Questions
Answers will vary but should include factors such as starting salaries, value of fringe benefits, cost of living, and other monetary factors.
Answers will vary but should include considerations such as price, convenience, features, ease of purchase, availability, and other decision-making factors.
Responses should comment on the growth Netflix has experienced. Although this may have been due to subscription price increases, the biggest driver of these increases is the number of subscriptions. While this is only a few data points, it does appear likely that Netflix will continue to grow sales in the next year or so. Factors influencing this prediction would be competition, changes in the streaming market, and economic considerations.
Answers will vary, but responses should state, in a sentence or two, the primary purpose of the entity. The goal of this exercise is to have students clearly communicate why the entity exists, the stakeholders served by the entity, and the role accounting plays in the organization.
Answers will vary but should highlight aspects of each model: Brick-and-mortar: higher investment in physical storefront, interior, etc., to attain visual appeal; insurance and regulatory requirements; space/storage considerations; lower delivery costs; no delivery time. Online: less overhead costs, higher delivery costs, higher website and technology costs, competition.
Manufacturer: movies; service: hotels, restaurants, waste removal, entertainment; retail: shopDisney, clothes and apparel.
Answers will vary but should include the key services of the SEC related to regulation and enforcement. You may be particularly interested to explore the SEC’s whistle-blowing initiatives. Responses regarding required filings for publicly traded companies should include a discussion about the relationship between transparency and protecting the public interest. The significant amount of invested capital by the investing public is also relevant to the discussion.
Answers will vary but should include the increase in popularity of energy drinks and Monster’s partnership with the Coca-Cola Company (which now owns close to a 17% stake in Monster). Considerations as to whether or not to purchase Monster shares today would include the estimated future performance of the company, the energy drink market, purchasing at a high point, etc.
Answers will vary but should include a discussion of the importance for accountants to provide information that is unbiased. Accountants have an obligation to protect the public interest by reporting information that is useful for decision-making but does not sway the user in a particular way. Accountants are in a unique position where they serve many stakeholders, including their employer, clients, and the public. The interests of all stakeholders must be considered while maintaining the highest level of integrity.
Answers will vary and may include certifications/licensing in nursing, information technology, engineering, human resources management, counseling, medicine, and many other occupations.