Assume you are the division controller for Auntie Ms Cookie Company. Auntie M has introduced a new chocolate chip cookie called Full of Chips, and it is a success. As a result, the product manager responsible for the launch of this new cookie was promoted to division vice president and became your boss. A new product manager, Bishop, has been brought in to replace the promoted manager. Bishop notices that the Full of Chips cookie uses a lot of chips, which increases the cost of the cookie. As a result, Bishop has ordered that the number of chips used in the cookies be reduced by 10%. The manager believes that a 10% reduction in chips will not adversely affect sales, but will reduce costs, and hence improve margins. The increased margins would help Bishop meet profit targets for the period and because Bishop is in line for a big promotion, he believes that by achieving these higher sales, he will fare better for promotion.

To confirm, Bishop has enlisted you to help evaluate it. After reviewing the cost of production reports segmented by cookie brands, you notice that there has been a continual drop in the materials costs for the Full of Chips brand since its launch. On further investigation, you discover that the chip costs have declined because the product manager continually reduced the number of chips in each cookie. Both you and Bishop report to the division vice president, who was the original product manager for the Full of Chips brand who was responsible for reducing the chip count in prior periods.

Is this an ethical strategy for Bishop to pursue? What are the potential implications of this strategy?

What options would you, as their controller, consider in taking in response to Bishop's plan?

Discuss the options you might consider. In your response, use narrative formatting, referencing at least one outside source used, and post a minimum of 200 words.