(b) Briefly explain the two types of informal communication known as the grapevine and rum
(b) Briefly explain the two types of informal communication known as the grapevine and rumour. (6 marks)
(b) Briefly explain the two types of informal communication known as the grapevine and rumour. (6 marks)
(b) Briefly explain THREE limitations of negotiated transfer prices. (3 marks)
(c) Explain the term ‘target costing’ and how it may be applied by GWCC. Briefly discuss any potential
limitations in its application. (8 marks)
(ii) Briefly explain the extent to which the application of sensitivity analysis might be useful in deciding
which refrigeration system to purchase and discuss the limitations inherent in its use. (3 marks)
(c) Excluding the number of complaints by patients, identify and briefly explain THREE quantitative
non-financial performance measures that could be used to assess the ‘quality of service’ provided by the
Dental Health Partnership. (3 marks)
(ii) Briefly explain the implications of Parr & Co’s audit opinion for your audit opinion on the consolidated
financial statements of Cleeves Co for the year ended 30 September 2006. (3 marks)
Required:
(a) Briefly explain the main purposes of the three main formal communication channels in an organisation:
(i) Downwards; (3 marks)
(b) Ratio analysis in general can be useful in comparing the performance of two companies, but it has its limitations.
Required:
State and briefly explain three factors which can cause accounting ratios to be misleading when used for
such comparison. (6 marks)
Production and sales from the new machine are expected to be 100,000 units per year. Each unit can be sold for $16 per unit and will incur variable costs of $11 per unit. Incremental fixed costs arising from the operation of the machine will be $160,000 per year.
Warden Co has an after-tax cost of capital of 11% which it uses as a discount rate in investment appraisal. The company pays profit tax one year in arrears at an annual rate of 30% per year. Capital allowances and inflation should be ignored.
Required:
(a) Calculate the net present value of investing in the new machine and advise whether the investment is financially acceptable. (7 marks)
(b) Calculate the internal rate of return of investing in the new machine and advise whether the investment is financially acceptable. (4 marks)
(c) (i) Explain briefly the meaning of the term ‘sensitivity analysis’ in the context of investment appraisal; (1 mark) (ii) Calculate the sensitivity of the investment in the new machine to a change in selling price and to a change in discount rate, and comment on your findings. (6 marks)
(d) Discuss the nature and causes of the problem of capital rationing in the context of investment appraisal, and explain how this problem can be overcome in reaching the optimal investment decision for a company. (7 marks)
Notes
1 Variable production costs would be $12 per unit for production volumes up to and including 100,000 units each year. However, if production exceeds 100,000 units each year, the variable production cost per unit would fall to $11 for all units produced.
2 Advertising costs would be $900,000 per annum at a selling price of $30 and $970,000 per annum at a price of $35.
3 Fixed production costs would be $450,000 per annum.
Required:
(a) Calculate each of the six possible profit outcomes which could arise for Gam Co in the coming year. (8 marks)
(b) Calculate the expected value of profit for each of the two price options and recommend, on this basis, which option Gam Co would choose. (3 marks)
(c) Briefly explain the maximin decision rule and identify which price should be chosen by management if they use this rule to decide which price should be charged. (3 marks)
(d) Discuss the factors which may give rise to uncertainty when setting budgets. (6 marks)
Chair Co plans on pricing the seat by adding a 50% mark-up to the total variable cost per seat, with the labour cost being based on the incremental time taken to produce the 8th unit.
Required:
(a) Calculate the price which Chair Co expects to charge for the new seat. Note: The learning index for a 75% learning curve is –0·415. (5 marks)
(b) The first phase of production has now been completed for the new car seat. The first unit actually took 12·5 hours to make and the total time for the first eight units was 34·3 hours, at which point the learning effect came to an end. Chair Co are planning on adjusting the price to reflect the actual time it took to complete the 8th unit.
Required:
(i) Calculate the actual rate of learning and state whether this means that the labour force actually learnt more quickly or less quickly than expected. (3 marks)
(ii) Briefly explain whether the adjusted price charged by Chair Co will be higher or lower than the price you calculated in part (a) above. You are NOT required to calculate the adjusted price. (2 marks)