Generating knowledge in management accounting for the EHEA: using a simulation to learn about the balanced scorecard

In the information age, the university and business worlds are complex interrelated environments. Spanish universities have set themselves the target of adapting to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) so that teachers contribute to producing professionals with the profile demanded by society, consistently supported by information and communication technologies (ICT). This research project proposes the use of simulation as a method for teaching the subject of management accounting. Firstly, it aims to show that through the use of a balanced scorecard (BSC) simulation students develop cognitive and transversal competences which are then reflected in improved results. Secondly, it analyses whether factors such as work experience and education influence the use of this tool. All these factors are reflected in the statistical analysis of the results obtained by using the simulation with a sample of 120 students divided by qualification into four groups, three being postgraduate masters and one a first degree course, in the period 2006-2007.