Emma is preparing a budget which involves many calculations. Emma wishes to try out different data in different ways to answer 'what if' questions about an uncertain future.

Which type of computer software will be most suited for this purpose?

In the communication process, which of the following is an example of 'psychological noise'?

Governments in many countries are encouraging improved standards of corporate governance, focusing mainly on public companies whose securities are listed on recognised capital markets.

Why are best practices in corporate governance of special importance to these companies?

Terri is carrying out a performance appraisal interview with Kazim, her assistant. Terri started off the interview by giving Kazim her view of how he has performed during the year. Kazim has then described his views on the job and the responsibilities it entails and has given opinions on how he would like to progress in the future. Terri has acknowledged Kazim's views and has prompted further input by asking open questions and noting the responses given.

The approach to performance appraisal adopted by Terri is which of the following?

Which of the following is an organisational feature of a co-operative business?

If a member of the accounts team sends a report directly to the head of human resources, what type of communication is this?

A bank customer has been defrauded of their money in an account. A cyber-criminal sent an email to the customer pretending to be their bank and suggesting that in order to make further transactions they needed to update their personal and banking records. They asked the customer to supply their details again, so that the bank database could be updated.

What type of cyber-attack is this an example of?

In the country of Arcadia all adults are classifed as employable. Children are ineligible for employment. The death rate for children is very low and may be ignored for demographic purposes. Birth rates and death rates are quoted as per thousand of the population as a whole.

Which of the following will yield the largest increase in the number of employable people in the long term?

Which of the following is a characteristic of the informal organisation?

James received a memorandum asking him to complete a task by 15 April. Unfortunately he missed this deadline, because he did not receive the memorandum until 17 April. This was despite the fact that the memorandum was sent on 12 April.

What type of communication problem is this?

George's preferred learning style is to form opinions based on what should work in practical situations.  He dislikes management concepts, finding it difficult to relate them to real life experiences and his personal situation.

Which of Honey and Mumford's learning styles does George demonstrate?  

A professional accountant has encountered a situation at work which he feels places him in an ethical dilemma, but he is not sure who he could seek advice from about the dilemma.

Which of the following could the accountant consult?

(1) The board of directors or the audit committee in his own organisation

(2) His professional body

(3) A legal adviser

Do each of the following businesses typify Handy's power culture?

 Yes No

1. 1. One in which a founding family member exerts significant influence at strategic management level

2. 2. One that relies on specialist expertise at different levels of management

Which of the following is an advantage of on-the-job training?

Which of the following measures might a government introduce to increase consumer demand in the economy?

The hierarchy developed by Robert Anthony suggests that business control is exercised primarily by managers at which level of the organisation?

Which TWO of the following statements about Porter's five forces model are true?

1. 1. Threat of new entrant is lower when existing suppliers derive purchasing economies of scale

2. 2. The bargaining power of customers may be reduced if products can be differentiated effectively

3. 3. A high level of competitive rivalry in an industry is always dependent on the number of producers in the market

4. 4. Competitive rivalry in an industry will intensify when there are significant threats from substitutes

Which of the following is a non-discretionary control?

20  It is important to promote proper and complete dialogue between the company registration body and a company. It is also important to ensure that essential administrative requirements laid down by the company registration body come to the attention of the board.

Which TWO of the following positions should be segregated to ensure this?

(a) Chief executive officer

(b) Director

(c) Chairman

(d) Company secretary

A management consultant has recently visited XYZ Co and has made a number of observations about the company.

 Of the observations listed below, which TWO are liable to lead to conflict arising at XYZ Co?

1. 1. Resources are scarce, especially capital funding for new projects

2. 2. Goals are aligned between individuals and teams

3. 3. Work methods and working styles vary significantly between departments

4. 4. Staff do not appear to be excessively busy

Which TWO of the following are connected stakeholders to an organisation?

(a) Employees

(b) Suppliers

(c) Managers

(d) Customers

Which of the following is an example of standing data recorded in a payroll system?

Which of the following tests measures an individual's current ability to perform a specific task or operation?

Objectives set by individuals as part of their personal development plans should conform to the 'SMART' or 'SMARTER' criteria.

 What do the first two letters of 'SMART' or 'SMARTER' represent?

(1) Standardised

(2) Specific

(3) Motivational

(4) Measureable

A threat to _________ may arise if a professional accountant in public practice performs services for clients whose interests are in conflict.

Which word correctly completes this sentence?

BTH Co has just had to recruit some additional staff to clear a backlog of orders in its warehouse and the operations director is concerned about the impact this will have on BTH Co's staff costs compared to the budgeted figure.

Which TWO of the following reports would it be most useful for the operations director to look at?  

1. 1. BTH Co's wages and salaries cost schedules

2. 2. Data on the average hourly staff pay rates

3. 3. Variance reports for wages and salaries

4. 4. Information on the average number of weekly hours worked per member of staff

Blockchain eliminates the need for data and information to be stored and managed centrally'

Is the above statement true or false?

Which of the following describes a proactive strategy for corporate social responsibility?

Which TWO of the following would be classified as standing data in the payroll system?  

1. 1. Name and address

2. 2. Gross pay to date

3. 3. Rate of pay

Which type of goods has a cross-elasticity of demand of -1?

Hiroto recognises that as a chief executive officer a large part of his time is spent as the company figurehead at dinners, conferences, etc.

Which of Mintzberg's managerial roles is being described by Hiroto?

In response to rumours about possible redundancies, the managing director at F Co called a meeting at which he explained to the staff that a significant decline in sales meant that the company had to make job cuts in order to reduce its operating costs.

He explained that the exact numbers of job losses had not been finalised at this stage, nor when they would take effect, but he said that he felt the number would be quite significant, and they would affect all the departments across the company.

Which of the following aspects of ethical behaviour describe the managing director's statement at the meeting?

(1) Openness

(2) Accountability

(3) Respect

In relation to fraud prevention, which of the following statements is correct in respect of the role of the external auditor?

An organisation is aiming to keep a stakeholder satisfied.

According to Mendelow's grid, what level of interest and power does this stakeholder have ?

Low level High level

1. 1. Interest

2. 2. Power

Which of the following is a characteristic of an informal group?

David is an accountant. He has not yet read details received yesterday of recent changes to tax legislation, and is about to visit a client to give some tax advice.

Which fundamental principle appears to be compromised in this situation?

Which of the following statements concerning external audit is CORRECT?

As a direct result of an employee's ineffectiveness in reporting, potential problems were not identified and consequently no counter measures could be taken in time to prevent the problem arising.

Which of the following most accurately reflects the nature of the employee's ineffectiveness?  

Which of the following principles is usually recommended for inclusion in legislation on data protection?

Analysis of costs and revenues of different products would assist the marketing department in respect of which activity?

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which level of need is immediately below self-actualisation?

The management team at ABC Co is preparing a Corporate Code of Ethics.

The following statements are commitments of ABC Co's directors and employees. Which TWO of these are legitimate entries for inclusion into the code?

1. 1. Avoid engaging in any activity where their personal interests interfere, or appear to interfere with those of the company

2. 2. Obey the law, and conduct themselves with honesty and integrity

3. 3. Ensure we maintain the same standards as other companies operating in our business sector

4. 4. Ensure that any dealings with customers and suppliers maximise ABC's profits at all times

Which TWO of the following are DISADVANTAGES of a tall organisation?

 1. Managers only have limited time to supervise each employee

2. 2. Decision making and responses tend to be slow

3. 3. Rigid supervision may block employee initiative

Ethical standards of behaviour within accountancy are mainly promoted by which of the following?

Can each of the following be delegated by a manager?

Yes No

1. 1. Accountability

2. 2. Authority

XYZ Co manufactures plastic boxes. It employs 120 people and is managed in the following way. Operational staff are employed because of their specialist skills and for the application of these skills they are answerable to a specialist training manager. They are allocated to particular manufacturing teams working on different types of boxes. Each type of box has a different manager who manages its production. In the course of a working week an individual employee can work on the manufacture of more than one type of box

Which type of the following organisational structures is described for XYZ in the statement above?

XYZ Co manufactures plastic boxes. It employs 120 people and is managed in the following way. Operational staff are employed because of their specialist skills and for the application of these skills they are answerable to a specialist training manager.

They are allocated to particular manufacturing teams working on different types of boxes. Each type of box has a different manager who manages its production. In the course of a working week an individual employee can work on the manufacture of more than one type of box

Which organisational structure does each of the following disadvantages relate to?

Egalitaria is a country facing serious economic and financial difficulties.  After several years of economic growth, consumer demand has reduced, bringing about an increase in unemployment. One of the reasons for this is that heavily unionised companies in the once-important manufacturing sector have continued to exert strong influence in pay negotiations due to competition from cheaper imports of these products from another country, where wage rates were lower. The collapse in demand has been so intense that it is believed that communities in Egalitaria will have to accept very high levels of unemployment for several years.

The latest statistics for the Egalitarian economy confirm that price inflation remains unacceptably high at 5% per annum.  This is attributed partly to the continued strength of unions and also increases in indirect taxation implemented six months ago.  

The government of Egalitaria has responded to these economic problems with a package of measures announced by the Finance Minister.  Grants will be made available to encourage businesses to develop redundant industrial sites.  Direct taxes on individuals and companies will be increased.  The central bank will increase the base interest rate by 1.5%.  

Indicate whether the government policy measures are examples of fiscal policy or monetary policy.  

Fiscal policy

Monetary policy

1. 1. Government grants and direct tax increases  

   2. 2. Increase in interest rates

Ferenc is a trainee manager in the marketing department of KLB Company.  He recently discovered that Francine, a colleague with whom he works on a regular basis, had supported her application for her current position at KLB Company by claiming to hold a degree awarded by an overseas university purchased as an 'off the shelf' qualification and which required no study at all.  She had told the interviewers that she had studied for four years on a full time basis for the degree.  Since joining the company, Francine has impressed her managers with her positive attitude and her ability to generate creative ideas.

Ferenc was not sure whether it would be right to report Francine's deception to the company.  He decided to discuss the matter in confidence with his four flatmates.

Gerard believed that Ferenc should do nothing, as reporting it would almost certainly lead to Francine losing her job.  He felt that although Francine acted unethically, she was well regarded by her managers and being dismissed would deprive the company of an excellent worker.

Hans reminded Ferenc that as he was studying for his professional examinations, his membership of a professional body required him to act with the highest standards of integrity, and it would be wrong to keep silent on the matter.  Hans felt that Ferenc had a moral obligation to inform his manager immediately of the situation.

Iain said that he considered Francine to be fortunate not to be discovered and that the truth would be found out eventually.  This could lead to Francine and anybody who knew about the situation, but failing to disclose it, running the risk of losing their jobs.

Jane felt that Ferenc should report Francine to the company, as all employees owe a duty of good faith to the organisation and that whistleblowing was now considered the right thing to do

Ethical conduct within an organisation depends on individuals demonstrating the fundamental principles of ethics and embracing organisational values whch promote ethical behaviour.

Which TWO of the following are fundamental principles set out in the ACCA Code of Ethics?

1. 1. Openness

2. 2. Objectivity

3. 3. Confidentiality

4. 4. Respect

5. 5. Accountability

6. 6.Trust

Egalitaria is a country facing serious economic and financial difficulties.  After several years of economic growth, consumer demand has reduced, bringing about an increase in unemployment. One of the reasons for this is that heavily unionised companies in the once-important manufacturing sector have continued to exert strong influence in pay negotiations due to competition from cheaper imports of these products from another country, where wage rates were lower. The collapse in demand has been so intense that it is believed that communities in Egalitaria will have to accept very high levels of unemployment for several years.

The latest statistics for the Egalitarian economy confirm that price inflation remains unacceptably high at 5% per annum.  This is attributed partly to the continued strength of unions and also increases in indirect taxation implemented six months ago.  

The government of Egalitaria has responded to these economic problems with a package of measures announced by the Finance Minister.  Grants will be made available to encourage businesses to develop redundant industrial sites.  Direct taxes on individuals and companies will be increased.  The central bank will increase the base interest rate by 1.5%.  

Click on the correct type of unemployment that Egalitaria is experiencing

Background

Egalitaria is a country facing serious economic and financial difficulties.  After several years of economic growth, consumer demand has reduced, bringing about an increase in unemployment. One of the reasons for this is that heavily unionised companies in the once-important manufacturing sector have continued to exert strong influence in pay negotiations due to competition from cheaper imports of these products from another country, where wage rates were lower. The collapse in demand has been so intense that it is believed that communities in Egalitaria will have to accept very high levels of unemployment for several years.

The latest statistics for the Egalitarian economy confirm that price inflation remains unacceptably high at 5% per annum.  This is attributed partly to the continued strength of unions and also increases in indirect taxation implemented six months ago.  

The government of Egalitaria has responded to these economic problems with a package of measures announced by the Finance Minister.  Grants will be made available to encourage businesses to develop redundant industrial sites.  Direct taxes on individuals and companies will be increased.  The central bank will increase the base interest rate by 1.5%.  

 Choose the type of tax that would have contributed to the high level of inflation in Egalitaria

The roles of internal and external auditors are quite different in scope, purpose and accountability

Are the following applicable to the internal auditor, the external auditor, or both?

The roles of internal and external auditors are quite different in scope, purpose and accountability

Select which of the job specifications below contains the primary responsibility of an external auditor

The following four individuals are members of a team working in the accounts department at ABC Co.

Jabez is highly committed to the company, having joined as a trainee straight from school. He is hard working and dutiful, and though not naturally comfortable when discussing new ideas, he exercises a great deal of common sense, especially with practical problems.

Melody has been described by her boss as intellectual and individualistic, demonstrating an ability to absorb knowledge. She is considered to be rather unorthodox by her colleagues, and quite often appears to be rather detached from group discussions that are taking place.

Guna is orderly, logical and conscientious and can be relied upon to follow through all of the tasks assigned to him. His colleagues are sometimes dismayed that he will not be content until every detail has been attended to.

Agnetha is the extrovert in the team, with good social skills and a flair for communication. She is enthusiastic about her work but once she has explored an idea, she rapidly loses interest.

In relation to Belbin's team roles theory, identify the role that typifies each individual's personal attributes or if none of the individuals are typified by the role.

The following is a basic communication model -

Sender $$\rightarrow$$ Encoding $$\rightarrow$$ Message $$\rightarrow$$ Decoding $$\rightarrow$$ Receiver $$\rightarrow$$ Feedback

At which of the following TWO points in the diagram will words, symbols and gestures occur?

Encoding

Message

Receiver

Feedback

The following is a basic communication model

Sender $$\rightarrow$$ Encoding $$\rightarrow$$ Message $$\rightarrow$$ Decoding $$\rightarrow$$ Receiver $$\rightarrow$$ Feedback

Is each of the following a recognised way of overcoming barriers to communication?

Ferenc is a trainee manager in the marketing department of KLB Company.  He recently discovered that Francine, a colleague with whom he works on a regular basis, had supported her application for her current position at KLB Company by claiming to hold a degree awarded by an overseas university purchased as an 'off the shelf' qualification and which required no study at all.  She had told the interviewers that she had studied for four years on a full time basis for the degree.  Since joining the company, Francine has impressed her managers with her positive attitude and her ability to generate creative ideas.

Ferenc was not sure whether it would be right to report Francine's deception to the company.  He decided to discuss the matter in confidence with his four flatmates.

Gerard believed that Ferenc should do nothing, as reporting it would almost certainly lead to Francine losing her job.  He felt that although Francine acted unethically, she was well regarded by her managers and being dismissed would deprive the company of an excellent worker.

Hans reminded Ferenc that as he was studying for his professional examinations, his membership of a professional body required him to act with the highest standards of integrity, and it would be wrong to keep silent on the matter.  Hans felt that Ferenc had a moral obligation to inform his manager immediately of the situation.

Iain said that he considered Francine to be fortunate not to be discovered and that the truth would be found out eventually.  This could lead to Francine and anybody who knew about the situation, but failing to disclose it, running the risk of losing their jobs.

Jane felt that Ferenc should report Francine to the company, as all employees owe a duty of good faith to the organisation and that whistleblowing was now considered the right thing to do

For each of Ferenc's colleagues, select whether their views reflect a deontological or teleogical approach to what he should do.