Question 1: (20 marks total)

With respect to each of the following activities, characteristics, and applications, indicate whether they are primarily identified as being found in a centralized organization, a decentralized organization, or both types of organizations.

A) both

B) centralization

C) decentralization

Required

1. Freedom for managers at lower organizational levels to make decisions.
2. Gathering information may be very expensive.
3. Greater responsiveness to user needs.
4. Have few interdependencies among divisions.
5. Maximum constraints and minimum freedom for managers at lowest levels.
6. Maximization of benefits over costs.
7. Minimization of duplicate functions.
8. Minimum of sub optimal decision making.
9. Multiple responsibility centers with various reporting units.
10. Profit centers.

Question 2: (20 marks total)

Arizona Ltd. has two divisions: 1) The Machining Division prepares the raw materials into component parts, and 2) Assembly Division assembles the components into finished product. No inventories exist in either division at the beginning of the year. During the year the Machining Division prepared 80,000 square meters of sheet metal at a cost of $480,000. All production was transferred to the Assembly Division where the metal was converted into 80,000 units of finished product at an additional cost of $5 per unit. The 80,000 units were sold for $2,000,000.

Required

1. Determine the operating income for each division if the transfer price from Machining to Assembly is at cost.
2. Determine the operating income for each division if the transfer price is $5/square meter.
3. Since the Machining Division has all of its sales internally to the Assembly Division, does the manager care what price is selected? Why? Should the Machining Division be a cost center or a profit center under the circumstances?