Will it Work?

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Ethical Dilemma, Financial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Video Updates.

Norovirus, salmonella, and E. Coli outbreaks during 2015 at fresh food restaurants run by Chipotle have cost a huge loss of business. However, in mid-February, the chain plans a strategic marketing campaign aimed at trying to bring these customers back. Questions: 1. By how much did comparable restaurant sales fall in the fourth quarter of… Read more »

Sam’s Club CEO, Rosalind Brewer, Talks about Changes and Lessons Learned

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The rivalry between Sam’s Club and Costco comes close to what you find in college sports. Questions: Source: 1. What things did the Sam’s Club CEO say were learned about Black Friday? 2. What happened to CostCo stock versus Sam’s Club Stock in 2015? 3. What are the differentiation strategies that Sam’s Club is implementing?… Read more »

The Great Experiment

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Finland has become the latest country to propose a basic income for all. Under the plan, all Finnish citizens would receive an 800 euro stipend, per month, tax-free. Questions: 1. Based on the current exchange rate, what amount of U.S. dollars is this equal to? 2. What incentive does Finland have to implement this proposal?… Read more »

Security Chips and Bearing the Cost of Fraud

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New payment cards, issued over the last year, come with a small square security chip that can help make in-person transactions more secure. However, retailers complain that they have spent billions of dollars upgrading their payment terminals to accommodate a system that cuts down on the fraud shouldered by banks, but not merchants. Questions: 1…. Read more »

Litigation Finance

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This article discusses the trend of litigation finance, where individuals and companies are turning to private companies to front the money for legal costs in expensive litigation. Despite having in-house counsel, even larger companies are selling off pieces of lawsuits to improve cash flow and reduce risk. Questions: 1. Between 2013 and 2014, how much… Read more »

Less Chemicals and New Recipes

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This article discusses moves by Campbell soup to make its soups with more natural ingredients rather than chemical flavoring. Questions: 1. What is the most recent trend in soup sales? 2. What type of acquisitions has Campbell made recently to obtain toeholds in new markets? 3. What type of retooling changes have been made to… Read more »

Asset Forfeiture Followup

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During 2014, law enforcement officers took more property from American citizens than burglars did. This was a new record. Questions: 1. What was the source of these data? 2. Why aren’t the asset forfeiture deposit amounts necessarily good indicators of the rise in the use of forfeiture? 3. Why are the net assets of the… Read more »

Corporate Challenges to Workman’s Comp

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For quite a while, the state of Texas has allowed companies to opt out of workman’s comp and write their own benefit plans. As a result, benefits for the same body part can differ dramatically depending upon which company you work for. Questions 1. Who is Bill Minick and what corporate movement is his firm… Read more »

A Disturbing Trend

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A controversial law enforcement known as civil asset forfeiture allows police to seize and keep cash and property from people, who are suspected of wrongdoing but may never be charged. Despite public outcries, the use of this procedure has increased in the past decade. Questions: 1. The figures in reports show “the size of the… Read more »

All Day Breakfast

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In an email to franchisees, McDonald’s US President Mike Andres called the all-day breakfast launch a success. However, this article points to a survey of U.S. franchisees that disagree. Questions: 1. Why are McDonald’s franchisees saying that the all-day breakfast launch has been a nightmare? List the reasons and rank them according to your opinion… Read more »