Question

Claire’s Classic Couture is a retail organization that sells to professional women in the Midwest. The firm leases space for stores in upscale shopping centers, and the organizational structure consists of regions, districts and stores. Each region consists of two or more districts; each district consists of three or more stores. Each store, district and region has been established as a profit center. At all levels, the company uses a management by objective (MBO) system and a responsibility accounting system that focuses on information and knowledge rather than blame and control. Each year, managers, in consultation with their supervisors, establish goals which are not solely financial, and these goals are integrated into the budget. Actual performance is measured each month.

The Midwest Region consists of Districts A and B. District A consists of three stores, 1,2 and 3 with District B consisting of three stores, 4,5 and 6. District A’s performance has not been up to expectations in the past. For the month of May, the district manager has set performance goals with the managers of Stores 1 and 2 who will receive bonuses if certain performance measures are exceeded. The manager of Store 3 decided not to participate in the bonus plan. Since the district manager is unsure what type of bonus will encourage better performance, the manager of Store 1 will receive a bonus based on sales in excess of budgeted sales of $570,000 while the manager of Store 2 will receive a bonus based on net income in excess of budgeted net income. The company’s net income goal for each store is 12 percent of sales. The budgeted sales for Store 2 are $530,000.

Other pertinent data for the month of May, 2017 are given below:

 At Store 1, sales are 40 percent of District A sales while sales at Store 2 are 35 percent of District A sales. The cost of goods sold is 42 percent of sales.

o District A sales are $1,500,000.

 Variable selling expenses (sales commissions) are 6 percent of sales for all stores, districts and regions.

 Variable administrative expenses are 2.5 percent of sales for all stores, districts and regions.

 Maintenance cost includes janitorial and repair services and is a direct cost for each store. The store manager has complete control over this outlay; however, this cost should not be below one percent of sales.

o Store 1 expenses are $7,500.

o Store 2 expenses are 600

o District A expenses are $12,600

 Advertising is considered a direct cost for each store and is completely under the control of the store manager. Store 1 spent two-thirds of District A’s total outlay for advertising which was ten times more than Store 2 spent on advertising.

o District A’s outlay for advertising is $75,000.

 The rental expenses at Store 1 are 40 percent of District A’s total while Store 2 incurs 30 percent of District A’s total.

o District A’s rental expenses are 150,000.

 District expenses are allocated to the stores based on sales.

o District A’s expenses are $180,000.

 Regional expenses are allocated to each store in the district equally.

o Regional expenses are $165,000.

REQUIRED: Using the five steps of strategic decision-making:

1. Complete the May 2017 performance report (income statement) for District A and Stores 1 and 2.

2. Discuss the impact of the responsibility accounting system and bonus structure on the manager’s behavior and the effect of this behavior on the financial results for Store 1 and Store 2.

Some hints on this case:

 Look at Store 1’s advertising expenditures. Comment on the effectiveness of the advertising

 Consider how the bonus of Store 2’s bonus will be computed. Will Store 2’s management be happy or unhappy with the compensation plan.

o Articulate your rationale. If unhappy, offer a suggestion for improvement.

Answer 1

	Coastal district	New Haven District	Boston district
Sales	$1560000	$546000	$468000
Cost of goods sold	$635850	$218400	$187200
Gross margin	$924150	$327600	$280800
Operating Expenses:
Variable Selling	$93600	$32760	$28080
Variable administrative	$39000	$13650	$11700
Othet direct expenses:
store maintnance	$12100	$7200	$800
Advertising	$75000	$50000	$6250
Rent and other cost	$180000	$54000	$36000
Indirect expensed:
District General administraive expenses	$185000	$64750	$55500
Regional general and administrative expenses	$156000	$52000	$52000
Total Expenses	$740700	$274360	$190330
Operating income	$183450	$53240	$90470

The above is the Income statement for month of may 2017.

2. The impact is as per given below:

New heaven stores sales is much more than boston stores.

but generate very few sales. threfore the advertising is not properway.

The manager of boston store is not satisfy becasue manager is not able to control expenses. and also reduces the bonus amount.

Prepare complete report after proper analysis of information.

we can get to know the overall company' s both favourable and unfavourable

information

Maintain integrity, objectivity.

Give disclousure of aal material information.