Barlow Company manufactures book bags and has provided the following information for June 2018: (Click the icon to view the information.) Requirements 1. Prepare a flexible budget performance report. (Hint: You will need to calculate the flexible budget amounts for 8,000 units.) 2. As the company owner, which employees would you praise or criticize after you analyze this performance report? Flexible Budget Performance Report For the Month Ended June 30, 2018 1 2 3 4 5 (1)-(3) (3) - (5) Budget Flexible Sales Amounts Actual Flexible Volume Static Budget Variance Per Unit Results Variance Budget 8000 Budget 9000 Units 8000 Sales Revenue 16.5 132000 -144000 144000 5.19 41500 -45000 45000 Variable Expenses Contribution Margin 90500 99000 21500 23000 Fixed Expenses 69000 76000 Operating Income Requirement 2. As the company owner, which employees would you praise or criticize after you analyze this performance report? O A. The sales volume variance for operating income could be due to the effectiveness of the sales staff, or it could be due to a long period of snow that made it difficult for employees to get to work, bringing work to a standstill. To encourage sales, the sales staff should be praised and to encourage higher production levels, the manager of the production department should be criticized. B. More information is needed to determine which employees to praise or criticize. As the company owner, you should determine the causes of the variances before praising or criticizing employees. It is especially important to determine whether the variance is due to factors the managers can control. Wise managers use variances to raise questions and direct attention, not to fix blame. C. The flexible budget variance for fixed costs is most likely due to a change in a cost such as insurance premiums. Since the production department is responsible for fixed costs, the manager of that department would be praised if the variance is unfavorable or criticized if the variance is favorable. D. The sales volume variance for fixed costs most likely is a result of delaying a scheduled overhaul of equipment that altered the fixed expenses in the short term but will increase the company's costs in the long run. Since the engineering department is responsible for fixed costs, the manager of that department would be praised if the variance is unfavorable or criticized if the variance is favorable