IRAC Torts

Bauer Insulation Co (BIC) was a subcontractor on an expansion project at the Dixon-Goetz manufacturing plant in Lowville, New York which is a remote part of upstate New York approximately 40 miles from the nearest population centers.  Given the remoteness of the work site, BIC provided $30 per day in subsistence pay to each of its employees to defer part of the cost of a motel room or apartment in the nearest towns.  BIC did not require its employees to spend the money on lodging.  The employees were free to spend it or not spend it as they saw fit.  In fact the President of BIC, Zachary Bauer, would tell his employees, “if I were you, I’d pocket the money and commute!  It isn’t taxable income, its like free money!”

James LePage, a BIC employee was assigned to work on the expansion project in Lowville and he received the $30 per day subsistence pay from BIC but he elected to make the commute to the plant from his home in Rochester, NY which was 120 miles from the work site.  james, a resourceful young man, convinced a few other co-workers along the route to carpool to save additional money.  The parties would share the driving responsibilities.  The work schedule was Monday through Friday 7am to 5:30pm with a half hour for lunch and few if any breaks.  In addition to his employment with BIC, James also worked at the local Dick’s sporting goods store a second job at night as a stock clerk.

James completed his regular shift at the plant on a Tuesday and returned to Rochester at 8:30pm.  He then worked his second job before going to bed around midnight.  James then rose at 4:00am on Wednesday to get his vehicle and collect his co-workers for the daily commute to the plant, where he worked his normal shift.  The car pool with James driving left the plant around 6:00pm.  Shortly thereafter, James fell asleep at the wheel.  His vehicle crossed the centerline of the highway and collided head-on with a vehicle in which Matt Krengel was the passenger.  Matt expired in the accident and his widow, Claire McMahon, acting in her own right and as a personal representative of her late husband’s estate, filed a negligence-based wrongful death action against BIC in a New York State Court.

The lawsuit filed by McMahon claimed that BIC owed a duty of care to the other travelers on the highway to prevent injury caused by employees who had become exhausted after being required to commute long distances and work long hours and were even encouraged to do so with the $30 per day stipend.  She contended in her complaint that BIC breached its duty by “failing to take precautionary measures to prevent employees from becoming so exhausted that they pose a threat of harm to the traveling public and failing to provide alternative transportation to its exhausted employees or in the alternative, failing to provide living quarters to its employees within a reasonable from the plant site.

Discuss the legal theory put forth by Mrs. McMahon based on the various theories of negligence discussed in class.  Using the IRAC format conclude on the likelihood of success of this lawsuit.

Required information

Problem 9-31 Production and Direct-Labor Budgets; Activity-Based Overhead Budget (LO 9-3, 9-4, 9-5, 9-6)

[The following information applies to the questions displayed below.]

Spiffy Shades Corporation manufactures artistic frames for sunglasses. Talia Demarest, controller, is responsible for preparing the company’s master budget. In compiling the budget data for 20x1, Demarest has learned that new automated production equipment will be installed on March 1. This will reduce the direct labor per frame from 1.0 hour to 0.75 hour.

Labor-related costs include pension contributions of $1.30 per hour, workers’ compensation insurance of $1.00 per hour, employee medical insurance of $4 per hour, and employer contributions to Social Security equal to 7.00 percent of direct-labor wages. The cost of employee benefits paid by the company on its employees is treated as a direct-labor cost. Spiffy Shades Corporation has a labor contract that calls for a wage increase to $15.00 per hour on April 1, 20x1. Management expects to have 16,200 frames on hand at December 31, 20x0, and has a policy of carrying an end-of-month inventory of 100 percent of the following month’s sales plus 40 percent of the second following month’s sales.

These and other data compiled by Demarest are summarized in the following table.

1. Prepare a production budget and a direct-labor budget for Spiffy Shades Corporation by month and for the first quarter of 20x1. (Round "Direct-labor hours per unit" to 2 decimal places.)

2. For each item used in the firm’s production budget and direct-labor budget, select the other components of the master budget (except for financial statement budgets) that also, directly or indirectly, would use these data. (You may select more than one answer. Single click the box with the question mark to produce a check mark for a correct answer and double click the box with the question mark to empty the box for a wrong answer.)

1. Sales data:

• Selling and administrative expense budgetunanswered
• Production-overhead budgetunanswered
• Direct-material budgetunanswered
• Cash budgetunanswered
• Cost-of-goods-sold budgetunanswered
• Sales budgetunanswered
• Cash disbursements budgetunanswered

2. Production data:

• Selling and administrative expense budgetunanswered
• Direct-material budgetunanswered
• Cost-of-goods-sold budgetunanswered
• Production-overhead budgetunanswered
• Cash budgetunanswered
• Cash disbursements budgetunanswered
• Sales budgetunanswered

3. Direct-labor-hour data:

• Selling and administrative expense budgetunanswered
• Production-overhead budgetunanswered
• Direct-material budgetunanswered
• Cash budgetunanswered
• Cost-of-goods-sold budgetunanswered
• Sales budgetunanswered
• Cash disbursements budgetunanswered

4. Direct-labor cost data:

• Selling and administrative expense budgetunanswered
• Production-overhead budgetunanswered
• Direct-material budgetunanswered
• Cash budgetunanswered
• Sales budgetunanswered
• Cost-of-goods-sold budgetunanswered
• Cash disbursements budget

3. Prepare a production overhead budget for each month and for the first quarter.

PLEASE READ AND ANSWER

CASE #3 TATA'S TIME(STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN ACTION SIXTH EDITION)

It holds the number 6 spot on the list of the world's most admired companies in the steel industry. The Tata Group, based in Mumbai, India, is the largest conglomerate in that country. Its lat­est revenues are estimated at $67.4 billion, of which 61 percent is from business outside India. Tata has more than 100 operating companies in seven main business groups doing business in 80 countries: chemicals, information systems and communications, consumer products, energy, engineering, materials, and services. Its two largest businesses are Tata Steel and Tata Motors. Its Tata Tea, which owns the valued Tetley brand, also is one of the larg­est tea producers in the world. Ratan Tata, Tata Group's chairper­ son, has forged a strategy that encompasses the globe. In 1999, he issued a "clarion call to push outside India with acquisitions and exports." One of the company's executive directors recalled, "We didn't know what to expect, to be honest."

Today, Tata controls many businesses ranging from Eight O'clock Coffee Co. in the United Sates to the Taj Group of hotels, which took over management of the landmark Pierre Hotel on Central Park in New York City. Tata made its boldest global strategic push, however, in October 2006 when Tata Steel formally proposed buying British steelmaker Corus Group PLC for about $8 billion USD. Corus, which was formed by a merger of British Steel and Hoogovens, was three times the size of Tata Steel. The buyout offer soon turned into a bidding war when Tata Group discovered another company, Companhia Siderùrgica, Nacional of Brazil (CSN), was also preparing a bid and therefore upped its opening offer to $9.2 billion; CSN then raised the stakes by offering to pay $9.6 billion. A Tata Group spokesman said that the company's attempt to acquire Corus was "based on a compelling strategic rationale." Ratan Tata explained further by saying, "The revised terms deliver substantial additional value to Corus shareholders." The increased takeover bid did not impress investors as the company's share price fell 6 percent after the news was announced. Analysts and investors both "expressed concern that Tata is overpricing Corus, whose operating costs are among the highest of any steel maker—something that would affect its profitability and its plans to expand in India." However, Ratan Tata knew that the acquisition could catapult Tata Steel from its mid-50s ranking in the global steel list to the sixth-largest industry competitor. He said, "Analysts were taking a short-term, harsh view of the deal. Hopefully, the market will look back and say it was the right move." By the end of JanuaQi 2007, the U.K. Takeover Panel called an auction in order to end the bidding war and "presided over the contest that started on Tuesday, January 30." The "contest" continued for several hours until CSN pulled out. Tata Steel won its coveted prize for $12.2 billion—a 22 percent premium over what it had originally offered. That acquisition represented the latest consolidation in the global steel industry. The combined Tata-Corus can produce 25 million tons of steel a year. The deal also represented the largest foreign acquisition by an Indian company and made the diversified Tata Group the largest company in India.

In 2008, Tata made an even bigger global splash, at least in terms of recognized consumer brand names. It acquired the Land Rover and Jaguar brands from Ford for an estimated $2.3 billion.

Tata's leaders believe the group "can survive on the world stage only by being both too big to beat and too good to fail." In December 2012, when Chairman Ratan Tata steps down, Cyrus Mistry will take over as chairman of Tata Group and he "faces the daunting challenge of steering a giant, increasingly multinational conglomerate of more than 100 companies through economic headwinds at home and abroad."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Discuss the advantages and drawbacks of going international using Tata Group's experiences.

2. What strategic challenges do you think Cyrus Mistry might face as he guides his company? Using what you know about managing strategically, how might he respond to these challenges?

3. Do some research on India's economic and political-legal environments. What opportunities and threats do you see?​​​​​​​ In light of these, do you think Ratan Tata's strategy of push­ing outside India makes sense? Explain.

​​​​​​​THANK YOU!

Using the Motor Trend Cars Data Set, you would like to determine if there is a relationship between MPG (miles per gallon) and specific variables included in the data set.

1. Develop a correlation matrix using MPG (miles per gallon), HP (horsepower), WT (weight). Is the correlation between the variables MPG v HP significant? Perform the appropriate test and use a level of significance of 0.05
2. Fit a multiple regression model using MPG (miles per gallon) as the dependent variable and HP (horsepower), and WT (weight) as the independent variables. State your regression model.
3. Is the overall regression model significant? Conduct the appropriate hypothesis test for the significance of the overall regression model. Use a 0.05 level of significance.
4. Are the individual independent variables significant? Conduct the hypothesis tests for the significance of each independent variable at the= 0.05 level of significance.
5. What proportion of the variation in MPG is explained by the independent variables HP and WT?
6. Graph the residuals from the regression you developed in part (a). Do the regression assumptions appear to be appropriate given the residual plots? Explain your answer.

I am using IntelliJ IDEA with JavaFX to build a travel expensive calculator, but somehow it 

wouldn't calculate total expensive? It was working until I add the TextFieldListener because I need to make sure user

only input either mile driven or airfareCost. Please help me figure out what I did wrong.

import javafx.application.Application;
import javafx.beans.value.ChangeListener;
import javafx.beans.value.ObservableValue;
import javafx.event.EventHandler;
import javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader;
import javafx.geometry.Insets;
import javafx.geometry.Pos;
import javafx.scene.Parent;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.Button;
import javafx.scene.control.Label;
import javafx.scene.control.TextField;
import javafx.scene.layout.GridPane;
import javafx.scene.layout.HBox;
import javafx.stage.Stage;

public class Main extends Application {

    TextField field1, field2, field3, field4, field5, field6;
    Button submitButton, cancelButton;

    @Override
    public void start(Stage primaryStage) throws Exception{

        Label label1 = new Label ("(1) Number of days on the trip");
        Label label2 = new Label ("(2) Transportation cost (choose one only)");
        Label label3 = new Label ("Airfare Cost ");
        Label label4 = new Label ("Miles driven  ");
        Label label5 = new Label ("(3) Conference registration cost ");
        Label label6 = new Label ("(4) Lodging Cost (per night) ");
        Label label7 = new Label ("(5) Food cost (total) ");
        Label TotalExpensive = new Label("Total expenses: ");
        Label TotalExpensiveResult = new Label(" ");
        Label TotalCost = new Label("How much you own: ");
        Label TotalCostResult = new Label(" ");

        field1 = new TextField();
        field2 = new TextField();
        field3 = new TextField();
        field4 = new TextField();
        field5 = new TextField();
        field6 = new TextField();//all textfield

        submitButton = new Button ("Submit"); //Create submit button
        submitButton.setDisable( true);
        cancelButton = new Button ("Cancel"); //Create Cancel button


        HBox hBox = new HBox(20, label1, field1);
        HBox hBox1 = new HBox(10, label2);
        HBox hBox2 = new HBox(15, label3, field2);
        HBox hBox3 = new HBox(10, label4, field3);
        HBox hBox4 = new HBox(12, label5, field4);
        HBox hBox5 = new HBox(32, label6, field5);
        HBox hBox6 = new HBox(75, label7, field6);
        HBox hBox7 = new HBox(20, submitButton, cancelButton);
        HBox hBox8 = new HBox(20, TotalExpensive, TotalExpensiveResult);
        HBox hBox9 = new HBox(20, TotalCost, TotalCostResult);


        hBox.setAlignment(Pos.BASELINE_RIGHT); //Alignment
        hBox1.setAlignment(Pos.BASELINE_LEFT);
        hBox2.setAlignment(Pos.BASELINE_RIGHT);
        hBox3.setAlignment(Pos.BASELINE_RIGHT);
        hBox4.setAlignment(Pos.BASELINE_RIGHT);
        hBox5.setAlignment(Pos.BASELINE_RIGHT);
        hBox6.setAlignment(Pos.BASELINE_RIGHT);
        hBox7.setAlignment(Pos.CENTER);
        hBox8.setAlignment(Pos.BASELINE_LEFT);
        hBox9.setAlignment(Pos.BASELINE_LEFT);



        hBox1.setPadding(new Insets(0,0,15,0));
        hBox3.setPadding(new Insets(0,0,15,0));
        hBox7.setPadding(new Insets(15,0,0,0));
        hBox8.setPadding(new Insets(0,0,15,0));
        hBox9.setPadding(new Insets(0,0,15,0));

        TextFieldListener listener = new TextFieldListener();
        field1.textProperty().addListener(listener);
        field2.textProperty().addListener(listener);
        field3.textProperty().addListener(listener);
        field4.textProperty().addListener(listener);
        field5.textProperty().addListener(listener);
        field6.textProperty().addListener(listener);



        GridPane gridPane = new GridPane ();

        gridPane.add(hBox, 0, 0);
        gridPane.add(hBox1, 0, 1);
        gridPane.add(hBox2, 0, 2);
        gridPane.add(hBox3, 0, 3);
        gridPane.add(hBox4, 0, 4);
        gridPane.add(hBox5, 0, 5);
        gridPane.add(hBox6, 0, 6);
        gridPane.add(hBox7, 0, 7);
        gridPane.add(hBox8, 0, 8);
        gridPane.add(hBox9, 0, 9);
        gridPane.setAlignment(Pos.CENTER);
        gridPane.setPadding( new Insets(20, 20, 20, 20));
        gridPane.setVgap( 10);
        gridPane.setHgap( 10);
        primaryStage.setTitle("Travel Expenses Calculator");
        primaryStage.setScene(new Scene (gridPane));
        primaryStage.show();

        submitButton.setOnAction(event ->
        {

            double days = Double.parseDouble(field1.getText());
            double airFare = Double.parseDouble(field2.getText());
            double miles = Double.parseDouble(field3.getText());
            double ConregCost = Double.parseDouble(field4.getText());
            double lodgingCost = Double.parseDouble(field5.getText());
            double foodCost = Double.parseDouble(field6.getText());

            TotalExpensiveResult.setText(" " + ( airFare+ foodCost + ConregCost + (days * lodgingCost)) );

        });





    }

    private class TextFieldListener implements ChangeListener<String>
    {
        @Override
        public void changed(ObservableValue<? extends String> source, String oldValue, String
                newValue)
        {
            String numTrip = field1.getText();
            String airFare = field2.getText();
            String miles = field3.getText();
            String confCost = field4.getText();
            String lodgingCost = field5.getText();
            String foodCost = field6.getText();

            if (airFare.trim().equals( "")  )
            {
                submitButton.setDisable(numTrip.trim().equals( "") ||miles.trim().equals( "") || confCost.trim().equals( "")||
                        lodgingCost.trim().equals( "")|| foodCost.trim().equals( ""));
            }

            else if (miles.trim().equals( "") )
            {
                submitButton.setDisable(numTrip.trim().equals( "") ||airFare.trim().equals( "") || confCost.trim().equals( "")||
                        lodgingCost.trim().equals( "")|| foodCost.trim().equals( ""));
            }

            else
            {
                submitButton.setDisable( true);
            }


        }
    };




    public static void main(String[] args) {
        launch(args);
    }
}

Michael is an environmentalist earning HK$40,000 per month. He went to Syria for environmental protection work last year. However, Syria was in war and Michael’s hotel room was bombed during his stay. He lost his left arm and right leg. After being transferred back to Hong Kong, he has to seek assistance from his wife for many daily activities, such as washing, feeding, and toileting. However, he can still work in a sheltered workshop and earns $850 per month. Suppose Michael had long-term care insurance before he went to Syria. Should the insurance company pay monthly benefit to Michael? Select one:

a. Yes, because Michael lost his left arm and right leg.

b. Yes, because Michael is suffering from dysfunction and cannot perform at least 3 daily activities.

c. Yes, because Michael’s monthly salary decreases from HK$40,000 to HK$850.

d. No, because the dysfunction was caused by the act of war.

e. No, because Michael is employed and is still able to work.

Katherine is covered by medical expense insurance. Which of the following items is likely to be excluded from her insurance policy?

Select one:

a. She gets hit by a falling potted plant, causing her to receive dental care for fixing the front tooth.

b. She is diagnosed of stage 3 lung cancer and receives radiology treatment.

c. She is seriously injured in a car accident and get admitted to intensive care unit.

d. She goes to South Korea for cosmetic surgery to boost up her self-confidence.

e. All of the above are excluded from her medical expense insurance policy.

Give a brief summary of each and explain why they are the most important

Benefit 3 A higher minimum wage could reduce government welfare spending. If low-income workers earned more money, their dependence on, and eligibility for, government benefits would decrease. The Center for American Progress reported in 2014 that raising the federal minimum wage by 6% to $10.10 would reduce spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) by 6% or $4.6 billion. [9] The Economic Policy Institute determined that by increasing the minimum wage to $10.10, more than 1.7 million Americans would no longer be dependent on government assistance programs. They report the increase would shave $7.6 billion off annual

Cost 3 Raising the minimum wage would increase the price of consumer goods. A 2013 article by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago stated that if the minimum wage is increased, fast-food restaurants would pass on almost 100% of their increased labor costs on to consumers and that other firms may do the same. [2] A 2015  University study found that raising the wage of fast food restaurant employees to $15 or $22 per hour would result in a price increase of 4.3% and 25% respectively, or a reduction in product size between 12% and 70%: "a hamburger would be much smaller," the researchers stated. [53] NBC News found that the price of a cup of coffee went up by 10 to 20% in Oakland, California, after a 36% minimum wage hike in the city to government spending on incomesupport programs. $12.25. The report also found a 6.7% rise in coffee prices in Chicago after the minimum wage rose to $10. [54] The Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association (Canada) found that a "sudden and significant increase to the minimum wage" would result in "[i]ncreased prices for food & beverage, guest rooms and meeting facilities." [55]

1- A is Trading and Tourism Company.
2- B is the owner of a Building


A interred with B in to an investment Contract where A will take the building as investment which is owned by B and will turn to Hotel. It was agreed that, A prior to invest will take the approval from B on the plans and drawings. A sent the plans and the drawing to B for his approval. It was agreed that within a week if there were no answer from any of the parties on the correspondences of the other for any approval, therefore, it would mean that approval has been granted. A has started to do all the changes according to the plans and the drawings after a week from sending the plans. After a month A has received the reply from B with changes made in the plans and drawings. A has ignored the reply and continue the changes according to his plans. B was not happy and has demanded A to stop the work in the building and deliver the building at the same conditions he received it. A has replied to B that he has invested in the building according to the contract and if he wants the building back he has to pay the cost of his investments and the remedies of the damages that he has incurred. B has refused his demands and asked A to pay for all the repairs and damages caused to his building.
You have been contacted as mediator between the A and B Please answer the following:

1. What kind of relation between A and B?
2. Identify the responsibility for both parties and their civil rights.
3. What is the real problem between the two parties?
4. Does B have the right to stop work in the building and does A have the right to ignore B’s changes in the plans?
5. What action A should take to make B accept the plans and drawings and to finish the work?
6. In your conclusion, you should provide a good solution for A and B to continue to work together without going to litigation.