Question: What lessons, if any, can be learned

> Why is the concept of auditing convergence important? Will international harmonization of auditing standards be more or less difficult to achieve than international harmonization of accounting principles? Describe IFAC’s work on converging auditing stand

> What is the purpose of accounting harmonization in the European Union (EU)? Why did the EU abandon its approach to harmonization via directives to one favoring the IASB?

> Describe the structure of the International Accounting Standards Board and how it sets International Financial Reporting Standards.

> What evidence is there that International Financial Reporting Standards are becoming widely accepted around the world? Do you believe that worldwide convergence of accounting standards will end investor concerns about cross-national differences in accoun

> Does the geographic pattern of merchandise exports contained in Exhibit 1-2 correlate well with the pattern of AKZO Nobel’s geographic distribution of sales shown in Exhibit 1-3? What might explain any differences you observe? EXHI

> What are the key rationales against the development and widespread application of International Financial Reporting Standards?

> What are the key rationales that support the development and widespread application of International Financial Reporting Standards?

> Sir David Tweedie, chairman of the International Accounting Standards Board, is quoted as saying that the IASB and the FASB will eventually merge. “U.S. standards and ours will become so close that it will be senseless having two boards, and they will me

> Petro China Company Limited (Petro China) was established as a joint stock company under the company law of the People’s Republic of China in 1999 as part of the restructuring of China National Petroleum Corporation. Petro China is an integrated oil and

> The year-end balance sheet of Helsinki Corporation, a wholly owned British affiliate in Finland, is reproduced here. Relevant exchange rate and inflation information is also provided. Exchange rate and price information: January 1: General price index

> Doosan Enterprises, a U.S. subsidiary domiciled in South Korea, accounts for its inventories on a FIFO basis. The company translates its inventories to dollars at the current rate. Year-end inventories are recorded at 10,920,000 won. During the year, the

> Ninsuvaan Corporation, a U.S. subsidiary in Bangkok, Thailand, begins and ends its calendar year with an inventory balance of BHT500 million. The dollar/baht exchange rate on January 1 was $0.02 = BHT1. During the year, the U.S. general price level advan

> The balance sheet of Rackett & Ball plc., a U.K.-based sporting goods manufacturer, is presented here. Figures are stated in millions of pounds (£m). During the year, the producers’ price index increased from 100 to 120

> Now assume that Majikstan Enterprises is a foreign subsidiary of a U.S.-based multinational corporation and that its financial statements are consolidated with those of its U.S. parent. Relevant exchange rate and general price-level information for the y

> Majikstan Enterprises has equipment on its books that it acquired at the start of 2009 . The equipment is being depreciated in straight-line fashion over a 10-year period and has no salvage value. The current cost of this equipment at the end of 2010 was

> Examine the Web sites of five exchanges listed in Appendix 1-1 that you feel would be most attractive to foreign listers. Which exchange in your chosen set proved most popular during the last two years? Provide possible explanations for your observation.

> Revisit Sobrero Corporation in Exercise 1. In addition to the information provided there, assume that Mexico’s construction cost index increased by 80 percent during the year, while the price of vacant land adjacent to Sobrero Corporation’s hotel increas

> Using the information provided in Exercise 2. Calculate Majikstan Enterprises’ net monetary gain or loss in local currency for 2011 based on the following general price-level information. 12/31/10 ……………………………………………………………………………..30,000 Average …………………………

> The comparative historical-cost balance sheets of Majikstan Enterprises for 2010 and 2011 are reproduced below. The accounts are expressed in 000’s of renges (MJR’s). Required: What was the change in Majikstanâ

> Sobrero Corporation, a Mexican affiliate of a major U.S.-based hotel chain, starts the calendar year with 1 billion pesos (P) cash equity investment. It immediately acquires a refurbished hotel in Acapulco for P 900 million. Owing to a favorable tourist

> Examine the income statements of Modello, Vestel, and Infosys, referenced earlier in this chapter. Which earnings number do you feel provides the better earnings metric for an investment analyst, and why?

> From a user’s perspective, what is the inherent problem in attempting to analyze historical cost-based financial statements of a company domiciled in an inflationary, devaluation-prone country?

> What does double-dipping mean in accounting for foreign inflation?

> How does accounting for foreign inflation differ from accounting for domestic inflation?

> What is a gearing adjustment, and on what ideas is it based?

> As a potential investor in the shares of multinational enterprises, which inflation method, restate-translate or translate-restate, would give you consolidated information most relevant to your decision needs? Which information set is best from the viewp

> Examine Exhibit 1-2 and compute the compounded annual growth rate of merchandise trade versus the global trade in services for the 20 year period beginning 1985 and ending 2005. What implication does your finding have for accounting as a service activity

> Briefly describe the historical-cost-constant purchasing power and current-cost models. How are they similar? How do they differ?

> As more and more companies span the globe in terms of their operating, financing, and investing activities, they will increasingly turn to international financial reporting standards when communicating with domestic and non-domestic financial statement r

> Following are the remarks of a prominent member of the U.S. Congress. Explain why you agree or disagree. The plain fact of the matter is that inflation accounting is a premature, imprecise, and underdeveloped method of recording basic business facts. To

> Consider the statement: “The object of accounting for changing prices is to ensure that a company is able to maintain its operating capability.” How accurate is it?

> Inc. In 1993 Icelandic Enterprises was incorporated in Reykjavik to manufacture and distribute women’s cosmetics in Iceland. All of its outstanding stock was acquired at the beginning of 2001 by International Cosmetics, Ltd. (IC), a U.S

> Kashmir Enterprises, an Indian carpet manufacturer, begins the calendar year with the following Indian rupee (INR) balances: During the first week in January, the company acquires additional manufacturing inventories costing INR 2,400,000 on account an

> On December 15, MSC Corporation acquires its first foreign affiliate by acquiring 100 percent of the net assets of the Armaselah Oil Company based in Saudi Arabia for 930,000,000 Saudi Arabian riyals.(SAR). At the time, the exchange rate was $1.00 = SAR3

> A 100 percent–owned foreign subsidiary’s trial balance consists of the accounts listed as follows. Which exchange rate—current, historical, or average—would be used to translate these accounts to parent currency assuming that the foreign currency is the

> Company A is headquartered in Country A and reports in the currency unit of Country A, the Apeso. Company B is headquartered in Country B and reports in the currency unit of Country B, the Bol. Company A and B hold identical assets, Apeso100 and Bol100,

> Use the information provided in Exercise 6. Required: a. What would be the translation effect if Shanghai Corporation’s balance sheet were translated by the temporal method assuming the Chinese yuan appreciates by 25 percent? By the current rate method?

> Re-examine Exhibit 1-1 which describes the outsourcing process for HP’s production of the Proliant ML150. For each leg of the production chain, identify the various accounting and related issues that might arise. EXHIBIT 1-1 Outsou

> Shanghai Corporation, the Chinese affiliate of a U.S. manufacturer, has the balance sheet shown below. The current exchange rate is $.0.15 = CNY1. Required: a. Translate the Chinese dollar balance sheet of Shanghai Corporation into U.S. dollars at the

> Sydney Corporation, an Australian-based multinational, borrowed 10,000,000 euros from a German lender at the beginning of the calendar year when the exchange rate was EUR.60 = AUD1. Before repaying this oneyear loan, Sydney Corporation learns that the Au

> U.S. Multinational Corporation’s subsidiary in Bangkok has on its books fixed assets valued at 7,500,000 baht. One-third of the assets were acquired two years ago when the exchange rate was THB40 = $1. The other fixed assets were acquired last year when

> On January 1, the wholly-owned Mexican affiliate of a Canadian parent company acquired an inventory of computer hard drives for its assembly operation. The cost incurred was 15,000,000 pesos when the exchange rate was MXN11.3 = C$1. By yearend, the Mexic

> On April 1, A. C. Corporation, a calendar-year U.S. electronics manufacturer, buys 32.5 million yen worth of computer chips from the Hidachi Company paying 10 percent down, the balance to be paid in 3 months. Interest at 8 percent per annum is payable on

> Assume that your Japanese affiliate reports sales revenue of 250,000,000 yen. Referring to Exhibit 6-1, translate this revenue figure to U.S. dollars using the direct bid spot rate. Do the same using the indirect spot quote. EXHIBIT 6-1 Sample of Sp

> What do current, historical, and average exchange rates mean in the context of foreign currency translation? Which of these rates give rise to translation gains and losses? Which do not?

> What is the difference between the spot, forward, and swap markets? Illustrate each description with an example.

> How does the treatment of translation gains and losses differ between the current and temporal translation methods under FAS No. 52, and what is the rationale for the differing accounting treatments?

> In what way is foreign currency translation tied to foreign inflation?

> Accounting may be viewed as having three components: measurement, disclosure, and auditing. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this classification? Can you suggest alternative classifications that might be useful?

> Under what set of conditions would the temporal method of currency translation be appropriate. Under what set of conditions would the current rate method be appropriate?

> Compare and contrast features of the major foreign currency translation methods introduced in this chapter. Which method do you think is best? Why?

> Briefly explain the nature of foreign currency translation as (a) a restatement process and (b) a remeasurement process.

> What is the difference between a transaction gain or loss and a translation gain or loss?

> A foreign currency transaction can be denominated in one currency, yet measured in another. Explain the difference between these two terms using the case of a Canadian dollar borrowing on the part of a Mexican affiliate of a U.S. parent company that desi

> The Offshore Investment Fund (OIF) was incorporated in Fairfield, Connecticut, for the sole purpose of allowing U.S. shareholders to invest in Spanish securities. The fund is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The fund custodian is the Shady Rest Ban

> Regents Corporation is a recently acquired U.S. manufacturing subsidiary located on the outskirts of London. Its products are marketed principally in the United Kingdom with sales invoiced in pounds and prices determined by local competitive conditions.

> Exhibit 5-9 ranks 34 countries on earnings opacity. Which five countries have the most surprising placement? Why do you say so? EXHIBIT 5-9 Earnings Opacity Ranking of Countries from Least to Most 25. South Africa 26. Malaysia 27. Italy 28. Pakista

> The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published its revised Principles of Corporate Governance in 2004. Required: Obtain the document from the OECD Web site (www.oecd.org). a. Outline the six sections of the OECD’s corporate

> Explain how international accounting differs from purely domestic accounting.

> Exhibit 5-8 is the corporate governance disclosure of the Volvo Group. Some of the disclosures relate to independence requirements for the board of directors and audit committee. Required: a. What is the independence requirement for the board of direct

> The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has developed a set of guidelines for social responsibility reporting. Required: Go to the GRI Web site (www.globalreporting. org) and find its guidelines. The disclosure guidelines are categorized as indicators of

> Corporate social responsibility (CSR), as practiced by business, means many different things. Consider the following: “At one end of the broad span of CSR lie corporate policies that any wellrun company ought to have in place anyway, policies that are ca

> Exhibit 5-4 presents the independent assurance report on Roche’s sustainability reporting. The auditor’s engagement was carried out “in accordance with International Standards on Assurance Engagements (ISAE) 3000.” Required: a. Go to the World Wide Web

> Exhibit 5-3 presents the safety and environmental disclosure of Roche. Required: Comparing the three years: (1) Which measures show an improved record of safety and environmental protection? (2) Which measures show a worse record of safety and envir

> Exhibit 5-2 presents the employment disclosure of Roche. Required: a. How do the employment levels compare between the periods presented? Where are Roche’s employees located? b. Which regions of the world have the highest turnover ra

> Exhibit 5-1 presents the business-segment and geographic-segment information of Lafarge, a French company that uses International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in it consolidated financial statements. /// Required: Go to the Web site of the In

> The Outlook section in Daimler’s 2008 annual report may be found at http://ar2008.daimler. com/daimler/annual/2008/gb/English/pdf/ 04_DAI_AR2008_Management-Report.pdf (pp. 82–87). Required: Provide (1) a list of items forecasted (e.g., sales, profits,

> Why are multinational corporations increasingly being held accountable to constituencies other than traditional investor groups?

> The chapter discusses the objectives of investororiented markets: investor protection and market quality. Transparent financial reporting is important for achieving these objectives. What is transparent financial reporting? Explain how transparent financ

> Outsourcing, especially from vendors located abroad, has become a politically sensitive issue, especially in the United States. Do you think this argument has merit? What are the consequences of this debate for international accounting?

> On October 3, 2000, E-centives, incorporated in the United States, made an initial public offering on the Swiss Stock Exchange’s New Market. The company raised approximately US$40 million. E-centive’s offering circular

> Analyze Alibaba’s business model relative to all the different forms of digital and online marketing covered in this chapter.

> Given that Alibaba does not own or distribute any of the merchandise exchanged on its sites, describe what factors had to develop for the company to succeed.

> As a digital retailer, how does Alibaba provide value to Chinese consumers? What sets of values are unique to the Chinese market?

> Should all companies consider reducing their sales forces in favor of telemarketing? Discuss the pros and cons of this action.

> Refer to Appendix 2, Marketing by the Numbers, to determine the marketing return on sales (marketing ROS) and return on marketing investment (marketing ROI) for Company A and Company B in the chart below. Which company is performing better? Explain.

> Many marketers are still learning how to use social media platforms effectively to engage customers in meaningful relationships. Locate three social media platforms used by the Kenneth Cole brand to engage customers. Is the brand’s marketing message cons

> Kenneth Cole believes that his controversial tweets improve business and provoke conversation and awareness. Is this an effective use of social media to engage customers with the brand? Why or why not?

> Discuss advantages and disadvantages of “Buy” buttons for social media sites like Pinterest and search engines like Google. What are the advantages and disadvantages for marketers making their goods available through “Buy” buttons on these sites?

> What competitive advantage does Pinterest (www.pinterest.com) have over other social media that might make its “Buy” button more successful?

> Although mobile advertising makes up a small percentage of online advertising, it is one of the fastest-growing advertising channels. But one obstacle is measuring return on investment in mobile. How are marketers measuring the return on investment in mo

> Visit www.krazycouponlady.com and browse a deal you would consider purchasing. After identifying the deal, conduct an online price comparison at various retailers to determine the range of prices you would typically pay for the product. Present your conc

> In a small group, search the internet to locate a controversial or failed social media campaign. Present an analysis of the failed campaign. Make a recommendation on how to address the controversy.

> What is phishing, and how does it affect internet marketing?

> Discuss the benefits of direct and digital marketing to buyers and sellers.

> Can Alibaba succeed in countries outside of China? Why or why not?

> Identify specific ways SunGard’s transformational plan addresses the different steps of managing the sales force.

> How would the challenges faced by SunGard have impacted sales productivity had the company not initiated its transformational plan?

> What are the positive and negative aspects of SunGard’s new sales force structure?

> At what level of sales would it be more cost efficient for Wheels to use sales agents compared to its own sales force? To determine this, consider the fixed and variable costs for each alternative. What are the pros and cons of using a company’s own sale

> Refer to Appendix 2 to answer this question. Determine the number of salespeople Wheels needs if it has 1,000 bicycle shop accounts that need to be called on four times per year. Each sales call lasts approximately 2.5 hours, and each sales rep has appro

> Read Staples’s code of ethics at www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/staples_soul/documents/staples- code-of-ethics_english.pdf. Is the situation outlined above consistent with Staples’s ethics policies? Is “walking the customer” a violation of the ethics

> Identify three online price-comparison shopping sites or apps and shop for a product you are interested in purchasing. Compare the price ranges given at the three sites. Based on your search, determine a “fair” price for the product.

> A company’s sales force creates and communicates customer value by personally engaging customers and building customer relationships. With its Market Basket approach, was Staples focusing on building customer value and relationships? Explain.

> The profitable growth potential for SnipSnap is in the enterprise market where it provides mobile promotion services to retailers. SnipSnap is working with retailers to create and manage geo-conquesting campaigns. Research what this is and create a prese

> Research other types of apps that rely on smartphone cameras to redeem a sales promotion offer. Explain how they work and how they are similar to and different from SnipSnap.

> In a small group, design a sales promotion campaign using online, social media, and mobile marketing for a small business or organization in your community. Develop a presentation to pitch your campaign to the business or organization and incorporate wha

> What is sales promotion? Discuss its growth as a short-term consumer promotion tool.

> What is social selling, and how is it affecting the sales function in organizations?

> Name and describe the four sales compensation elements. What are the various compensation combinations, and how can they be used to achieve the company’s marketing objectives?