Robert Leung Is the Leader of a Product Development Project

question 6

Essay

Robert Leung is the leader of a product development project at Kapster Enterprises.He has spent nearly two years on the project, which is now nine months behind schedule and approximately 50 percent over budget.In the meantime, a competitor has introduced a similar product which is rapidly penetrating the market, thereby reducing the remaining market potential for Kapster.Yet, Robert feels that their product will be superior to the competitor's, and he is preparing a report for his boss to request additional funds in order to complete the development phase and debug the product prototype.He is hoping that his boss will approve the request, since he has supported the project this far.If you were Robert's boss, what problems associated with bounded rationality might you be concerned about?

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Definitions:

MM Model

The Modigliani-Miller theorem, proposing that in a perfect market, the value of a firm is unaffected by how it is financed, whether through debt or equity.

Financial Leverage

The use of borrowed funds with a fixed cost to enhance the potential return on investment.

Bankruptcy Risk

The risk that a company will be unable to meet its financial obligations and thus may have to declare bankruptcy.

Operating Leverage

A measure of how sensitive a company's operating income is to a change in revenue, indicating the level of fixed versus variable costs.