Contrast mechanistic and organic organizations.
> Mulberry is a vertically integrated luxury brand which was founded in 1971 in Somerset. The Group designs, develops, manufactures, markets and sells products under the Mulberry brand name. The Group has over 1,400 employees (full time equivalents), the m
> The following information has been gathered from the accounting records of Jonathan’s Hair Stylists. Using the accounting equation, calculate (a) the amount of ownership interest at 30 September Year 8; (b) the amount of net profit fo
> Read the dialogue between David and Leona. What errors can occur in reporting the amount of ‘inventories’ (stocks) in financial statements?
> Assume that fee income and costs are the same in Year 2 as in Year 1. Record the transactions and events of Year 2 in an accounting equation spreadsheet. Prepare the statement of financial position (balance sheet) at the end of Year 2 and the income stat
> Weston plc produced the following draft statement of financial position (balance sheet) as on 1 May Year 4. During June, the following transactions and events occurred: 1. The company bought stock costing £66,000 from its suppliers on 2 mon
> You are the recently appointed financial controller of Motorway Catering Supplies Ltd (MCS) that has successfully operated motorway service stations for many years. It has been given the opportunity by the Transport Construction Group (TCG), the builders
> The board of directors of Kirkside Glassware Ltd is considering the following proposed investment projects: It is estimated that each product will provide benefits in terms of reduced cash outflows, measured over the coming five years. The outlays and ca
> Binding Machines Ltd sells wire-loop binding machines to printing units. The company has three separate departments: Department A: sells new machines Department B: sells second-hand machines Department C: repairs machines for external customers and ov
> You are the management accountant at the head office of a company which owns retail shoe shops throughout the country. The shops are grouped into areas, each having an area manager. Goods for sale are bought through a central purchasing scheme administer
> Write an essay of approximately 500 to 750 words on the topic: ‘It is questionable whether variance reporting is a useful tool of management’.
> As a further development of that answer, it is possible to link the cash flow to the gross profit using the changes in working capital. Attempt now to set out a calculation that links cash flow to gross profit in this way. In the world of business, it is
> Holyrood Products Ltd makes cassette recorders. The management accountant has produced the following summary of the company’s trading in the year ended 30 June Year 3: The following additional information is available: (a) Works and adm
> Woollens Ltd manufactures high-quality sweaters. At present, the company sells direct to retail stores, but sales through those outlets have been declining due to overseas competition − the profit last year was only £160,00
> Super toys Ltd is the sole manufacturer in Scotland of the Super-robot toy. The current level of production and sales is 40,000 toys per annum. The selling price of each Super robot is £20. The contribution from each toy is 20 per cent of the selling pri
> Which components are currently covered by an audit report of the type illustrated? Discuss the problems and potential benefits of having an audit opinion covering all categories of financial information.
> A company is able to sell four products and is planning its production mix for the next period. Estimated costs, sales and production data are as follows: Required (a) Based on the foregoing information, show the most profitable production mix under each
> A small business manufactures two products. Product A is a high-volume product of relatively low sales value and Product B is a low-volume product of relatively high sales value. Product A results from an automated process where the labour input is from
> An independent bus company on an island operates 15 routes and has 50 buses. Two routes take one hour for a journey round the island each; the remaining routes take 30 minutes for a return journey to various villages from a central hub in the main town.
> Florence Ltd is a manufacturing company with a financial year ending on 31 December Year 1. The company manufactures wooden storage units for schools and colleges, each job being planned to meet a customer’s specific order. A predetermined overhead rate
> Oldham Ltd is a small manufacturing company producing a variety of pumps for the oil industry. It operates from one factory that is geographically separated from its head office. The components for the pumps are assembled in the assembling department; th
> Timberchair Company produces custom-made chairs to suit individual customer requirements. The company’s main material is timber. It also uses glue and nails. The company has a small buying department that purchases timber from around the world. It also h
> You have been asked for advice by the owner of a small business who has previously estimated overhead costs as a percentage of direct labor cost. This method has produced quite reasonable results because the products have all been of similar sales value
> In a general engineering works the following routine has been followed for several years to arrive at an estimate of the price for a contract. The process of estimating is started by referring to a job cost card for some previous similar job and evaluat
> In a school, the head of the history unit is responsible for cost control. The finance office has produced the following statement of costs for the history unit cost centre. State which of them are controllable and which of them are non-controllable cost
> Complete the following table of cost classification for a shop selling bicycles:
> Explain why users require all the information and not merely the primary financial statements with notes to the accounts.
> Tots Ltd manufactures babies’ play suits for sale to retail stores. All play suits are of the same design. There are two departments: the cutting department and the machining department. You are asked to classify the costs listed below under the headings
> Supermarket checkout operators are paid a weekly wage plus overtime at an hourly rate. One operator has recently resigned from work. The supermarket manager has been asked whether the direct costs of the supermarket operation could be maintained within t
> The following information has been extracted from the financial statements of Casings Ltd. Income statement (profit and loss account) extract for the year to 31 December Year 2 Statement of changes in equity Equity holders’ funds at sta
> Consider the following: Statements of financial position (balance sheets) at 31 December Further information 1. The dividend paid during Year 2 was £25m. The retained earnings increased by £77m profit of the period and decreased
> Carry out a trend analysis on Safe and Sure plc, using the historical summary set out in Appendix I. Write a short report on the key features emerging from the trends.
> Prepare a full ratio analysis and commentary for Craigielaw. Assume that a share price of 160 pence is applicable at both year-end dates. Industry average ratios for both Year 7 and Year 6 are as follows:
> The summarised version of the Year 7 accounts of Worldchem plc is shown below along with comparative figures for the previous year. Most of the notes in the accounts, which give further details about nearly every item, are omitted here. Required: (a) C
> Carry out a ratio analysis of Safe and Sure plc, using the financial statements set out in Appendix I (at the end of this book) and applying the method of analysis set out in section 13.6. Making a comparison of Year 7 with Year 6, write a short commenta
> The following table sets out business transactions and events for Chris Brown Ltd. Required: (a) Using the accounting equation spreadsheet provided, record the effect of each transaction and events of Chris Brown Ltd for its first year of trading. (b)
> The following is a list of assets, liabilities and ownership interest of D. James Ltd on 1 January Year 5 when the company began to trade. The company has an issued share capital of 100,000 £1 ordinary shares. The following transactions were
> The following list of transactions relates to the business of Electrical Retailers during the month of November. Required: (a) Make entries in a spreadsheet for the above transactions. (b) Using the information you have entered in the spreadsheet, prepa
> Suggest six non-financial performance measures for a company which offers contract gardening services to companies which have landscaped sites surrounding their offices. Give reasons for your choice.
> As a result of organizational cost-cutting, new-hire orientation is cut short to a few days. Describe how this will affect retention.
> Organizations use different selection devices to recruit new employees. Are all methods equally good for all jobs?
> In Malaysia, certain industries like IT and customer services, are increasingly dependent on specialist human resource providers as a common source of trained manpower. Companies like the US-based ManpowerGroup provide professional HRM services to client
> Can a labor union help prevent employees from being unfairly terminated?
> What are the main challenges facing organizational designs today?
> How could a job-sharing arrangement be made effective? What would a job sharer need to do to make the arrangement work?
> There is evidence that an organization’s size will affect its structure. The larger the number of employees, the more mechanistic the organization will tend to become. Can this problem be overcome?
> In terms of organizational designs, what is a simple structure?
> Why is structure important? Why does an organization need a clear structure? Are there any other reasons for organizational structures beyond the formal arrangement of jobs, roles, and responsibilities?
> Discuss why you think an organization might be keen to increase its managers’ span of control.
> Internet sales comprise about 20 percent of all retail sales in the UK, with a record of £1.9 billion in online sales in December 2018. And for advancements in online sales, December 7, 2016, is a special delivery day for the country. On this day, one Am
> Organizational design has traditionally had a chain of command. How does a chain of command work?
> Do you think a person can be taught to be an entrepreneur? Why or why not?
> Why do you think many entrepreneurs find it hard to step aside and let others manage their business?
> Would a good manager be a good entrepreneur? Discuss.
> How many options are there for a new entrepreneur to start up their business venture?
> What do you think would be the hardest thing about being an entrepreneur? What do you think would be the most fun?
> Are there any disadvantages to be a first-mover? Provide examples.
> Creating a competitive advantage over rivals is advantageous, but it’s only a matter of time before they catch up, or changes in the industry nullifies the advantage. How does an organization sustain its competitive advantage?
> Describe the role of competitive advantage and how Porter’s competitive strategies help an organization develop competitive advantage.
> Founded in 1919, Tesco has grown from a market-stall in the East End of London into the largest supermarket in the UK by market share, and one of the largest globally in just under a century. In 2018–19, Tesco boasted group sales of £56.9 billion. At the
> In how many ways can managers create a competitive advantage so that they can compete against their industry rivals?
> Explain how managers can use a BCG Matrix to manage strategies by analyzing a corporate portfolio.
> There are three different types of corporate strategies. Do you think all corporate strategies revolve around growth? Why?
> Distinguish between an organization’s external opportunities and its threats.
> Why is strategic management important to managers?
> Hyundai’s Global Command and Control Center (GCCC) have cameras strategically placed across its centres to monitor assembly lines. This helps identify problems and respond quickly. What drives Hyundai to plan this way?
> Setting organizational goals is an important step in planning. What are the approaches to setting organizational goals? Which do you consider the best?
> What is the fastest-growing area of environmental scanning? What does it provide to an organization?
> Outline the five steps required for setting goals in an organization. Explain how they work.
> What are the different types of organizational plans? Are they independent of each other?
> Technological developments deskill the global workforce. For example, factory-built, flat-pack furniture cut out the role of experienced carpenters. Similarly, with some vehicles having on-board software to diagnose problems, the future of skilled mechan
> Define the term goal and explain how planning fits into an organization’s goal.
> Planning takes a lot of effort. Why do you think people should engage in it?
> Explain what studies have shown about the relationship between planning and performance.
> Discuss whether it is possible for managers to spot the warning signs of stress among their employees.
> Job stress is a major problem for employees working in many organizations today. Discuss some of the job stressors. What can a manager do to reduce stressors for employees?
> Why do people resist change, even though they may carry the potential for a better tomorrow?
> While changes must continually occur in every industry, one of the most baffling problems thatbusiness executives face is employee resistance to change. What are the common techniques to minimize resistance to change within an organization?
> Why do people in organizations resist change? Provide examples an organization can take to reduce resistance to change.
> What is organizational development? How do organizational development techniques support organizational change?
> Selina Lo loves her job as the manager of a toy store in San Francisco. She loves the chaos and the excitement of kids as they wander around the store searching for their favorite toys. Teddy bears pulled off the shelves and toy trucks left on the floor
> Manchester City Football Club follows a different locker room pep-talk ritual: The players spend time with the performance analyst team, discussing what they had done well or wrong in previous matches. This includes tactical assessment, movement analysis
> What comes to mind when you think of IKEA? You might have memories of following your parents through an IKEA maze-like store with the promise of Swedish meatballs at the end of the trip. The Swedish-based company is known for its flat-packed furniture, m
> How would you feel as a new employee if your boss asked you to do something and you had to admit that you didn’t know how to do it? Most of us would probably feel pretty inadequate and incompetent. Now imagine how strange and uncomfortable it would be if
> Management theory suggests that compared to an individual, a diverse group of people will be more creative because team members will bring a variety of ideas, perspectives, and approaches to the group. For an organization like Alphabet’s Google, innovati
> Alan Naiman was a frugal social worker who used duct tape to repair his shoes, looked for deals at the supermarket, and chose fast-food restaurants when it was his turn to treat friends to lunch. When he died in 2018, Naiman left $11 million to child-rel
> One of the biggest fears of a food service company manager has to be the hepatitis A virus, a highly contagious virus transmitted by sharing food, utensils, cigarettes, or drug paraphernalia with an infected person. Food service workers aren’t any more s
> It is not surprising that employers are keen on knowing what their employees are up to. In some cases, they can be a little too keen. In 2015, British Airways was accused of illegally monitoring the phones and emails of its cabin crew during a dispute in
> When General Motors (GM) decided to start a bug bounty program—paying hackers to find computer bugs in the company’s information systems—they purposely tried to avoid other companies’ mistakes with such programs. Uber ended up paying hackers more than te
> Cyber Monday falls on the first Monday following the Thanksgiving holiday. During Cyber Monday, employers find that a significant number of employees are surfing the web for holiday deals. A recent survey revealed that 64 percent of professionals planned
> When Steve Kerr first became the coach of the Golden State Warriors basketball team, he saw the need for some changes. He wanted to steer away from the tendency for new leaders to announce that they want to change the culture, since that can be insulting
> PepsiCo, Inc., is regarded as the second largest food and beverage business in the world, and a large part of its success can be attributed to its leader. Indra Nooyi, who served as the chairperson and CEO of PepsiCo, is an inspiring and visionary leader
> Card Connection is one of the UK’s largest card publishers and a market leader in the franchise distribution of greeting cards in the UK and the Republic of Ireland (ROI). Established in 1992, it is regarded as one of the Britain’s best-run franchise ope
> Have you ever watched the show Undercover Boss? It features a company’s “boss” working undercover in his or her own company to find out how the organization really works. Typically, the executive works undercover for a week, and then the employees the le
> Flexible working schemes have been around for many years, and are generally expected to be found in any organization that wants to retain its staff. The standard 9-to-5 business hours structure is an old concept. Employees being able to work from home or
> Is having a caring employer important to you when looking for a new job? Today, many organizations consider well-being initiatives as a way of keeping employees happy and motivated. Research has demonstrated that asking questions about whether employees
> Advocates of open-book management point to the advantages of getting employees to think like owners and to be motivated to make better decisions about how they do their work once they see how their decisions impact financial results. However, is there su
> Employees first” is the most important cultural value that former HCL Technologies’ CEO Vineet Nayar believed would help the company to grow. While most managers think a customer’s satisfaction should come first, Nayar’s philosophy is that employee satis
> In the same league as Amazon Inc., Microsoft, and Alphabet Inc., the Chinese multinational investment holding Tencent is considered one of the world’s biggest companies in the gaming industry. Founded in 1998, the company is based in Shenzhen, China. Wha
> A new business analyst needs to be hired to work at the corporate headquarters of a retail firm. Jared and Amanda are managers in charge of the hiring decision. The candidates have been narrowed down to three possible hires: 1) Sheri, who was in the same
> On January 13, 2012, 32 people died after the Costa Concordia, the lead ship of Concordia-class cruise ships, ran aground with more than 4,000 passengers and crew a few hours after leaving the Italian port of Civitavecchia. As the ship steered close to t
