Module 3: Transfer Pricing and Responsibilities Centres
Two Part Assignment: Please ensure a minimum of 4 references are used for both requirements.
1)
Module 3 – SLP
TRANSFER PRICING AND RESPONSIBILITY CENTERS
Third part of the presentation. See background information for the Module 1 SLP.
Required:
Include the following items in your presentation.
- The organization is currently centralized, but is reviewing options to put a decentralized structure in place.
- You are asked to comment on responsibility centers and their functions.
- Cost centers can be a drain on an organization. Could internal charge backs be implemented? Present specific ideas.
- Comment on the role of business analytics in a growing decentralized organization.
SLP ASSIGNMENT EXPECTATIONS
Submit a PowerPoint presentation or a Word Document. A PowerPoint presentation should have no more than six slides and a Word document cannot exceed two pages. Use words, tables, and graphs to make a succinct presentation. Document all sources and provide links at the end. It is acceptable to add another slide or page to list the sources.
Combine the submissions from prior module(s) into one file before uploading to the SLP 3 Dropbox.
Module 3 – Background
TRANSFER PRICING AND RESPONSIBILITY CENTERS
Modular Learning Objectives
Keep the following objectives in mind as you work through the material in this module:
- Define the role of responsibility accounting.
- Differentiate between controllable and uncontrollable costs.
- Analyze structure of a decentralized organization.
- Define profit centers, cost centers, and investment centers.
- Compute transfer prices.
- Identify three main transfer pricing approaches.
Required Reading
This module covers the role of responsibility accounting and responsibility centers. Explore these topics further while keeping the above six objectives in mind. Click on the three arrows to explore each topic in more detail:
Check Your Understanding
Check your understanding to make sure that you have a good grasp of the background material. If you are not comfortable with the concepts, review some of the material again or go to the optional resource for more examples.
 | Click on the quiz icon for an ungraded, 20-question true-or-false self-study quiz to check your progress. If you are not satisfied with the score, review some of the material again. For more in-depth information, review materials listed under optional reading at the bottom of this page. |
| Final Thoughts A responsibility center is a part or subunit of a company for which a manager has authority and responsibility. The company’s detailed organization chart is a logical source for determining responsibility centers. The most common responsibility centers are the departments within a company. The existence of responsibility centers necessitates the setting of an internal price for the transfer of parts, goods, and services among units and responsibility centers. Transfer prices are contentious because management intervenes by creating policies which have an effect on the income of a responsibility center or unit. Transfers among international jurisdictions involve additional considerations. Not only accounting rules, but income taxation and duties affect pricing strategies. Most countries have regulations to help prevent the use of this pricing method as a means of evading taxes or similar unethical and illegal activities. |
Optional Reading
For further detail refer to Dr. Walther’s accounting text and videos.
 | Walther, L. (2017). Chapter 23: Reporting to Support Managerial Decisions.
|
2)
Module 4 – SLP
BUDGETING, VARIANCE ANALYSIS, AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS
Fourth and final part of the presentation. See background information for the module one SLP.
Required:
Make comments and suggestions on the following topics in your presentation.
- Enterprise and corporate performance management.
- Behavioral change management.
- The balanced score card.
- How to foster goal congruence for the organization and employees.
SLP Assignment Expectations
Submit a PowerPoint presentation or a Word Document. A PowerPoint presentation should have no more than six slides and a Word document cannot exceed two pages. Use words, tables, and graphs to make a succinct presentation. Document all sources and provide links at the end. It is acceptable to add another slide or page to list the sources.
Combine the submissions from prior module(s) into one file before uploading to the dropbox.
Module 4 – Background
BUDGETING, VARIANCE ANALYSIS, AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS
Modular Learning Objectives
Keep the following objectives in mind as you work through the material in this module:
- Define the role of budgeting in an organization.
- Identify the use of budgets.
- Recognize different types of budgets.
- Prepare and analyze budgets.
- Differentiate between a static budget and a flexible budget.
- Apply variance analysis.
Required Reading
This module covers budgeting and variance analysis. Explore these topics further while keeping the above six objectives in mind. Click on the three arrows to explore each topic in more detail.
Check Your Understanding
Check your understanding to make sure that you have a good grasp of the background material. If you are not comfortable with the concepts, review some of the material again or go to the optional resource for more examples.
| Click on the quiz icon for an ungraded, 20-question true-or-false self-study quiz to check your progress. If you are not satisfied with the score, review some of the material again. For more in-depth information, review materials listed under optional reading at the bottom of this page. |
| Final Thoughts Key aspects of budgeting are planning and control. Budgets also serve as tools of communication. Planning is crucial to an organization. It provides a framework for making decisions by establishing goals, objectives, and strategies. It is oriented toward the future and involves an awareness of how today’s decisions will affect tomorrow’s opportunities. Planning is essential for achieving both short- and long-run organizational goals, and successful managers are continuously planning. Budgets are objective and are measurable. Results-oriented objectives are the foundation for controlling operations. Controls also involve the monitoring of the implementation of plans through performance reviews. They are used to compare actual results with objectives. A flexible budget can be adjusted for changes in assumptions or variations in the level of operations. A budget can be adjusted for changes in assumptions or variations in the level of operations. Variance analysis based on flexible budgets are therefore more meaningful than those based on a static budget. |
Optional Reading
For further detail refer to Dr. Walther’s accounting text and videos.
| Walther, L. (2017). Chapter 21: Budgeting—Planning for Success. |
Answer preview
A transfer price can be considered as an internal charge to one segment of a firm for a supply of a product or service by another. This charge is used in an organization that has a decentralized structure. With a decentralized structure, there is a need for responsibility accounting where individuals are made responsible for control of costs with sufficient authority to enhance performance (Zimmerman, & Yahya-Zadeh, 2011). With responsibility accounting, a sound and fair systems of performance evaluation are thus established (Skærbæk, & Tryggestad, 2010). Some of the costs like depreciation…
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