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ACCT3011 Reporting on Business Groups Semester 2 2025


Group Assignment Instructions and Guidelines

Group members: Group assignment groups are the same as presentation groups

Group Assignment & Group Member Evaluation: Due 23:59 (AEDT) Monday 20 Oct 2025

The top five (5) group assignment submissions will be invited to present their assignment findings
to a panel of PWC practitioners. This networking and industry connection event will occur in the exam
period. Selected groups will be advised in week commencing 10th November 2025. No marks are
attached to the presentation.


1. Use of AI Generative Tools

You are encouraged to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist with some of your responses. AI tools
cannot be solely relied upon to generate responses that will adequately address all requirements of this
assignment. You remain responsible for your work. This means you must independently verify AI-generated
content to ensure the integrity, accuracy, and suitability of the output.

Do not enter confidential, personal, copyrighted or otherwise sensitive information into these tools. Your use of
AI tools must adhere to the Student Charter 2020, including upholding honesty, ethics, professionalism, and
academic integrity.

If you use AI tools, you must include a statement at the end of your group assignment explaining what you
used the tool for, and the prompts that you used. If no AI tools are used, a non-use statement must be
included. The use or non-use statement is excluded from the 1,800 words limit.

Statement of use example:
We acknowledge the use of Copilot to summarise the arguments in the journal articles. Output was then
adopted to Part B response.

If you require further assistance, suggest you visit the AI in Education Canvas site. It is a handy site created
by students for students.

You are required to keep all draft versions of your group assignment, AI prompts, search history and
details of resources used.







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2. Assignment Background Information and Questions

Reporting entities frequently change their reporting segments to reflect acquisitions, restructures, or evolving
business operations. For example, Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES, hereafter Wesfarmers) reported six operating
segments in its 2021 Annual Report, notes on segment information: Bunnings, Kmart Group, Officeworks,
Chemicals, Energy and Fertilisers (WesCEF), Industrial and Safety (WIS), and Other (p.131).

In 2022, Wesfarmers added a new segment, Health, following its acquisition of Australian Pharmaceutical
Industries Ltd. As disclosed in the notes to its 2022 Annual Report (p.136):
“On 31 March 2022, Wesfarmers, through its wholly-owned subsidiary WFM Investments Pty Ltd,
completed the acquisition of Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (API) for consideration of $754 million.
API is the foundation business of the Health segment. The results presented in this report are for the period
from 31 March 2022 to 30 June 2022.”

Further restructuring occurred in 2023. In its Annual Report (p.138), Wesfarmers announced that:
“Restructure of Group’s operating segments: In April 2022, the Group determined that from 1 July 2022,
Catch will move from the Kmart Group segment and join a newly-formed division, Wesfarmers OneDigital
(OneDigital). The OneDigital division includes Catch, OnePass and supporting capabilities. In accordance with
AASB 8 Operating Segments, Catch is reported as a segment, reflecting its operating nature, while the results
for OnePass and supporting capabilities continue to be reported within Other. The Group has restated amounts
presented in the prior period to reflect the new reporting structure.”

These examples demonstrate how Wesfarmers has adapted its segment reporting to align with significant
business changes, such as acquisitions and restructures. More broadly, such adjustments are a common
practice among reporting entities, reflecting the dynamic nature of business operations and the requirements of
AASB 8 to provide users with relevant and up-to-date information.

REQUIRED:
Part A (16 marks in total)
Your Part A responses are to be presented in a short answer format.

1. Research an Australian listed company (other than Wesfarmers) and identify an example where
reporting segments changed across subsequent reporting periods. Explain:
• what specific changes were made to the reporting segments,
• the reason(s) for the change, and
• the financial reporting consequence(s) of this change. (8 marks)
2. Discuss how requirements of AASB 8 Operating Segments provide flexibility for reporting entities to
make frequent changes to their reporting segments. (8 marks)
Note: In your response, you should describe the changes in words using the example you have selected. Please
do not include screenshots of the annual reports, focusing on explaining the changes in reporting segments and
their implications.

Part B (16 marks in total)

Your Part B responses are to be presented in a short answer format.

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1. Literature has documented that reporting entities often exhibit “fear to disclose” and tend to withhold
segment information. Analyse Botosan and Stanford (2005) and Berger and Hann (2007) to explain
why firms may be motivated to withhold segment information. In your response, synthesise the key
arguments of both studies.
(Note, both studies are based in the U.S context, and therefore refer to the U.S. equivalent standards
to AASB 8 Operating Segments. You are not required to discuss the differences in country-specific
accounting standards on segment reporting. You are encouraged to use AI tools to summarise the two
studies.) (8 marks)
2. Discuss how reporting entities could take advantages of the requirements under AASB 8 Operating
Segments to minimise disclosure. Provide two alternative disclosure strategies that enable reporting
entities to minimise disclosure while remain compliant with AASB 8. (8 marks)

Part C (8 marks in total)
Your Part C responses are to be presented in a short answer format.
Think back to ACCT1006 and the reflection skills you learnt in that unit. As a reminder, look at the 5Rs
Framework for Reflection resources on Canvas under Modules/Group assignment.
Using the Reasoning criteria from the 5Rs Framework for Reflection:

1. Explain how useful the AI tools were for developing your group’s Part B responses and whether their
output enhanced the group’s understanding of the two academic journal articles. (4 marks); and
2. Discuss one question response when group members initially disagreed and what the group did to
resolve the disagreement. Provide identifiable evidence created by group members^. (4 marks)

^ Detailed example(s) and identifiable evidence must be in English and have direct connection to the group
members names. These may include annotated screenshots of posts, suggestions and peer feedback from
group chats or your group’s Canvas discussion board. Information on how to access your group’s Canvas
discussion board click here.



Reference List

Botosan, C. A., & Stanford, M. (2005). Managers' motives to withhold segment disclosures and the effect of
SFAS no. 131 on analysts' information environment. The Accounting Review, 80(3), 751-771.
Berger, P. G., & Hann, R. N. (2007). Segment profitability and the proprietary and agency costs of
disclosure. The Accounting Review, 82(4), 869-906.
Wesfarmers Limited. (2021). Annual Report 2021. https://www.wesfarmers.com.au/docs/default-source/asx-
announcements/2021-annual-report-(including-appendix-4e).pdf?sfvrsn=9a1f12bb_0
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Wesfarmers Limited. (2022). Annual Report 2022. https://wesfarmers.gcs-web.com/static-files/6fb0ff83-6929-
4068-97eb-2d752e4ccd4b/?auth_token=f77014b8-a01a-4d5c-a2cb-28689c3d3c5d
Wesfarmers Limited. (2023). Annual Report 2023. https://www.wesfarmers.com.au/docs/default-
source/reports/2023-annual-report.pdf?sfvrsn=42fae1bb_8

3. Assessment Criteria

The group assignment represents 20% of your total mark for ACCT3011 and is compulsory. To provide students
with feedback, group assignments will be graded against the assessment criteria and rubric included in
Appendix 1 to this assignment. Note the group assignment will be marked out of 40 marks and then scaled to
20% of your total mark for ACCT3011.

Academic Honesty

As a student of the University, you are responsible for taking part in your education in an honest and authentic
manner. It is, therefore, expected that you take extra care to ensure that there are no breaches of academic
honesty. All assignments will be manually and electronically checked for plagiarism (copying). Any perceived
breaches of academic honesty will be referred to the Office of Educational Integrity for further investigation and
penalised if verified. You can read more information on what plagiarism is and how to avoid plagiarism from the
University link: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/academic-dishonesty.html

Students are reminded that all sources of support for the group assignment must be acknowledged and failure
to acknowledge such support may potentially breach the University’s academic honesty requirements. You
are permitted to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools such to assist with your responses. Their undeclared use will
be reported as a major breach of policy for investigation.

Each group member is expected to be involved in the preparation, drafting, proofing and checking of all aspects
of this group assignment including ensuring no breaches of academic honesty. Group members will be held
jointly responsible for the entire submission and awarded the same merit mark. In the event of a breach of
academic honesty the penalty could apply to all members irrespective of which member(s) caused the breach.


4. Group Assignment Plus Group Member Evaluation
The group assignment is to be completed in groups of two or three students, enrolled in the same tutorial
and be the same students as the presentation group. You can check which group you are enrolled in by
clicking the Groups link on the Global Navigation menu in Canvas. The following link provides detailed
instructions on how to do this: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10661-421255565.
In addition to submitting the group assignment, each group is required to complete the group member
evaluation. Details can be found on Canvas at
https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/67738/assignments/628638 and is due by 23:59 (AEDT) Monday 20
Oct 2025.

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The Group Member Evaluation is not included in the word limit for the group assignment.

Although the group member evaluation is not graded or weighted in the marking, non-completion could
result in a penalty of 20% of the maximum marks attainable.

In the event there are issues with group members not contributing to the group assignment, and reasonable
attempts have within the group to address these issues and have been unsuccessful, then the coordinator
should be advised before the due date of 20 Oct 2025. Please note marks may be deducted for non-
contributing students.
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5. Formatting requirements

• The group assignment and the group work report are to be presented in 12 point font (either Times
New Roman or Arial) and paragraphs formatted with 1 or 1.5 line spacing and with margins not less
than 2.5cm.
• You are required to save and submit the group assignment as a Microsoft Word file, using the group
name_tutorial name filename format. For example, if your group is enrolled in Thursday 8:00am
tutorial and allocated Group 1 in this tutorial, the filename for the group assignment will be Group
1_Thur 08:00_group assignment.doc.
• The group name, tutorial name and SID of all group members must be included on the first page of the
group assignment.
• The group name and tutorial name must appear in the header section of every page for the group
assignment.
• Your group assignment should not exceed 1,800 words including all intext referencing, footnotes,
images, the reference list and any appendices. The word count is based on the word count information
as presented in Turnitin based on the Microsoft Word document submitted and this will be checked. It
is each group’s responsibility to ensure the submitted Microsoft Word document through Turnitin does
not exceed 1,800 words in total. For guidance on words in excess of the word limit, students are advised
to refer to the Business School’s Policies at:
https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/15054/pages/university-and-business-school-policies
As a suggestion, you can use the following procedure to assist you to track the word count of the
Microsoft Word version of your assignment:
§ Open your assignment Microsoft Word document.
§ Use Ctrl+Shift+G to open the Word Count dialog box and insert a tick in the “Include textboxes,
footnotes and endnotes”. This function is also available under Review/Word Count.
• Your assignment must be appropriately and properly referenced using the American Psychological
Association referencing 7 style (or APA 7 as it is more commonly known). This also includes use of use
AI tools.

The University of Sydney library provides helpful guidance on using APA 7 style referencing. Please
refer to the library resources for your assignment module on Canvas. You can also refer
https://libguides.library.usyd.edu.au/citation/apa7

6. Submission requirements

• The deadline for submission is 23:59 (AEDT) on Monday 20 Oct 2025. Please ensure you submit well
before the deadline in case there are problems.

• The group assignment must be submitted in electronic form. No submissions will be accepted via email.

• One group member is to submit the assignment on behalf of the group. Consider multiple reworkings
to tighten and to check your group’s assignment satisfies the 1,800 Turnitin word count. Turnitin in
Canvas does not automatically email a digital receipt. Once you have successfully submitted your
group’s assignment, take a screenshot of the submission details including a date time stamp. We
strongly recommend that you save this screenshot as proof of your group’s submission. Should
submission problems arise, you should contact the University’s ICT Service Desk on 02 9351
2000 (option 2 for ICT) or email ict.support@sydney.edu.au

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• If you submit after the due date, a late penalty of 5% per day, or part thereof, including weekends, will
be applied. Any group assignment submitted beyond the closing date of 23:59 (AEDT) on 30 Oct
2025, will result in a mark of zero.

• Under the Canvas ‘Assignment” link in the left toolbar on the Homepage you will find the link to the
Turnitin submission portals under the Group assignment section. One portal is called “Group
assignment” and the other “Group member evaluation – assignment.” Before you submit work to the
Group Assignment portal, please ensure that you have saved the group assignment under the correct
filename format.

• There is only one (1) submission allowed for the group. If multiple group members submit, only the first
group member’s submission will be marked. The other submissions will be discarded. Turnitin will allow
a second submission for the group before the due date, provided it is submitted by the same person
who originally submitted it. In that case, the last version submitted will be marked.

7. Support
• You can post questions relating to the requirements of the group assignment on the Group assignment
Discussion Forum on Canvas. This would ensure all students have access to the same information. It
is assumed each student will read the queries and comments in the Group assignment Discussion
Forum (Note: Unit of Study teaching staff will not answer individual questions and no questions
will be answered during tutorials and student drop in sessions).

• You can obtain guidance on working in groups from the University website:
https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/group-work.html For technical support during your submission,
contact the University’s Service Desk on 02 9351 2000 (option 2 for ICT) or ict.support@sydney.edu.au.
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Appendix 1 Assessment Criteria
Part A (16 marks in total)
Criteria Marks Scale
Part A (1)
Example of changes in
reporting segments

8 marks 0 to 2 marks
Below expectations
Poor example or discussion of
changes in reporting segments
Or
Not attempted
3 to 4 marks
Reasonable
Reasonable example and discussion
of changes in reporting segments
5 to 6 marks
Good
Good example and discussion of
changes in reporting segments
7 to 8 marks
Very good
Very good example and discussion
of changes in reporting segments

Part A (2)
Requirements in AASB
8 Operating Segments




8 marks 0 to 2 marks
Below expectation
Poor discussion of the flexibilities
provided by AASB 8 Operating
Segments
Or
Not attempted
3 to 4 marks
Reasonable
Reasonable discussion of the
flexibilities provided by AASB 8
Operating Segments

5 to 6 marks
Good
Good discussion of the flexibilities
provided by AASB 8 Operating
Segments

7 to 8 marks
Very good
Very good discussion of the
flexibilities provided by AASB 8
Operating Segments


Part B (16 marks in total)
Criteria Marks Scale
Part B (1)
Motivations to withhold
segment information

8 marks 0 to 2 marks
Below expectations
Poor attempt to synthesise
literature and develop arguments
on motivations for reporting
entities to withhold segment
information
or
Not attempted

3 to 4 marks
Reasonable
Reasonable attempt to synthesise
literature and develop arguments
on motivations for reporting
entities to withhold segment
information

5 to 6 marks
Good
Good attempt to synthesise
literature and develop arguments
on motivations for reporting
entities to withhold segment
information

7 to 8 marks
Very good
Very good attempt to synthesise
literature and develop arguments
on motivations for reporting
entities to withhold segment
information

Part B (2)
Two disclosure
strategies

8 marks 0 to 2 marks
Below expectations
Poor discussion of strategies to
minimise segment disclosure
or
Not attempted
3 to 4 marks
Reasonable
Reasonable discussion of strategies
to minimise segment disclosure
5 to 6 marks
Good
Good discussion of strategies to
minimise segment disclosure
7 to 8 marks
Very good
Very good discussion of strategies
to minimise segment disclosure

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Part C (8 marks in total)

Criteria Marks Scale
Part C (a)
Usefulness of AI
tools.
4 marks

0 to 1 marks
Below expectations
Limited explanation of how the AI
tools were used for understanding
of the academic journal articles and
development of Part B responses.

Or
Not attempted.
2 marks
Reasonable
Reasonable explanation of how the
AI tools were used for
understanding of the academic
journal articles and development of
Part B responses.


3 marks
Good
Good explanation of how the AI
tools were used for understanding
of the academic journal articles and
development of Part B responses.
4 marks
Very good
Very good explanation of how the AI
tools were used for understanding
of the academic journal articles and
development of Part B responses.
Part C (b)
Group reflective
practices.
4 marks







0 to 1 marks
Below expectations
Limited explanation of group
disagreement and resolution.

Evidence provided
little insight into the group’s
reflective practices.
Or
Not attempted.
2 marks
Reasonable
Reasonable explanation of group
disagreement and resolution.

An attempt to provide some
evidence of group reflective
practices.

3 marks
Good
Good explanation of group
disagreement and resolution.

Clear group reflective practices
evidence provided.


4 marks
Very good
Very good explanation of group
disagreement and resolution.

Very clear group reflective practices
evidence provided.



Referencing and resources (2 marks in total)

Referencing and
resources
Proper referencing
using APA 7 style and
use or non-use of AI
disclosure statement.
2 mark

0 marks
Unsatisfactory
Poor or no use of APA 7
referencing.

Use or non-use of AI statement
poorly or not attempted.




1 marks
Reasonable
Some correct application of APA 7
style and/or evidence of missing in-
text referencing and/or evidence of
indiscriminate or inappropriate use
of references.

Use or non-use of AI statement
reasonably attempted.
2 marks
Good
Mostly correct use of APA 7 style
and reasonable application to in-
text references and reference list.

Use or non-use of AI statement
adequately completed.



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