Assume Two Divisions, P (Producing) and B (Buying) of a Company

question 59

Essay

Assume two divisions, P (producing) and B (buying) of a company are both treated as investment centers for performance evaluation purposes. Division B requires 1,000 units of product that it can either purchase externally on the open market for $13.50 per unit, or obtain internally from Division P. The incremental (i.e., out-of-pocket) costs to Division P are estimated at $12.00 per unit. Because of spot shortages of this product in the open market, it is sometimes possible for Division P to sell at a price higher than the normal market price. Such is currently the case: Division P has an offer to sell 1,000 units at a gross selling price of $15.50 per unit. In addition to the normal incremental production costs, Division P would have to pay a $0.50 sales commission cost for each unit sold externally.
Required:
1. If Division B purchased the units externally, would the firm as a whole benefit or lose (in terms of a short-term financial impact)? Show calculations.
2. Apply the general transfer pricing model to this situation. What is the minimum transfer price indicated for each of the 1,000 units in question? Show calculations.
3. What is the likely consequence, from a decision standpoint, if the transfer price is set at the amount stipulated by the general transfer pricing rule?

---

Definitions:

Common Objects

Everyday items or entities that are familiar to most people within a particular culture or society.

Temporal Lobe

A region of the brain located at the side of the head, involved in processing auditory information and is critical in the understanding of language and the storage of memories.

Ventral Stream

The pathway in the brain's visual cortex involved in object recognition and form representation, often summarized as the "what" pathway.

Visual Information

Refers to data and insights gathered or interpreted through sight, encompassing everything from text and imagery to graphs and maps.