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Presents a discussion of earnings quality --characteristics, relationship to earnings multiple, application and measurement, volatility and risk, as they affect earnings quality.

Focuses on two issues: 1) technical systems that can be employed in nonprofit organizations for control and motivational purposes. Systems discussed range from payroll monitoring systems to zero-base budgeting and 2) the managerial environment needed for serious control efforts to take place.

Supplements the (A) case.

For some time now, accountants, economists, and executives have been engaged in debate: Given the inflationary economy we are in, do balance sheets, income statements, and other financial statements based on historical-cost accounting give a valid picture of a company's operations and financial position? If not, what form of replacement-cost, or price-level-adjusted, accounting should be used instead? The United States' continued high rate of inflation has convinced many people that statements based on historical-dollar conventions are no longer realistic indicators of financial position or operating results. Mr. Anthony is not one of those people, and in this article he makes the case for keeping the traditional historical-cost method.

A chemical engineer who has set up a company to manufacture and market one of his inventions is trying to prepare his state of the corporation report. This case is designed to serve as a vehicle to introduce students to basic bookkeeping and accounting functions.

Deals with a transfer pricing problem in a complex, international situation. A broad range of issues are present in the case, or are needed for a thorough case analysis. Such issues include: relevant costs; the appropriateness of profit centers; the appropriateness of decentralization; international funds transfers; and the measurement of integrated profit.

Serves two roles: first, provides a reasonably comprehensive description of an ongoing budgeting and reporting system for the international operations of a large American company. Second, allows the student to focus on and critically analyze a series of specific complaints about the system which have been voiced by the management of two of the firm's foreign subsidiaries.

Designed to serve two roles: first, it provides a reasonably comprehensive description of an ongoing capital budgeting system for the international operations of a large American company. Second, it allows the student to focus upon and critically analyze a series of specific complaints about the system which have been voiced by the management of two of the firm's foreign subsidiaries.

The use of organizational control systems may backfire easily on management. A system cannot control performance; it can only provide information to the manager and often the information is misleading. Two major approaches are usual for control strategies. The external control strategy stresses supervision and makes employee manipulation of results difficult. The internal motivation strategy develops participative goal setting and rewards overall job performance. When choosing either strategy, a manager should consider four issues: consistency between strategy and managerial style; organizational climate, structure, and reward system; reality of job performance measures; and individual differences among subordinates.

Describes a new venture: production of figurines in limited quantities as works of art and investments. Company guarantees to repurchase at original price.

Overhead value analysis identifies structural cuts that will reduce overhead costs by 15% to 30%. Overhead value analysis requires delegating to every manager in the company, plus a small, high-level task force, the responsibility to cut overhead costs. The target should be a 40% reduction in costs. This program may have the undesirable side effects of hurting employee morale and of terminating a disproportionate share of minority employees. A company should apply the program when it has an acute short-term need to improve profits, or badly needs to gain a competitive edge by improving its economic structure.

Pricing of meals for exclusive French restaurant.

Focuses on a relevant cost decision. Which costs are relevant for the decision? How should they be taken into account?

Midwest Ice Cream (a disguised name) serves as an example to examine a planning and control system. Useful management information, which otherwise would not be apparent, is derived by preparing a basic profit variance analysis. This illustrates how the company is doing many things "wrong," which are covered up by a growth in the overall ice cream market.

Summary of the main concepts of (simple) decision trees--structuring a problem, assigning endpoint values, using probabilities, averaging out and folding back. Also treats risk profile.

Deals primarily with the basic issue of revenue recognition. Homex was recognizing revenue from its modular units prior to the date on which an actual sale had taken place. In addition, there are some interesting issues dealing with the allocation of profit between divisions, the capitalization of expenses, and the meaning of 'working capital' in a specific setting.

Profit centers effectively analyze a segment of a company's business and motivate managers; however, they present implementation problems. Profit centers characteristically employ over-simplified accounting procedures. The most important criteria to use in selecting from the variety of financial measurements is company strategy and structure. The managers and their companies need a unified goal. Organizations of simple structure may use traditional cost centers, marketing profit centers, production profit centers, and multiple profit centers. It is the responsibility of the management controller to synthesize the characteristics of the business and choose the appropriate financial objective.

A simple, intuitive introduction to the usually-difficult topics of discounting and present value. While the mechanics of computing present value and internal rate of return are covered well, the emphasis is more about how to think about these concepts (for example, the earlier-the-better on the receipt of cash flows). Using concrete examples, it fosters an understanding of how various considerations influence present value (for instance, as the discount rate rises, the impact of cash flows further out in time is disproportionately diminished).

Spreadsheet Supplement for case 173003.

Set in 1965, at a time when the company's mix of "sales" was shifting increasingly to customer leasing of its computers, the student is asked to evaluate possible revisions in the policies for depreciating the cost of a leased computer.