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Discussion 1

"Plant Assets" Please respond to the following:

· Imagine that you are the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of a startup airline company. The executive management team has tasked you with making a recommendation about whether the company should buy or lease airplanes. Analyze the major pros and cons for leasing and buying assets. Based on your analysis, provide a recommendation to the executive team.

· Compare and contrast the three (3) methods for depreciating plant assets. Recommend the method that maximizes profits for both a shorter period of time and a longer period of time.

Discussion 2

"Liabilities" Please respond to the following:

· Hypothesize a scenario in which one could intentionally misstate liabilities for his or her personal financial gain. Recommend two (2) actions that companies can take to prevent or detect intentional misstatements of liabilities for personal financial gain. Justify your response.

· From the e-Activity, imagine that you are advising an investor who is considering purchasing bonds from the selected company. Analyze the types of bonds the chosen company issues and make a recommendation to the investor as to which type of bond would provide the most value. Justify your response.

Discussion 3

"Budgeting" Please respond to the following:

· Analyze the major pros and cons of preparing company budgets. Determine at least two (2) critical budget items that you believe are essential in managing a company. Provide a rationale for your response.

· Analyze the most common responsibility reporting systems. From your analysis, argue at least one (1) pro and one (1) con of using responsibility reporting systems.

PART 2

Assignment 1: Financial Analysis

Use the Internet or Strayer databases to research one (1) publicly traded company and review its last annual report. Use an investor’s view to perform financial analysis and discuss various non-financial factors impacting investment decision.

Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which you:

1. From an investor’s view, review the last annual report for chosen company. Use financial analysis tools of liquidity, profitability, and solvency to evaluate the company’s performance and reasons for investing or not investing. Include the company’s ranking in the industry, and its major competitors.

2. From an investor’s views, discuss at least three (3) non-financial factors that suggest investing in this company. These may include environmental responsibility (sustainability), corporate governance, etc. Explain the main reasons why these are important to an investor.

3. Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

· Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

· Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

· Analyze and interpret financial statements.

· Evaluate management control systems and examine their relationship with accounting and planning, including feedback and non-ﬁnancial performance measurements.

· Use technology and information resources to research issues in financial accounting for managers.

· Write clearly and concisely about financial accounting using proper writing mechanics.

PART 2B

Assignment 2: Budget Planning and Control

Use the Internet and / or Strayer databases to research budget planning and control. Imagine that the company that you currently work for, have previously worked for, or would like to work for in the future has tasked you with preparing a budget plan.

Write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you:

1. Describe the company that you currently work for, have previously worked for, or would like to work for in the future. Determine at least two (2) compelling reasons that this company should prepare and manage a budget. Predict the two (2) most likely positive and negative financial outcomes for this company if it properly or improperly performs effective budgeting.

2. Outline a high-level budget plan for the company. In your high-level budget plan, recommend the most appropriate budgeting phases for the company.

3. Propose two (2) methods and techniques that the company should use to manage its budget over time in preparation for the fact that budgets are ever changing. Justify your response.

4. Imagine that the company is facing a financial challenge that is causing the actual amounts of money that it spends to become significantly off target from its budgeted amounts. Prepare an action plan to resolve the budget misalignment. In your action plan, recommend at least one (1) budgeting technique to resolve the budget and actual discrepancies. Provide a rationale for your response.

5. Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

· Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

· Evaluate management control systems and examine their relationship with accounting and planning, including feedback and non-ﬁnancial performance measurements.

· Evaluate decision making tools for capital investments, budgeting, and budgeting controls.

· Analyze financial accounting tools and techniques that convert financial accounting data into information for decision making.

· Use technology and information resources to research issues in financial accounting for managers.

· Write clearly and concisely about financial accounting using proper writing mechanics.

GRADE RUBRIC

Points: 160	Assignment 2: Budget Planning and Control
Criteria	Unacceptable Below 70% F	Fair 70-79% C	Proficient 80-89% B	Exemplary 90-100% A
1. Describe the company that you currently work for, have previously worked for, or would like to work for in the future. Determine at least two (2) compelling reasons that this company should prepare and manage a budget. Predict the two (2) most likely positive and negative financial outcomes for this company if it properly or improperly performs effective budgeting. Weight: 20%	Did not submit or incompletely described the company that you currently work for, have previously worked for, or would like to work for in the future. Did not submit or incompletely determined at least two (2) compelling reasons that this company should prepare and manage a budget. Did not submit or incompletely predicted the two (2) most likely positive and negative financial outcomes for this company if it properly or improperly performs effective budgeting.	Partially described the company that you currently work for, have previously worked for, or would like to work for in the future. Partially determined at least two (2) compelling reasons that this company should prepare and manage a budget. Partially predicted the two (2) most likely positive and negative financial outcomes for this company if it properly or improperly performs effective budgeting.	Satisfactorily described the company that you currently work for, have previously worked for, or would like to work for in the future. Satisfactorily determined at least two (2) compelling reasons that this company should prepare and manage a budget. Satisfactorily predicted the two (2) most likely positive and negative financial outcomes for this company if it properly or improperly performs effective budgeting.	Thoroughly described the company that you currently work for, have previously worked for, or would like to work for in the future. Thoroughly determined at least two (2) compelling reasons that this company should prepare and manage a budget. Thoroughly predicted the two (2) most likely positive and negative financial outcomes for this company if it properly or improperly performs effective budgeting.
2. Outline a high-level budget plan for the company. In your high- level budget plan, recommend the most appropriate budgeting phases for the company. Weight: 20%	Did not submit or incompletely outlined a high-level budget plan for the company. Did not submit or incompletely recommended the most appropriate budgeting phases for the company in your high-level budget plan.	Partially outlined a high-level budget plan for the company. Partially recommended the most appropriate budgeting phases for the company in your high-level budget plan.	Satisfactorily outlined a high-level budget plan for the company. Satisfactorily recommended the most appropriate budgeting phases for the company in your high-level budget plan.	Thoroughly outlined a high-level budget plan for the company. Thoroughly recommended the most appropriate budgeting phases for the company in your high-level budget plan.
3. Propose two (2) methods and techniques that the company should use to manage its budget over time in preparation for the fact that budgets are ever changing. Justify your response. Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely proposed two (2) methods and techniques that the company should use to manage its budget over time in preparation for the fact that budgets are ever changing. Did not submit or incompletely justified your response.	Partially proposed two (2) methods and techniques that the company should use to manage its budget over time in preparation for the fact that budgets are ever changing. Partially justified your response.	Satisfactorily proposed two (2) methods and techniques that the company should use to manage its budget over time in preparation for the fact that budgets are ever changing. Satisfactorily justified your response.	Thoroughly proposed two (2) methods and techniques that the company should use to manage its budget over time in preparation for the fact that budgets are ever changing. Thoroughly justified your response.
4. Imagine that the company is facing a financial challenge that is causing the actual amounts of money that it spends to become significantly off target from its budgeted amounts. Prepare an action plan to resolve the budget misalignment. In your action plan, recommend at least one (1) budgeting technique to resolve the budget and actual discrepancies. Provide a rationale for your response. Weight: 20%	Did not submit or incompletely prepared an action plan to resolve the budget misalignment. Did not submit or incompletely recommended at least one (1) budgeting technique to resolve the budget and actual discrepancies in your action plan. Did not submit or incompletely provided a rationale for your response.	Partially prepared an action plan to resolve the budget misalignment. Partially recommended at least one (1) budgeting technique to resolve the budget and actual discrepancies in your action plan. Partially provided a rationale for your response.	Satisfactorily prepared an action plan to resolve the budget misalignment. Satisfactorily recommended at least one (1) budgeting technique to resolve the budget and actual discrepancies in your action plan. Satisfactorily provided a rationale for your response.	Thoroughly prepared an action plan to resolve the budget misalignment. Thoroughly recommended at least one (1) budgeting technique to resolve the budget and actual discrepancies in your action plan. Thoroughly provided a rationale for your response.
5. 3 references Weight: 5%	No references provided	Does not meet the required number of references; some or all references poor quality choices.	Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices.	Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices.
6. Writing Mechanics, Grammar, and Formatting Weight: 5%	Serious and persistent errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.	Numerous errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.	Partially free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.	Mostly free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.
7. Appropriate use of APA in-text citations and reference section Weight: 5%	Lack of in-text citations and / or lack of reference section.	In-text citations and references are given, but not in APA format.	In-text citations and references are provided, but they are only partially formatted correctly in APA style.	Most in-text citations and references are provided, and they are generally formatted correctly in APA style.
8. Information Literacy / Integration of Sources Weight: 5%	Serious errors in the integration of sources, such as intentional or accidental plagiarism, or failure to use in-text citations.	Sources are rarely integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.	Sources are partially integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.	Sources are mostly integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.
9. Clarity and Coherence of Writing Weight: 5%	Information is confusing to the reader and fails to include reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.	Information is somewhat confusing with not enough reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.	Information is partially clear with minimal reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.	Information is mostly clear and generally supported with reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.