Leadership

• Qualities of leadership-Role, Leadership traits, entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, professional values.
• Leadership and organizational culture- Leadership style, Impact on culture and ethics, Analyzing culture.
• Professionalism, ethical codes and the public interest- Tucker 5 question approach, Social responsibility of accountants, combating corruption, ethical threats and safeguards.

Strategy

• Concepts of strategy- Strategic decisions, Johnson, Scholes and Whittington model;.
• Environmental issues-PESTEL, Porter’s Diamond, external key drivers of change, Assumptions of future environment.
• Competitive forces-Porter’s five forces, Porter’s value chain, opportunities and Threats, value networks.
• The internal resources, capabilities and competences of an organization- strategic capability, unique resources and core competences, threshold resources, SWOT, competitive advantage

Strategic choices

• Strategic options, Potential and options, 7 ‘P’s, Boston Consulting Group, Ansoff matrix, methods of pursuing a chosen strategicdirection
• RiskàIdentification, assessment andmeasurement of risk- framework for riskManagement, Identify and evaluate the key risks, Assess attitudes towards risk and risk appetite, dynamic nature of risk, Risk assessment models,  ALARP.
• Managing, monitoring and mitigating Risk-  Role of a Risk manager, embedding risk in an organization’s culture, TARA, benefits of incurring or accepting some risk

Organizational control and audit

• Management and internal control systems- Meaning, Need, Features, Effectiveness and Potential Weakness, Importance of sound internal control system, Changes to the system
• Audit and compliance- need for an internal audit function auditor, independence, effective internal audit committee, appropriate responses to auditors’ recommendations
• Internal control and management
• Reporting- Need and contents of Report, Reliability of internal control for Financial Reporting

Professional skills      

• Communication- cultural differences, compelling and logical arguments, simplify complex issues;
• Commercial acumen-organizational and wider external factors, key issues in determining how to address or resolve problems, insight and perception in understanding work-related and organizational issues; 
• Analysis- analytical techniques, analyze appropriate data sources;
• Skepticism- reasons for issues and problems, justifications and obtaining sufficient evidence;
• Evaluation- forecasts of the implications of external and internal factors, problems or when making decisions