Barry Clarion, New-Accounts Manager at East Bank of New Hampshire

question 12

Essay

Barry Clarion, new-accounts manager at East Bank of New Hampshire, has been asked to project how many new accounts he will open during 20x2. The local economy has been growing, and the bank has experienced a 10% increase in the number of new accounts over each of the past five years. In 20x1, the bank had 10,000 accounts.
Clarion is paid a salary, plus a bonus of $20 for every new account above the budgeted amount. Thus, if the annual budget calls for 1,000 new accounts, and 1,080 new accounts are obtained, his bonus will be $1,600 (80 *$20).
Clarion believes that the local economy will continue to grow at the same rate in 20x2 as it has in recent years. He decided to submit a projection of 700 new accounts for 20x2.
Required:
Your consulting firm has been hired by the bank president to make recommendations for improving the bank's operation. Write a memorandum to the president defining and explaining the negative consequences of budgetary slack. Also discuss the bank's bonus system for the new-accounts manager and how the bonus program tends to encourage budgetary slack.

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Definitions:

Control Groups

In experiments, the groups that do not receive the experimental treatment and are used as a baseline to compare the effects of the treatment.

Treatment Groups

In experimental research, groups of participants receiving the intervention or treatment being tested, as opposed to control groups which receive no treatment or a placebo.

Experimental Research

A research method that investigates causal relationships by manipulating one variable to see its effect on another, under controlled conditions.

Independent Variable

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment to test its effects on the dependent variable.