Executive compensation, balanced scorecard. Acme Company recently introduced a new bonus plan for its corporate executives. The company believes that current profitability and customer satisfaction levels are equally important to the company’s long-term success. As a result, the new plan awards a bonus equal to 0.5% of salary for each 1% increase in business unit net income or 1% increase in the business unit’s customer satisfaction index. For example, increasing net income from $1 million to $1.1 million (or 10% from its initial value) leads to a bonus of 5% of salary, while increasing the business unit’s customer satisfaction index from 50 to 60 (or 20% from its initial value) leads to a bonus of 10% of salary. There is no bonus penalty when net income or customer satisfaction declines. In 2016 and 2017, Acme’s three business units reported the following performance results:
- 1. Compute the bonus as a percent of salary earned by each business unit executive in 2017.
Required
- 2. What factors might explain the differences between improvement rates for net income and those for customer satisfaction in the three units? Are increases in customer satisfaction likely to result in increased net income right away?
- 3. Acme’s board of directors is concerned that the 2017 bonus awards may not accurately reflect the executives’ overall performance. In particular, the board is concerned that executives can earn large bonuses by doing well on one performance dimension but underperforming on the other. What changes can it make to the bonus plan to prevent this from happening in the future? Explain briefly.
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solutionChapter 23 Solutions
EBK HORNGREN'S COST ACCOUNTING
- Each of the following scenarios requires the use of accounting information to carry out one or more of the following managerial activities: (1) planning, (2) control and evaluation, (3) continuous improvement, or (4) decision making. a. MANAGER: At the last board meeting, we established an objective of earning an after-tax profit equal to 20 percent of sales. I need to know the revenue that we need to earn in order to meet this objective, given that we have 250,000 to spend on the promotional campaign. Once I have estimated sales in units, we then need to outline a promotional campaign that conforms to our budget and that will take us where we want to be. However, to compute the targeted sales revenue, I need to know the unit sales price, the unit variable cost, and the associated fixed production and support costs. I also need to know the tax rate. b. MANAGER: We have problems with our procurement process. Our accounts payable department is spending 80 percent of its time resolving discrepancies between the purchase order, receiving order, and suppliers invoice. Incorrect part numbers on the purchase orders, incorrect quantities ordered, and wrong parts sent (or the incorrect quantity) are just a few examples of sources of discrepancies. A complete redesign of the process has been suggested, which will allow us to eliminate virtually all of the errors and, at the same time, significantly reduce the number of clerks needed in purchasing, receiving, and accounts payable. This redesign promises to significantly reduce costs, decrease lead time, and increase customer satisfaction. c. MANAGER: This overhead cost report indicates that we have spent significantly more on inspection, purchasing, and production than was budgeted. An investigation has revealed that the source of the problem is faulty components from suppliers. A supplier evaluation has revealed that by selecting five suppliers with the best quality records (out of 15 currently used), the number of defective components will be dramatically reduced, thus producing significant overhead savings by reducing the demand for inspections, reordering, and rework. d. MANAGER: A large local firm has approached me and has offered to sell us one of the components used in our small enginesa component that we are currently producing internally. I need to know costs that we would avoid if this component is purchased so that I can assess the economic merits of this offer. e. MANAGER: Currently, our deluxe lawn mower is losing money. We need to increase profits. I would like to know how much our profits would be if we reduce our variable costs by 50 per mower while maintaining our current sales volume. Also, marketing claims that if we increase advertising expenditures by 1,000,000 and cut prices by 15 percent, we can increase the number of mowers sold by 25 percent. I would like to know which approach offers the most profit, or if a combination of the approaches may be best. f. MANAGER: We are implementing a major quality improvement program. We will be increasing the investment in prevention and detection activities with the expectation of driving down both internal and external failure costs. I expect to see trend reports for all categories of quality costs. I want to see if improving quality really does reduce costs and improve profitability. g. MANAGER: Our engineering design department has proposed a new design for our product. The new design promises to reduce post-purchase costs and, as a consequence, increase market share. I need to know the cost of producing this new design because it uses some new components and requires some different manufacturing processes. I would then like to have a projected income statement based on the new market share and new production costs. The planned selling price will be the same, or maybe even 10 percent lower. Projections based on the two price scenarios would be needed. h. MANAGER: My engineers have said that by redesigning our two main production processes, we can reduce move time by 90 percent and wait time by 85 percent. This would decrease cycle time and virtually eliminate the need to carry finished goods inventories. On-time deliveries would also increase dramatically. This would produce cost savings of nearly 20,000,000 per year. Market share and revenues would also increase. Required: 1. Describe each of the four managerial responsibilities. 2. Identify the managerial activity or activities applicable for each scenario, and indicate the role of accounting information in the activity.arrow_forwardAcme Company recently introduced a new bonus plan for its corporate executives. The company believes that current profitability and customer satisfaction levels are equally important to the company’s long-term success. As a result, the new plan awards a bonus equal to 0.5% of salary for each 1% increase in business unit net income or 1% increase in the business unit’s customer satisfaction index. For example, increasing net income from $1 million to $1.1 million (or 10% from its initial value) leads to a bonus of 5% of salary, while increasing the business unit’s customer satisfaction index from 50 to 60 (or 20% from its initial value) leads to a bonus of 10% of salary. There is no bonus penalty when net income or customer satisfaction declines. In 2016 and 2017, Acme’s three business units reported the following performance results: Q. Acme’s board of directors is concerned that the 2017 bonus awards may not accurately reflect the executives’ overall performance. In particular, the…arrow_forwardPayback, NPV, Managerial Incentives, Ethical Behavior Kent Tessman, manager of a Dairy Products Division, was pleased with his division's performance over the past three years. Each year, divisional profits had increased, and he had earned a sizable bonus. (Bonuses are a linear function of the division's reported income.) He had also received considerable attention from higher management. A vice president had told him in confidence that if his performance over the next three years matched his first three, he would be promoted to higher management. Determined to fulfill these expectations, Kent made sure that he personally reviewed every capital budget request. He wanted to be certain that any funds invested would provide good, solid returns. (The division's cost of capital is 10 percent.) At the moment, he is reviewing two independent requests. Proposal A involves automating a manufacturing operation that is currently labor intensive. Proposal B centers on developing and marketing a…arrow_forward
- At ABC Co., 10% of each salesperson's yearly bonus is based on whether or not the entire company reaches its annual sales goals. ABC's compensation structure is based on the fundamental idea that ______. A) compensation policies must be legal B) incentives will be more effective if it encourages people to act in ways that benefit both society and the person C) people will work to accomplish a goal if they have a real stake in the reaching the goal D) incentive structures should be as simple as possible E) People are more likely to adhere to a policy if they have had some input into the development of the policyarrow_forwardThe divisional managers of West plc have requested that the method for calculating bonuses at the year be reviewed. Senior managers at the head office have proposed that a bonus of £40,000 will be paid to the divisional manager who has the best return on investment (ROI) of the 3 divisions and this policy is consistent with previous years. Divisional managers want the senior managers to take into account controllable costs and profits and residual income (RI) when deciding bonuses and also to include non-financial measures of performance. The main reason given by the head office for using ROI is that it is understood by all managers and that it is used by external analysts.Summary of Management Accounts to 31 December 1997 Southern (£) Eastern (£) Western (£) Sales 5,400,000 5,000,000 5,590,000 Controllable costs 3,700,000 3,502,000 3,660,000 Head Office Charges 998,000 1,282,000 1,170,000 Net profit 702,000 716,000 760,000 Capital Employed Southern (£)…arrow_forwardA new CEO takes control of Do-Da Industries to turn it around (to make it profitable). Based on market research she wants to focus on two specific product lines. By the end of the first year the company exceeded budgeted profits by 18%. The company’s controller knows his annual bonus depends on exceeding budgeted profit and that next year’s performance would unlikely be similar to this year’s. Profit must exceed budget by 10% before the controller’s bonus kicks in. The controller realizes he can accrue some of next year’s expenses and defer some of this year’s revenue while still exceeding this year’s budgeted profit by 10%. Required: Why would the controller want to defer revenues but accrue expenses? Is this ethical? Why?arrow_forward
- Tulsa Chemical Company (TCC) produces and distributes industrial chemicals, TCC’s earnings increased sharply in 20x1, and bonuses were paid to the management staff for the first time in several years. Bonuses are based in part on the amount by which reported income exceeds budgeted income. Jim Kern, vice president of finance, was pleased with TCC’s 20x1 earnings and thought that the pressure to show financial results would ease. However, Ellen North, TCC’s president, told Kern that she saw no reason why the 20x2 bonuses should not be double those of 20x1. As a result, Kern felt pres-sure to increase reported income in order to exceed budgeted income by an even greater amount. This would assure increased bonuses. Kern met with Bill Keller of Pristeel, Inc., a primary vendor of TCC’s manufacturing supplies and equipment. Kern and Keller have been close business contacts for many years. Kern asked Keller to identify all of TCC’s purchases of perishable supplies as equipment on Pristeel’s…arrow_forwardEach of the following scenarios requires the use of accountinginformation to carry out one or more of the following managerialactivities: (1) planning, (2) control and evaluation, (3) continuousimprovement, or (4) decision making.a. MANAGER: At the last board meeting, we established anobjective of earning an after-tax profit equal to 20 percent of sales.I need to know the revenue that we need to earn in order to meetthis objective, given that we have $250,000 to spend on thepromotional campaign. Once I have estimated sales in units, wethen need to outline a promotional campaign that conforms to ourbudget and that will take us where we want to be. However, tocompute the targeted sales revenue, I need to know the unit salesprice, the unit variable cost, and the associated fixed productionand support costs. I also need to know the tax rate. b. MANAGER: We have problems with our procurement process.Our accounts payable department is spending 80 percent of itstime resolving discrepancies…arrow_forwardEmployee retention is a major goal for Dynamic Thermoforming, Inc.Feedback from the employees had focused on the need for a company-sanctioned retirement program. In response, the company will be offering a 401(k) retirement program complete with a number of different investment choices, including some of the top mutual fund families. In addition, the first 3% of an employee's salary contributed would be fully matched by the company. Quentin Avery, a sales manager with Dynamic Thermoforming, decides to put 3% of his $6,000 monthly salary into an international growth fund offered through the new 401(k) plan. The current net asset value is 17.94 and the year-to-date return is plus 4.9%. How many shares will Quentin be able to purchase each month, and what was the net asset value of the fund at the beginning of the year?arrow_forward
- Employee retention is a major goal for Dynamic Thermoforming, Inc.Feedback from the employees had focused on the need for a company-sanctioned retirement program. In response, the company will be offering a 401(k) retirement program complete with a number of different investment choices, including some of the top mutual fund families. In addition, the first 3% of an employee's salary contributed would be fully matched by the company. Quentin Avery, a sales manager with Dynamic Thermoforming, decides to put 3% of his $6,000 monthly salary into an international growth fund offered through the new 401(k) plan. The current net asset value is 17.94 and the year-to-date return is plus 4.9%. How many shares will Quentin be able to purchase each month, and what was the net asset value of the fund at the beginning of the year? Quentin will be able to purchase shares per month. (Round to the nearest hundredth as needed.) The net asset value of the fund at…arrow_forwardABC Ltd has incorporated a bonus plan that rewards the board of directors (executive members) by providinga bonus of 3 percent of reported profits. This is an Accounting-based incentive that has the advantage whichthe accounting results may be based on subunit or divisional performance."A well-informed labour market will motivate management to work to maximize the value of its firm.Underperformance might lead to dismissal and, if the labor market is efficient in disseminating data, a 'failed'the manager might have difficulty attracting a position with comparable pay elsewhere." (Deegan, 2020)Requirement:1) Using Positive Accounting Theory (PAT), discuss the bonus theme in general and why the bonus plan(Accounting-based) was put in place in ABC Ltd? Please provide references for my study. Thing to include in answer: Demonstrate superiorknowledge of the theory andkey concepts. Excellentinterpretation with extensiveelaboration of relevant subtopics, appropriatelyweighted and within…arrow_forwardABC Ltd has incorporated a bonus plan that rewards the board of directors (executive members) by providinga bonus of 3 percent of reported profits. This is an Accounting-based incentive that has the advantage whichthe accounting results may be based on subunit or divisional performance."A well-informed labour market will motivate management to work to maximize the value of its firm.Underperformance might lead to dismissal and, if the labor market is efficient in disseminating data, a 'failed'the manager might have difficulty attracting a position with comparable pay elsewhere." (Deegan, 2020)Requirement:1) Using Positive Accounting Theory (PAT), discuss the bonus theme in general and why the bonus plan(Accounting-based) was put in place in ABC Ltd? Please provide references for my study.arrow_forward
- Financial And Managerial AccountingAccountingISBN:9781337902663Author:WARREN, Carl S.Publisher:Cengage Learning,Managerial AccountingAccountingISBN:9781337912020Author:Carl Warren, Ph.d. Cma William B. TaylerPublisher:South-Western College Pub
- Essentials Of Business AnalyticsStatisticsISBN:9781285187273Author:Camm, Jeff.Publisher:Cengage Learning,Cornerstones of Cost Management (Cornerstones Ser...AccountingISBN:9781305970663Author:Don R. Hansen, Maryanne M. MowenPublisher:Cengage Learning