Powerhorse, Inc

question 105

Essay

Powerhorse, Inc., manufactures steel hitches for horse trailers. The company's direct labor rates have been set by the terms of the current labor contract. Direct labor rate standards have been assigned for each job classification. In July 20xx, a young apprentice was being trained during regular working hours to become a machine operator on one of the turret lathes. A timekeeper determined that the apprentice had spent a total of 48 hours as a novice machine operator in July. Standard time for the same work output is 34 hours. The apprentice earned $6.80 per hour in July. The standard direct labor rate for machine operators working on turret lathes is $9.50 per hour.
a. From the data provided, determine the direct labor efficiency variance and the direct labor rate variance that resulted from the temporary substitution of the apprentice for the regular machine operator. (Note that, according to the labor contract, the apprentice is not entitled to the same rate as a regular machine operator during the training period.)
b. Did the company benefit financially from the situation? Why or why not? (Show calculations.)

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Definitions:

Amygdala

A region of the brain within the temporal lobe that plays a key role in processing emotions, including fear and pleasure.

Delayed Conditioning

A classical conditioning process where there is a time gap between the presentation of the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus, which can affect the strength of conditioning.

Trace Conditioning

A form of classical conditioning where the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus are presented separately with a time interval, complicating the association between them.

Backward Conditioning

A conditioning procedure where the unconditioned stimulus (US) is presented before the conditioned stimulus (CS), which is less effective than forward conditioning.