TrueValue Company Makes All Types of Office Desks

question 128

Essay

TrueValue Company makes all types of office desks. The General Desk Division is currently producing 10,000 desks per year with a capacity of 15,000. The variable costs assigned to each desk are $300 and annual fixed costs of the division are $900,000. The General desk sells for $400.
The Executive Division wants to buy 5,000 desks at $250 for its custom office design business. The General Desk manager refused the order because the price is below variable cost. The executive manager argues that the order should be accepted because it will lower the fixed cost per desk from $90 to $60 and will take the division to its capacity, thereby causing operations to be at their most efficient level.
Required:
a.Should the order from the Executive Division be accepted by the General Desk Division? Why?
b.From the perspective of the General Desk Division and the company, should the order be accepted if the Executive Division plans on selling the desks in the outside market for $420 after incurring additional costs of $100 per desk?
c.What action should the company president take?

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Definitions:

Government Payments

Financial transfers made by the government to individuals, businesses, or other governments, often as part of welfare, subsidy programs, or for procurement of services and goods.

Market Units

Denotes the standardized quantities or measures used to specify transactions in a particular market.

Consumer Surplus

The difference between the total amount that consumers are willing to pay for a good or service and the total amount that they actually pay.

Government Policy

Principles and actions by which a government aims to influence or control the economy, social and financial matters.