Answer the Following Questions Using the Information Below:
Following a Strategy

question 56

Multiple Choice

Answer the following questions using the information below:
Following a strategy of product differentiation, Arseniq Company makes a high-end Appliance, XT15. Arseniq presents the following data for the years 2014 and 2015:
$\begin{array}{lrr}&2014&2015\\\text { Units of XT15 produced and sold } & 50,000 & 52,500 \\\text { Selling price } & \$ 500 & \$ 550 \\\text { Direct materials (square feet) } & 150,000 & 153,750 \\\text { Direct materials costs per square foot } & \$ 50 & \$ 55 \\\text { Manufacturing capacity in units of XT15 } & 62,500 & 62,500\\\text { Total conversion costs } & \$ 6,250,000 & \$ 6,875,000 \\\text { Conversion costs per unit of capacity } & \$ 100 & \$ 110 \\\text { Selling and customer-service capacity (customers) } & 150 & 150 \\\text { Total selling and customer-service costs } & \$ 2,250,000 & \$ 2,343,750 \\\text { Selling and customer-service capacity cost per customer } & \$ 15,000 & \$ 15,625\end{array}$ Arseniq produces no defective units but it wants to reduce direct materials usage per unit of XT15. Manufacturing conversion costs in each year depend on production capacity defined in terms of XT15 units that can be produced. Selling and customer-service costs depend on the number of customers that the customer and service functions are designed to support. Arseniq had 140 customers in 2014 and 145 customers in 2015.
-What is the change in operating income from 2014 to 2015?

• A) $2,200,000 U
• B) $3,875,000 F
• C) $2,200,000 F
• D) $3,875,000 U

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Definitions:

Brain-Wave Response

Electrical patterns in the brain that reflect different states of consciousness or activity, which can be measured with an EEG (electroencephalogram).

Generalization

The process in psychology by which a response is made to a stimulus similar to the one that originally elicited the response.

Observational Learning

A learning process whereby individuals acquire new behaviors or knowledge by observing and imitating others.

Higher-Order Conditioning

A procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus. For example, an animal that has learned that a tone predicts food might then learn that a light predicts the tone and begin responding to the light alone. (Also called second-order conditioning.)