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This is our last discussion for this course! For this discussion, consider each of the following two budget-related scenarios. Do you think what is being done is ethical? Is it fraudulent? What are the ramifications of this behavior to the company (i.e. is the company harmed in any way)? What can companies do to prevent these types of activities from happening? Have you ever experienced ethical situations in your jobs that stem from the budgeting process? Situation One: Southeast Suites operates a regional hotel chain. Each hotel is operated by a manager and an assistant manager/controller. Many of the staff who run the front desk, clean the rooms, and prepare the breakfast buffet work part time or have a second job, so employee turnover is high. Assistant Manager/Controller Terry Dunn asked the new bookkeeper to help prepare the hotel's master budget. The master budget is prepared once a year and is submitted to company headquarters for approval. Once approved, the master budget is used to evaluate the hotel's performance. These performance evaluations affect hotel managers' bonuses, and they also affect company decisions on which hotels deserve extra funds for capital improvements. When the budget was almost complete, Dunn asked the bookkeeper to increase amounts budgeted for labor and supplies by 15%. When asked why, Dunn responded that hotel manager Clay Murry told her to do this when she began working at the hotel. Murry explained that this budgetary cushion gave him flexibility in running the hotel. For example, because company headquarters tightly controls capital improve-ment funds, Murry can use the extra money budgeted for labor and supplies to replace broken televisions or pay "bonuses" to keep valued employees. Dunn initially accepted this explanation because she had observed similar behavior at the hotel where she worked previously. Situation 2: Patrick works for McGill's Computer Repair, owned and operated by Frank McGill. As a computer technician, Patrick has grown accustomed to friends and family members asking for assistance with their personal computers. In an effort to increase his income, Patrick started a personal computer repair business that he operates out of his home on a part- time basis, working evenings and weekends. Because Patrick is doing this "on the side" for friends and family, he does not want to charge as much as McGill's charges its customers. When Frank McGill assigned Patrick the task of developing the budget for his department, Patrick increased the amount budgeted for computer parts. When the budget was approved, Patrick purchased as many parts as the budget allowed, even when they were not needed. He then took the extra parts home to use in his personal business in an effort to keep his costs down and profits up. So far, no one at McGill's has asked about the parts expense because Patrick has not allowed the actual amount spent to exceed the budgeted amount. This is our last discussion for this course! For this discussion, consider each of the following two budget-related scenarios. Do you think what is being done is ethical? Is it fraudulent? What are the ramifications of this behavior to the company (i.e. is the company harmed in any way)? What can companies do to prevent these types of activities from happening? Have you ever experienced ethical situations in your jobs that stem from the budgeting process? Situation One: Southeast Suites operates a regional hotel chain. Each hotel is operated by a manager and an assistant manager/controller. Many of the staff who run the front desk, clean the rooms, and prepare the breakfast buffet work part time or have a second job, so employee turnover is high. Assistant Manager/Controller Terry Dunn asked the new bookkeeper to help prepare the hotel's master budget. The master budget is prepared once a year and is submitted to company headquarters for approval. Once approved, the master budget is used to evaluate the hotel's performance. These performance evaluations affect hotel managers' bonuses, and they also affect company decisions on which hotels deserve extra funds for capital improvements. When the budget was almost complete, Dunn asked the bookkeeper to increase amounts budgeted for labor and supplies by 15%. When asked why, Dunn responded that hotel manager Clay Murry told her to do this when she began working at the hotel. Murry explained that this budgetary cushion gave him flexibility in running the hotel. For example, because company headquarters tightly controls capital improve-ment funds, Murry can use the extra money budgeted for labor and supplies to replace broken televisions or pay "bonuses" to keep valued employees. Dunn initially accepted this explanation because she had observed similar behavior at the hotel where she worked previously. Situation 2: Patrick works for McGill's Computer Repair, owned and operated by Frank McGill. As a computer technician, Patrick has grown accustomed to friends and family members asking for assistance with their personal computers. In an effort to increase his income, Patrick started a personal computer repair business that he operates out of his home on a part- time basis, working evenings and weekends. Because Patrick is doing this "on the side" for friends and family, he does not want to charge as much as McGill's charges its customers. When Frank McGill assigned Patrick the task of developing the budget for his department, Patrick increased the amount budgeted for computer parts. When the budget was approved, Patrick purchased as many parts as the budget allowed, even when they were not needed. He then took the extra parts home to use in his personal business in an effort to keep his costs down and profits up. So far, no one at McGill's has asked about the parts expense because Patrick has not allowed the actual amount spent to exceed the budgeted amount
