Ethics and professional conduct in business Erin Haywood was recently hired as a cost analyst by Wind River Medical Supplies Inc. Oneof Erin’s first assignments was to perform a net present value analysis for a new warehouse.Et-in performed the analysis and calculated a present value index of 0.8. The plant manager.ZuhairBarbat, is very intent on purchasing the warehouse because he believes that more storage space is needed. Zuhair asks Erín into his office and the following conversation takes place: ZubairErín, you’re new here, aren’t you? EHii: Yes, sir. Zubair: V.dl, Erin, let me tell you something. ¡m not at all pleased with the capital investment analysis that you performed on this new warehouse. T need that warehouse for my production. If I dont get it, where am I going to place our output? Erín: Hopefully with the customer, sir. Zithair: Now don’t get smart with me. Erín: No, really. I was being serious. My analysis does not support constructing a new ware- house. The numbers don’t lie: the warehouse does not meet our investment return targets. In fact, it seems to me that purchasing a warehouse dots not add much value to the business. We need to be producing product to satisfy customer orders, not to fill a warehouse. Zubair Listen, you need to understand sonwthing. The headquarters people will not allow mv to build the warehouse if the numbers dont add up. You know as well as I that many assump tions go into your net present value analysis. Why don’t you relax some of your assumptions so that the f́nancial savings will offset the cost? Erín: I’m willing to discuss my assumptions with you. Maybe I overlooked something. Zubafr Good. Here’s what I want you to do. 1 see in your analysis tha you don’t project greater sales as a result of the warehouse. It seems to me, if we can store more goxLs, then will have more to sell. Thus, logically, a larger warehouse translates into more sales. If you incorporate this into your analysis, I think you’ll see that the numbers will work out. Why don’t you work it through and come back with a new analysis? I’m really counting on you on this one. Let’s get off to a good start together and see if we can get this project accepted. What is your advice to Erin?

Ethics in Action Danielle Hastings was recently hired as a cost analyst by CareNet Medical Supplies Inc. One of Danielles first assignments was to perform a net present value analysis for a new warehouse. Danielle performed the analysis and determined a present value index of 0.75. The plant manager, Jerrod Moore, is very intent on purchasing the warehouse because he believes that more storage space is needed. Jerrod asks Danielle into his office and the following conversation takes place: Jerrod: Danielle, youre new here, arent you? Danielle: Yes, I am. Jerrod: Well, Danielle, Im not at all pleased with the capital investment analysis that you performed on this new warehouse. I need that warehouse for my production. If I dont get it, where am I going to place our output? Danielle: Well, we need to get product into our customers hands. Jerrod: I agree, and we need a warehouse to do that. Danielle: My analysis does not support constructing a new warehouse. The numbers dont lie; the warehouse does not meet our investment return targets. In fact, it seems to me that purchasing a warehouse does not add much value to the business. We need to be producing product to satisfy customer orders, not to fill a warehouse. Jerrod: The headquarters people will not allow me to build the warehouse if the numbers dont add up. You know as well as I that many assumptions go into your net present value analysis. Why dont you relax some of your assumptions so that the financial savings will offset the cost? Danielle: Im willing to discuss my assumptions with you. Maybe I overlooked something. Jerrod: Good. Heres what I want you to do. I see in your analysis that you dont project greater sales as a result of the warehouse. It seems to me that if we can store more goods, then we will have more to sell. Thus, logically, a larger warehouse translates into more sales. If you incorporate this into your analysis, I think youll see that the numbers will work out. Why dont you work it through and come back with a new analysis. Im really counting on you on this one. Lets get off to a good start together and see if we can get this project accepted. What is your advice to Danielle?

Cost Information and Ethical Behavior, Service Organization Jean Erickson, manager and owner of an advertising company in Charlotte, North Carolina, arranged a meeting with Leroy Gee, the chief accountant of a large, local competitor. The two are lifelong friends. They grew up together in a small town and attended the same university. Leroy is a competent, successful accountant but is having some personal financial difficulties after some of his investments turned sour, leaving him with a 15,000 personal loan to pay offjust when his oldest son is starting college. Jean, on the other hand, is struggling to establish a successful advertising business. She had recently acquired the rights to open a branch office of a large regional advertising firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. During her first 2 years, she was able to build a small, profitable practice. However, the chance to gain a significant foothold in Charlotte hinged on the success of winning a bid to represent the state of North Carolina in a major campaign to attract new industry and tourism. The meeting she had scheduled with Leroy concerned the bid she planned to submit. Jean: Leroy, Im at a critical point in my business venture. If I can win the bid for the states advertising dollars, Ill be set. Winning the bid will bring 600,000 to 700,000 of revenues into the firm. On top of that, I estimate that the publicity will bring another 200,000 to 300,000 of new business. Leroy: I understand. My boss is anxious to win that business as well. It would mean a huge increase in profits for my firm. Its a competitive business, though. As new as you are, I doubt that youll have much chance of winning. Jean: Youre forgetting two very important considerations. First, I have the backing of all the resources and talent of a regional firm. Second, I have some political connections. Last year, I was hired to run the publicity side of the governors campaign. He was impressed with my work and would like me to have this business. I am confident that the proposals I submit will be very competitive. My only concern is to submit a bid that beats your firm. If I come in with a lower bid and good proposals, the governor can see to it that I get the work. Leroy: Sounds promising. If you do win, however, there will be a lot of upset people. After all, they are going to claim that the business should have been given to local advertisers, not to some out-of-state firm. Given the size of your office, youll have to get support from Atlanta. You could take a lot of heat. Jean: True. But I am the owner of the branch office. That fact alone should blunt most of the criticism. Who can argue that Im not a local? Listen, with your help, I think I can win this bid. Furthermore, if I do win it, you can reap some direct benefits. With that kind of business, I can afford to hire an accountant, and Ill make it worthwhile for you to transfer jobs. I can offer you an up-front bonus of 15,000. On top of that, Ill increase your annual salary by 20%. That should solve most of your financial difficulties. After all, we have been friends since day oneand what are friends for? Leroy: Jean, my wife would be ecstatic if I were able to improve our financial position as quickly as this opportunity affords. I certainly hope that you win the bid. What kind of help can I provide? Jean: Simple. To win, all I have to do is beat the bid of your firm. Before I submit my bid, I would like you to review it. With the financial skills you have, it should be easy for you to spot any excessive costs that I may have included. Or perhaps I included the wrong kind of costs. By cutting excessive costs and eliminating costs that may not be directly related to the project, my bid should be competitive enough to meet or beat your firms bid. Required: 1. What would you do if you were Leroy? Fully explain the reasons for your choice. What do you suppose the code of conduct for Leroys company would say about this situation? 2. What is the likely outcome if Leroy agrees to review the bid? Is there much risk to him personally if he reviews the bid? Should the degree of risk have any bearing on his decision?

Assume you are the manager for the semi-trucks division at the Speedy Delivery Company. The semi-truck division is a cost center and you are reviewing the driver overtime costs for the previous year, shown here: A. Microsoft Excel or another spreadsheet application, create a line chart with markers showing the driver overtime expense. Describe your observations. B. Knowing that safety is important in your industry and weather plays a significant role in the safety of drivers, you decide to talk with the safety manager and obtained the following information: Using Microsoft Excel or another spreadsheet application, create individual line charts with markers showing the average snowfall and non-company highway accidents. Describe your observations and actions you might consider.

Materiality Joseph Knapp, a newly hired accountant wanting to impress his boss, stayed late one night to analyze the office supplies expense. He determined the cost by month for the previous 12 months of each of the following: computer paper, copy paper, fax paper, pencils and pens, notepads, postage, stationery, and miscellaneous items. Required What did Joseph think his boss would learn from this information? What action might be taken as a result of knowing it? Would this information be more relevant if Joseph worked for a hardware store or for a real estate company? Discuss.

Communication The controller of New Wave Sounds Inc. prepared the following product profitability report for management, using activity-based costing methods for allocating both the factory overhead and the marketing expenses. As such, the controller has confidence in the accuracy of this report. In addition, the controller interviewed the vice president of marketing, who provided the following insight into the companys three products: The home theater speakers are an older product that is highly recognized in the marketplace. The wireless speakers are a new product that was just recently launched. The wireless headphones are a new technology that has no competition in the marketplace, and it is hoped that they will become an important future addition to the companys product portfolio. Initial indications are that the product is well received by customers. The controller believes that the manufacturing costs for all three products are in line with expectations. Based on the information provided: 1. Calculate the ratio of gross profit to sales and the ratio of operating income to sales for each product. 2. Write a brief (one-page) memo using the product profitability report and the calculations in (a) to make recommendations to management with respect to strategies for the three products.

Communications Jamarcus Bradshaw, plant manager of Georgia Paper Companys papermaking mill, was looking over the cost of production reports for July and August for the Papermaking Department. The reports revealed the following: Jamarcus was concerned about the increased cost per ton from the output of the department. As a result, he asked the plant controller to perform a study to help explain these results. The controller, Leann Brunswick, began the analysis by performing some interviews of key plant personnel in order to understand what the problem might be. Excerpts from an interview with Len Tyson, a paper machine operator, follow: Len: We have two papermaking machines in the department. I have no data, but I think paper machine No. 1 is applying too much pulp and, thus, is wasting both conversion and materials resources. We haven't had repairs on paper machine No. 1 in a while. Maybe this is the problem. Leann: How does too much pulp result in wasted resources? Len: Well, you see, if too much pulp is applied, then we will waste pulp material. The customer will not pay for the extra product; we just use more material to make the product. Also, when there is too much pulp, the machine must be slowed down in order to complete the drying process. This results in additional conversion costs. Leann: Do you have any other suspicions? Len: Well, as you know, we have two productsgreen paper and yellow paper. They are identical except for the color. The color is added to the papermaking process in the paper machine. I think that during August these two color papers have been behaving very differently. I don't have any data, but it just seems as though the amount of waste associated with the green paper has increased. Leann: Why is this? Len: I understand that there has been a change in specifications for the green paper, starting near the beginning of August. This change could be causing the machines to run poorly when making green paper. If this is the case, the cost per ton would increase for green paper. Leann also asked for a database printout providing greater detail on Augusts operating results. September 9 Requested by: Leann Brunswick Papermaking DepartmentAugust detail Prior to preparing a report, Leann resigned from Georgia Paper Company to start her own business. You have been asked to take the data that Leann collected, and write a memo to Jamarcus Bradshaw with a recommendation to management. Your memo should include analysis of the August data to determine whether the paper machine or the paper color explains the increase in the unit cost from July. Include any supporting schedules that are appropriate. Round any calculations to the nearest cent.

Ella Maksimov is CEO of her own marketing firm. The firm recently moved from a strip mall in the suburbs to an office space in a downtown building, in order to make the firms employees more accessible to clients. Two new clients are interested in using Ellas advertising services but both clients are in the same line of business, meaning that Ellas company can represent only one of the clients. Pampered Pooches wants to hire Ellas firm for a one-year contract for web, newspaper, radio, and direct mail advertising. Pampered will pay $126,000 for these services. Ella estimates the cost of the services requested by Pampered Pooches to be $83,000. Delightful Dogs is interested in hiring Ella to produce mass mailings and web ads. Delightful will pay Ella $94,000 for these services and Ella estimates the cost of these services to be $47,000. Identify any relevant costs, relevant revenues, sunk costs, and opportunity costs that Ella Graham has to consider in making the decision whether to represent Pampered Pooches or Delightful Dogs.

Colin OShea has a carpentry shop that employs 4 carpenters. Colin received an order for 1,000 coffee tables. The coffee tables have a round table top and four decorative legs. An offer for $500 per table was received. Colin found an unfinished round table top that he could buy for $50 each. A. Using this quantitative cost data to make the table top, should Colin buy the table top or make it? B. What qualitative factors would be included in your decision. B. Can the vendor make it to the same quality standards? Can it be completed on time? Is there idle capacity in the factory that could be used?

Emery Manufacturing Company produces component parts for the farm equipment industry and has recently undergone a major computer system conversion. Jake Murray, the controller, has established a troubleshooting team to alleviate accounting problems that have occurred since the conversion. Jake has chosen Gus Swanson, assistant controller, to head the team that will include Linda Wheeler, cost accountant; Cindy Madsen, financial analyst; Randy Lewis, general accounting supervisor; and Max Crandall, financial accountant. The team has been meeting weekly for the last month. Gus insists on being part of all the team conversations in order to gather information, to make the final decision on any ideas or actions that the team develops, and to prepare a weekly report for Jake. He has also used this team as a forum to discuss issues and disputes about him and other members of Emerys top management team. At last weeks meeting, Gus told the team that he thought a competitor might purchase the common stock of Emery, because he had overheard Jake talking about this on the telephone. As a result, most of Emerys employees now informally discuss the sale of Emerys common stock and how it will affect their jobs. Required: Is Gus Swansons discussion with the team about the prospective sale of Emery unethical? Discuss, citing specific standards from the code of ethical conduct to support your position. (CMA adapted)

Stan is opening a coffee shop next to Big State University. He knows that controlling his costs will be important to the success of the shop. He will not be able to work all the hours the shop is open, so the employees will need some guidelines to perform their jobs correctly. After talking to an accounting professor, he decides he needs a standard cost system for his shop. Describe the process Stan should follow in setting his standards for materials and labor.

Differential Costing As pointed out earlier in Heres the Real Kicker, Kicker changed banks a couple of years ago because the loan officer at its bank moved out of state. Kicker saw that as an opportunity to take bids for its banking business and to fine-tune the banking services it was using. This problem uses that situation as the underlying scenario but uses three banks: FirstBank, Community Bank, and RegionalOne Bank. A set of representative data was presented to each bank for the purpose of preparing a bid. The data are as follows: Checking accounts needed: 6 Checks per month: 2,000 Foreign debits/credits on checking accounts per month: 200 Deposits per month: 300 Returned checks: 25 per month Credit card charges per month: 4,000 Wire transfers per month: 100, of which 60 are to foreign bank accounts Monthly credit needs (line of credit availability and cost): 100,000 average monthly usage These are overall totals for the six accounts during a month. Internet banking services? Knowledgeable loan officer? Responsiveness of bank? FirstBank Bid: Checking accounts: 5 monthly maintenance fee per account 0.10 foreign debit/credit 0.50 earned for each deposit 3 per returned check Credit card fees: 0.50 per item Wire transfers: 15 to domestic bank accounts, 50 to foreign bank accounts Line of credit: Yes, this amount is available, interest charged at prime plus 2%, subject to a 6% minimum interest rate Internet banking services? Yes, full online banking available: 15 one-time setup fee for each account 20 monthly fee for software module The loan officer assigned to the potential Kicker account had 10 years of experience with medium to large business banking and showed an understanding of the audio industry. Community Bank Bid: Checking accounts: No fees for the accounts, and no credits earned on deposits 2.00 per returned check Credit card fees: 0.50 per item, 7 per batch processed. Only manual processing was available, and Kicker estimated 20 batches per month Wire transfers: 30 per wire transfer Line of credit: Yes, this amount is available: interest charged at prime plus 2% subject to a 7% minimum interest rate Internet banking services? Not currently, but within the next 6 months The loan officer assigned to the potential Kicker account had 4 years of experience with medium to large business banking, none of which pertained to the audio industry. RegionalOne Bank Bid: Checking accounts: 5 monthly maintenance fee per account to be waived for Kicker 0.20 foreign debit/credit 0.30 earned for each deposit 3.80 per returned check Credit card fees: 0.50 per item Wire transfers: 10 to domestic bank accounts, 55 to foreign bank accounts Line of credit: Yes, this amount is available: interest charged at prime plus 2% subject to a 6.5% minimum interest rate Internet banking services? Yes, full online banking available: one-time setup fee for each account waived for Kicker 20 monthly fee for software module The loan officer assigned to the potential Kicker account had 2 years of experience with large business banking. Another branch of the bank had expertise in the audio industry and would be willing to help as needed. This bank was the first one to submit a bid. Required: 1. Calculate the predicted monthly cost of banking with each bank. Round answers to the nearest dollar. 2. CONCEPTUAL CONNECTION Suppose Kicker felt that full online Internet banking was critical. How would that affect your analysis from Requirement 1? How would you incorporate the subjective factors (e.g., experience, access to expertise)?

Ventana Window and Wall Treatments Company provides draperies, shades, and various window treatments. Ventana works with the customer to design the appropriate window treatment, places the order, and installs the finished product. Direct materials and direct labor costs are easy to trace to the jobs. Ventanas income statement for last year is as follows: Ventana wants to find a markup on cost of goods sold that will allow them to earn about the same amount of profit on each job as was earned last year. Required: 1. What is the markup on cost of goods sold (COGS) that will maintain the same profit as last year? (Round the percentage to two significant digits.) 2. A customer orders draperies and shades for a remodeling job. The job will have the following costs: What is the price that Ventana will quote given the markup percentage calculated in Requirement 1? (Round the price to the nearest dollar.) 3. What if Ventana wants to calculate a markup on direct materials cost, since it is the largest cost of doing business? What is the markup on direct materials cost that will maintain the same profit as last year? (Round the percentage to two significant digits.) What is the bid price Ventana will use for the job given in Requirement 2 if the markup percentage is calculated on the basis of direct materials cost? (Round to the nearest dollar.)

Solution Summary: The author explains that ethics and professional conduct are a type of set principles and guidelines which provide standards for making judgment in business and in the action of professionals.

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