The Manager of a Profit Center of a Large Electronics

question 145

Essay

The manager of a profit center of a large electronics manufacturing corporation made some projections regarding sales and profits for the upcoming fourth quarter of the year. The managers' performance evaluation and compensation depended significantly on his ability to meet budget goals. The manager discovered that the fourth quarter would have to be a particularly good quarter in order to meet these goals. He decided to implement a sales program offering liberal payment terms in order to pull some sales that would normally occur next year into the current year. Customers accepting delivery in the fourth quarter would not have to pay the invoice for 140 days. Also, he sold some equipment that was not being used and realized a significant profit on the sale.
Are these actions ethical? Why or why not?

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Definitions:

Joint Ventures

A partnership where multiple parties combine their assets to achieve a particular goal.

Entity

A legal or business entity that is capable of incurring liabilities and undertaking activities, often used to describe businesses, organizations, or corporations.

Shared Control

A situation where control over an economic activity is shared among two or more parties, typically in a joint venture or partnership.

Joint Control

A contractual arrangement shared by two or more parties, under which no single party has unilateral control over the strategic financial and operating decisions of the venture.