TEACHING PYTHON TO MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING STUDENTS: AN ILLUSTRATION USING SUPPORT DEPARTMENT COST-ALLOCATION METHODS

Abstract

This paper explores how the Python programming language can be taught to management accounting students using domain-specific examples and exercises. Building on an existing case, the paper presents a number of Python codes that can be used as teaching materials in a management accounting course, and discusses how the case and the Python codes can be used in such a course. The materials cover a topic, support department cost-allocation methods, that is discussed in almost every management accounting course, and also include a relatively new approach known as the lattice allocation method. This topic was mainly chosen because the available methods for allocating the costs of support departments to other departments vary in terms of ease of use, which translates into Python codes that also vary in terms of difficulty and required functionalities.