviewing what its like to work for Morgan Sindall Group-
KCQ#2
What were other companies in the industry doing at the time Morgan Sindall group came to be.
Balfour Beatty, Kier Group, Costain Group, John Laing Group, Tarmac Group (later Carillion, Alfred McAlpine and Mowlem, were the traditional giants of the UK construction world, they competed on regional contracting and infrastructure projects, particularly those inherited from William Sindall. After having a quick look at these companies, I start to get a feel for the vision that the company must have had in the beginning. The UK construction industry is notorious for being volatile, and today there is around 5 large players left and two of those are private companies. Morgan Lovell’s approach was seen by competitors as opportunistic. The insight it would have took to see the tax losses as an asset, and instead of a lengthy process to gain its listing Morgan Lovell, was decisive in its acquisition of the (shell company). I originally though this evolution of acquisitions very aggressive in trying to reach a market leading position by Morgan Sindall, but also a very intelligent maneuverer pulled off with integrity.
KCQ#3
Linear & Circular Economy: Morgan Sindall Group
Morgan Sindall Group isn't just treating the Circular Economy like some mandatory homework; they see it as a smart business move that makes them tougher. It helps them cut costs, keeps their supply chains steady, and lets them grab those growing contracts that demand low-carbon building. This totally fits with the company's long-standing focus on always improving and staying ahead of what the market and society want.
That said, their construction side still runs into the old "take-make-dispose" linear problem, especially when it comes to getting raw materials and dealing with all the waste. But they're fighting back! Their shift to circularity, shown by cool projects like the "Circular Twin", where they basically redesign buildings digitally to use less carbon and last longer. This is their next big step in working smarter and controlling risk.
On top of that, I really think Morgan Sindall operates a lot like a social enterprise, even though they're a big, public company. They use their commercial muscle to do major good for the community. Whether they're giving jobs and training to young people or making sure they buy materials from small local businesses to pump cash back into the community, the impact is huge. This isn't just charity, though; their amazing social mission makes them the go-to choice for clients (especially in the public sector) who want to see real, measurable social impact when they award a contract.
Bing Videos - The link below outlines some of the complex social mission embodied by the Morgan Sindal group.
Bing Videos – This Video demonstrates how Morgan Sindall Group provides opportunities with the local community & young people.
-I have paced some links in my blog: The Morgan Sindall Group, which I found interesting as well.
The Annual Report
I easily located my company’s annual report and dived straight into the financial statements, flying over the glossy “marketing” sections, as I am more inclined to understand the numbers first than go back and see how this is portrayed throughout the report. My direction after familiarising myself with the financial reports was to engage with the footnotes and see what I could make of them. I concluded that I have so much learning and experience needed before the analysis of financial footnotes is something that will come easily to me. The footnotes lead me on a journey into what the similarities and difference of the financial statements are and what they actually reflected in regards to management of the Morgan Sindall Group. At this point I went back to my notes on the William Sindall plc and looked into how this company valued its workers and other aspects of its core values and tried to see if I could find that “mission” in the current Morgan Sindall Group. I felt a little lead down this line off enquiry by some of the differences in the financial statements such as the disappearance of a line item in the Liabilities section of the statement of financial position – Retirement Benefit Obligation, which appears in the 21-22 financials but not in the 23-24 financials. I now know that this is an indicator of a change in the post-employment benefits plan. I immediately wanted to know what would have triggered the need for this change, which is not explained so much in footnotes or the glossy pages above but requires some insight into why management would want to or need to implement such changes. I believe that management was looking to implement some form of risk-mitigation and possibly better manage long-term financial uncertainty. Now I was curious as to what could cause such a giant uncertainty. I went back to the financial statements and developed my understanding on different listed items until I stumbled upon – Impairment loss on contract assets – this jump from -2.8mil P in 2023 to -21mil P in 2024. Is the company giving itself more of a safely nett against potential non payment? Still so much to learn! Morgan Sindall may have had issues with cost overruns, unrecoverable disputes, or customer credit risk on specific projects. Much like the little bus that stops at each bus stop to collect passengers my thoughts travelled along collecting information, with each new destination having some new insight into my company.
I felt that there must have been a trigger point for this significant increase and was drawn to figuring out why management would take this position in 2024, I believe that some toxic contracts and write-downs on specific jobs triggered management to work towards eliminating complex liabilities like pensions. At this point I felt I had a small understanding on why the company had retirement benefit obligations recorded in their 21-22 financials but not in their 23-24 financials. I have a rudimentary understanding that management and the lens that they view business and accounting with are ultimately reflected in the company’s annual reports and the financial statements within. In regards to Climate capabilitys and policies
Throughout the report I came across “big picture” strategies and a dedicated section on climate reporting, Morgan Sindall is super serious about climate change and is aiming to hit Net Zero by 2045. They've already done some heavy lifting, having slashed their direct carbon emissions by a cool 44% since 2019, which helped them keep their top-notch 'A' CDP Climate score. To make sure they keep this progress going, they just dropped their first Transition Plan and are basically forcing themselves to think greener by raising their internal carbon charge to £90 per tonne. Plus, on every new job, they must do a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) assessment to make sure they're making the site at least 10% better for nature, not just building on it, which is all part of their plan to be ready for big problems like floods or heatwaves. The Glossy marketing pages did ultimately contain relevant and necessary information for understanding the Groups position on approach these challenges and again they reflected the forward thinking of the group in its ambitious and socially responsible core values.
Opportunities & Risks
Morgan Sindall Group’s 2024 Annual Report looks seriously good. They’ve already got a massive pile of secured work, over £11.4 billion, which basically guarantees revenue for ages. They’re benefiting hugely because the UK government keeps spending big bucks on crucial stuff like affordable housing, schools, healthcare, and infrastructure. Plus, things are looking up financially with inflation and interest rates finally chilling out, giving them an extra boost. So right now, the market is pretty much tailor-made for what Morgan Sindall does best.
However, they’re keeping a sharp eye on some major problems. The biggest worries are the general uncertainty in the economy, potential planning roadblocks that can slow down projects, and the constant stress of making sure their suppliers don't go bust or cause delays. Luckily, the Group's super-strong balance sheet and their commitment to leading the way on ESG (social and environmental stuff) are their biggest weapons. These assets are key to grabbing all the new work while making sure those external and operational risks don’t trip them up.
Bing Videos – This Video demonstrates how Morgan Sindall Group provides opportunities with the local community & young people.
-I have paced some links in my blog: The Morgan Sindall Group, which I found interesting.
Am I happy with my company.
I was ever so please with my assigned company. This company has scale and is from another country, it presents that progressive struggle I need to not just survive this unit but thrive because of this unit of study. My company is one rich in intellectual capacity, and it has been very engaging to learn about. From their very conception of the Morgan Sindall Group, they have been a cash rich firm and is projected to continue to be a sound investment into the future. One thing I did think I would miss out on learning from such a great company and that was what the books look like in one that has not done so well and the challenges a company has in difficult times and how this is reflected in their financial statements and the lens’ in which the accounts are prepared, form such a difficult position.
Studiosity Feedback
As Ai and I are only just acquainted, my initial thoughts on interacting with it was “now I have to learn the layout and feature of another Portal”. (sigh) The options form which one can choose how Studiosity and your work interact was unique, most likely specifically targeting study and learning. As this is a university referred tool, I have run my work through with slightly more confidence that my IP is protected. The suggestions on how to improve spelling and grammar would have been more useful to me if the layout of the information was more consolidated.
Top Three Blogs.
1 - Shelly Williams
shellywilliams68984a5875-gytil.wordpress.com
I found Shelly’s Blog very compact and easily located what I was looking for. Her summary on accounting as a model, was very engaging and I agree that the people making the big decisions in business are the ones with the tightest grasp on this concept. Her welcome message was easy to read and packed full of insight into her motivation for studying. The layout of Shelly’s company information was presented in a very professional way which I am far from being able to match. The top three blogs reviewed done by Shelly gave me a feel for the positive and supportive person behind the Blog review. Good Luck with the remainder of your studies Shelly 😊
2 – Benjamin Mchaffie
I found Ben’s blog had such a personal touch, with his photos and his conversational tone though each piece of his writing. The layout when the page first opens is very well laid out and easy to identify what each element does. Which is very important for a newbie like me. The colour scheme of Ben’s home page is cool and calm and made me want to explore further. I am also studying and a mum, so I can relate to the “back on the bike” comment, as I read through this, I found Ben’s understanding of learning and mistakes very similar to my own. I credit the loverly Trixie from CQU who guided me through my STEPs course for the concept - FAIL (First, Attempt, In, Learning), one that will stick with me for life and one I have passed onto my children, just as Ben has described he has done with his son. I hope not too many Egos get grazed along the way Ben 😊
3- Sally Vico
Sally outlines challenges of returning to study beautifully in her introducing, As I am also uncovering what learning looks like as an adult, I found Sally’s content very relatable. As a read through Sally’s introduction I began to get to know the intelligent and inquisitive person behind the blog. The added family picture was a nice personalizing tough. Sally has wonderfully articulated the importance of being real, and the those who keep moving forward in some form or another is already on the path to success. I also believe that being brave and being scared can happen at the same time, this concept is explained by Sally as confidence doesn’t come first. Sally you are an inspiration, and your logical layout and engaging content displays an already established ability to communicate effectively and with impact. You have articulated the adult learning journey with insight and a grounded perspective I personally appreciate. I look forward to following along with your journey through your blog post’s into the future.
Cheers 😊
ACCT11059 -
Assessment 1 _ Step 1 _CKQ's
ACCT11059: Accounting, Learning and Online Communication (HT3, 2025)
Assessment 1 – STEP 1
KCQ#1
Intellectual Capacity and the Accounting Game
The foundation of successful business, particularly in accounting, lies in intellectual capacity—the cognitive discipline required to translate complex economic activity into meaningful financial data. Someone with strong logical thinking and cognitive power to create competitive advantage and manage uncertainty is exactly what the complex business environment demands. Given that financial reality is relative, accountants must be subjective.
Recently at my place of employment, as a corporate administration assistant, I was given a task in efficiency, although I didn't realize it initially, I was designing a new and more efficient process which led to a higher quality output and created future value for the company. I conceptualized the task and used creativity and foresight to add value. This experience makes me question: Is the business and accounting game truly won or lost by the intellectual capacity of management, particularly their scope and discipline to balance the equation with accuracy and integrity?
KCQ#2
Integrity and the Fundamental Accounting Equation
The accounting equation is at the conceptual core of accounting; the elements of the equation intermingle and constantly fluctuate. I am intrigued by this concept.
Sophisticated analytical ability is needed to decipher the correct accounting "lens" for complex transactions, while even greater discipline is necessary to accurately maintain the fundamental accounting equation: Assets= Equity + Liabilities
Integrity must always be maintained when reporting financial reality. I emphasize integrity because it ensures adherence to the core qualitative characteristics of financial reporting, specifically Faithful Representation (complete, neutral, and free from error) and Verifiability. This ethical discipline is necessary to provide the required clarity and scope, as manipulation without integrity could cause severe harm to the interests of the company. While the equation can always be made to balance mathematically, the ethical component of integrity is what truly ensures the books reflect the correct economic reality.
I see this key concept in place every time I'm in the office, as the company I work for has the management and reporting structures required of a large internationally owned business.
KCQ’#3
The Fundamental Accounting
This equation has dynamic elements Assets = Equity + Liabilities, which feels to me like the conceptual core of accounting. It is the mathematical nature of this equation that I find interesting and the constant fluctuation in balance challenging to comprehend.
Equation
Assets = Equity + Liabilities
This equation defines the inherent, balanced financial reality of a firm, equating economic resources with their funding sources. This balance is maintained by the double-entry bookkeeping system, which enforces the rule that every transaction must result in equal and opposite entries. This strict control mechanism is perfectly demonstrated by the purchase of a $700,000 header: the farmer's primary motivation is operational control and risk mitigation, financially justified only when the annual cost of ownership falls below the cost of custom hiring. From an accounting standpoint, the initial purchase shows the equation in action—if paid in cash, Assets (Equipment) increase while Assets (Cash) decrease; if financed, Assets (Equipment) increase, matched by an increase in Liabilities (Notes Payable)—with the equation remaining balanced. The entire process relies on accurate source data: in my role, I document the flow of information, such as servicing costs and insurance costs, directly into the accounting software, thereby providing the essential controls necessary for execution and compliance, ensuring the accountant and financial manager have the verifiable source material needed to provide a faithful representation of this major (Hypothetical) Asset.
KCQ#4
Accounting is supposed to connect us to reality.
The concept that accounting connects us to reality integrates the capture and analysis of real-world economic data, which ultimately drives financial reporting. I perceive reality in business and accounting as both relative and specific; it is the economic substance of an entity at a given point in time. In my own experience, I capture and translate real-world information into financial terms using systematic recording methods.
This concept heavily leans into the idea that accounting must assist stakeholders in their capacity to make informed decisions. The connection between the entity and its stakeholders is effectively bridged by established frameworks that consistently measure, categorize, and report this reality. The reliability of this connection is paramount because, without it, the reported information loses its relevance and faithful representation. Furthering my understanding of how “reality” can be relative and specific and how they differ. Bridging the gap between real-world events and financial reports. As they seem very distinct yet intertwined. I find it interesting that the financial realities of a business can change depending on the Lens through which it is viewed.
In my corporate administration role, I am on the coalface of the company’s economic events, somewhat of a bridge between the financial realities and the operational activities. I regularly capture specific realities when processing supplier invoices. I transform hard data into its first form of faithful representation. The transformation truly begins when I classify each expense, between multiple accounts, two different farming enterprises and multiple different entities, referencing a structured chart of accounts. Sometimes I refer to myself as a cog that helps drive the bigger machine.
Intellectual Capacity
Financial Reality
Future Value
Meaningful Data
Balance the Equation
MINDMAP
Accounting Game
Accounting Lens
ADD Value
Conceptualize
Foundation of Successful Business
Creativity & Forsight
KCQ Mindmap
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