Assignment 1: Discussion Questions—Culture and International Trade

Culture and politics are important parts of the external environmental and vary more across than within countries. These features should be carefully assessed before entering into a foreign market or location with a business venture.

Research the impact of culture and politics on business using your textbook, University online library resources, and the Internet. Respond to the following:

• Why is understanding culture critical for successful international business? Give examples of how understanding culture has been important for an international business.
• Classify and describe at least four different types of political systems that an international business might encounter. What type of political system might have the greatest potential for imposing adverse political risk on an international business? Compare at least one other system to the one you selected and explain why it has less potential for imposing political risk.

Write your response in 400 words or less. Apply current APA standards for writing style to your work. All written assignments and responses should follow APA rules for attributing sources.

By Tuesday, February 5 , 2013, submit your assignment 

Assignment 2: Case Analysis—Nike and International Labor Practices

There are certain important differences between developed and developing countries, some of which may lead to difficult ethical problems. The case study in this assignment describes Nike’s production strategy that lead to a labor controversy.

Read the following case study:

• Spar, D., & Burns, J. (2000, January 19; revised 2002, September 6). Hitting the wall: Nike and international labor practices. Harvard Business School. HBS Number: 9 700 047

Analyze the case. In your case analysis, address the following:

1. Summarize the basic issues presented in the case.
2. Describe Nike’s business strategy and how it involved controversial manufacturing relations. Discuss the opinions about this strategy.
3. Describe and discuss the conditions in the manufacturing operations for Nike products. Comment on whether the wages in these manufacturing plants were too low. Cite data in support.
4. What other U.S. companies are mentioned in the case? Describe them and their relationship to the labor issues. Does this issue seem to concern only Nike?
5. In your opinion, did Nike take the right steps? Should they and other U.S. shoe manufacturers continue to contract for making shoes in Asia? Should the U.S. government be involved in regulating such operations?

Submit your work in a 4 page Word document. Apply current APA standards for writing style to your work. All written assignments and responses should follow APA rules for attributing sources.

By Saturday, February 9, 2013, deliver your assignment

Analyze the role health policy lobbyists for special interest groups play in promoting health policy agendas. What regulations do you believe should be implemented that do not currently exist in terms of controlling activities by these individuals? What impact do constitutional rights have on your response? Provide two specific examples.

Now address the following:

Keystone Computers & Networks, Inc. (KCN), (click here for a review) has 933 accounts receivable, with a total book value of $10,235,457. From that population, Adams, Barnes & Co. (ABC), CPAs, selected a sample of 260 accounts (142 unique accounts) for confirmation for the year ended December 31, 20X5, as illustrated by the working paper, available here. First and second confirmation requests resulted in replies for all but 10 of those accounts. ABC performed alternative procedures on those 10 accounts and noted no exceptions. Of the replies, 5 had exceptions as described below (with ABC follow up):

• “The balance of $120,000 is incorrect because we paid that amount in full on December 31. 20X5.”
• Follow up: An analysis of the cash receipts journal revealed that the check had been received in the mail on January 9, 20X6.
• “Of the balance of $30,000, $330 is incorrect because on December 19 we returned a printer to Keystone when we found that we didn’t need it. We ordered it in the middle of November when we had anticipated a need for it. When we received the printer, we realized it was unnecessary and returned it unopened.”
• Follow up: An analysis of the transaction revealed that it was received by Keystone on December 31, 20X5, and that the adjustment to the account had been processed on January 2, 20X6.
• “The balance of $214,000 is correct, and we paid it on January 5, 19X6.”
• Follow up: An analysis of the cash receipts journal revealed that the check had been received on January 10, 20X6.
• “Of the balance of $130,000, $10,000 is incorrect because it represents goods that we didn’t receive until January 5, 20X6.”
•  Follow up: Inspection of shipping records reveals that the item was shipped on January 3, 20X6.
• “Of the account’s $18,000 balance, we paid $17,460 and the $540 (3 percent of the total) remains unpaid because the Keystone salesperson told us that she would be able to obtain a ‘special’ discount beyond the normal.”
• Follow up: While inspection of the sales agreement indicated no such discount arrangement, discussions with Loren Steele (controller) and Sam Best (president) indicated that the salesperson had inappropriately granted such a discount to the client. On January 15, 20X6, they processed the discount and credited the account for $540.

 Directions:

Answer the following questions for the above case.

• For each of the five exceptions, determine the account’s proper “audited value.”
• Use the probability proportional to size method with your analysis from part (A) to evaluate your sample’s results. The risk of incorrect acceptance is 5 percent.
• Prepare working papers that identify the five exceptions, in a table; determine the account’s audited value; and determine if the variances are acceptable.

Be sure your essay is well written and in CSU Global APA format.  with references listed.