Tae Franklin Is the Sales Manager of Darius Enterprises, a Very

question 36

Essay

Tae Franklin is the sales manager of Darius Enterprises, a very profitable distributor of office furniture to local businesses. A recent economic downturn has created an extremely tight cash position, and the company has been hurt by the bankruptcy of two key customers.
In late October, anticipating an economic recovery, Franklin began an extensive remodeling of the company's sales floor. Construction costs, decorating, and equipment purchases are projected to cost $250,000.
Darius has a policy that individual expenditures in excess of $200,000 must be approved by the firm's board of directors. Franklin, unfortunately, missed the deadline to have the board consider this project at its regular September meeting. Not wanting to wait until the next meeting in December, he subdivided the project in two parts-construction and decorating ($190,000) and equipment purchases ($60,000)-neither of which needed board approval because of the dollar amounts involved.
The project was recently completed and sales have begun to recover. Customers have raved about the new sales area, noting that it is far superior to those of Darius's competitors.
Required:
A. Would Franklin's approach of subdividing the project in two parts have any effect on the company's financial statements? Briefly explain.
B. Briefly discuss whether Franklin behaved in an ethical manner.
C. Which, if any, of the following standards of conduct would have applicability to Franklin's conduct: competence, confidentiality, integrity, or credibility? Briefly explain.

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Definitions:

Military Officers

Members of the armed forces who hold positions of authority, responsible for leading and managing military personnel and operations.

Whig Leadership

The guidance and direction provided by leaders of the Whig Party, an historical political party in the United States active in the mid-19th century.

American System

An economic plan proposed by Henry Clay in the early 19th century, advocating for a strong banking system, protective tariffs, and federally funded transportation projects.

Market Economy

An economic system in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a free price system, largely governed by the forces of supply and demand.