Peter Hennings, manager of the Cosmetics Division, had asked Laura Gibson, divisional controller and CMA, to meet with him regarding a recent analysis of a capital budgeting proposal. Peter was disappointed that the proposal had not met the company’s minimum guidelines. Specifically, the company requires that all proposals show a positive net present value, have an IRR that exceeds the cost of capital (which is 11 percent), and have a payback period of less than five years. Funding for any new proposal had to be approved by company headquarters. Typically, proposals are approved if they meet the minimum guidelines and if the division’s allocated share of the capital budget is not exhausted. The following conversation took place at their meeting:
Peter: Laura, I asked you to meet with me to discuss Proposal 678. Reviewing your analysis, I see that the NPV is negative and that the IRR is 9 percent. The payback is 5.5 years. In my opinion, the automated materials handling system in this proposal is an absolute must for this division. I feel that the consulting firm has underestimated the cash savings.
Laura: I did some checking on my own because of your feelings about the matter. I called a friend who is an expert in the area and asked him to review the report on the system. After a careful review, he agreed with the report—in fact, he indicated that the savings were probably on the optimistic side.
Peter: Well, I don’t agree. I know this business better than any of these so-called consulting experts. I think that the cash savings are significantly better than indicated.
Laura: Why don’t you explain this to headquarters? Perhaps they will allow an exception this time and fund the project.
Peter: No, that’s unlikely. They’re pretty strict when it comes to those guidelines, especially with the report from an outside consulting firm. I have a better idea, but I need your help. So far, you’re the only one besides me who has seen the outside report. I think it is flawed. I would like to modify it so that it reflects my knowledge of the potential of the new system. Then, you can take the revised figures and prepare a new analysis for submission to headquarters. You need to tell me how much I need to revise the cash savings so that the project is viable. Although I am confident that the savings are significantly underestimated, I would prefer to revise them so that the minimum guidelines are slightly exceeded. Believe me, I will ensure that the project exceeds expectations once it’s online.
Required:
Individually, read the ethical problem, and formulate answers to the following questions. Form groups of three or four. Each group member should write on a slip of paper the word TALK. This piece of paper is the Talking Chip. The Talking Chip is the ticket that allows a group member to speak. Group discussion begins with a volunteer. Discussion begins with Requirement 1 and moves to the next requirement only after all members have contributed to the discussion. After making his/her contribution, this person places the Talking Chip down in full view of the other members. Another person then contributes and subsequently places the Talking Chip down in full view. This continues until all members have contributed. Once all members have contributed, the chips can be retrieved and a second round of discussion can begin.
1. Evaluate the conduct of Peter Hennings. Are his suggestions unethical?
2. Suppose you were in Laura’s position. What should you do?
3. Refer to the IMA code in Chapter 1. If Laura complies with Peter’s request to modify the capital budgeting analysis, are any of the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Management Accountants violated? Which ones, if any?
4. Suppose that Laura tells Peter she will consider his request. She then meets with Jay Dixon, Peter’s superior, and describes Peter’s request. Upon hearing of the incident, Jay chuckles and says that he pulled a couple of stunts like that when he was a divisional manager. He tells Laura not to worry about it—to go ahead and support Peter—and assures her that he will keep her visit confidential. Given this development, what should Laura do?