Question

The Southern Division manager of Texcaliber Inc. is growing concerned that the division will not be able to meet its current period income objectives. The division uses absorption costing for internal profit reporting and had an appropriate level of inventory at the beginning of the period. The division manager knows that he can boost profits by increasing production at the end of the period. The increased production will allocate fixed costs over a greater number of units, reducing cost of goods sold and increasing earnings. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that additional production will be sold, resulting in a large ending inventory balance. The division manager has come to Aston Melon, the divisional controller, to determine exactly how much additional production is needed to increase net income enough to meet the division's profit objectives. Aston analyzes the data and determines that the division will need to increase inventory by 30% in order to absorb enough fixed costs to meet the division's income objective. Aston reports this information to the division manager.

Is Aston acting ethically?

Answer 1

Aston has given the information required to meet division profit objective. Increasing the profit objective is common goal of every manager. Here manager wanted to meet profit objective by minimising fixed cost which is not wrong motive. Whether the excess production can be sold in the market. If there is a chance to sell, more production can be made.

Absorption costing means that all of manufacturing costs are absorbed by units produced. It calculates every cost on no. of units produced but it does not mean to increase production only in order to match income objective or to reach this goal instead of fact that inventory remains at end, and sale of that increased production does not take place and income objective met because of the lower cost per unit.