Reference no: EM132648152

Scenario (the question required to be answered is at the bottom in bold) You have been recently hired as an assistant controller for XYZ Industries, a large, publically held manufacturing company. Your immediate supervisor is the controller who also reports directly to the VP of Finance. The controller has assigned you the task of preparing the year-end adjusting entries. In the receivables area, you have prepared an aging accounts receivable and have applied historical percentages to the balances of each of the age categories. The analysis indicates that an appropriate estimated balance for the allowance for uncollectible accounts is $180,000. The existing balance in the allowance account prior to any adjusting entry is a $20,000 credit balance.

After showing your analysis to the controller, he tells you to change the aging category of a large account from over 120 days to current status and to create new invoice to the customer with a revised date that agrees with the new category. This will change the required allowance for uncollectible accounts from $180,000 to $135,000. Tactfully, you ask the controller for an explanation for the change and he tells you "We need the extra income, the bottom line is too low."

Question 1: Identify the key internal and external stakeholders. What are the negative impacts that can happen if you do not follow the instructions of your supervisor?

Question 2: For this question, you want to discuss the key individuals that may be affected by the act of the controller if his instructions are not followed. Who is mostly at risk? What is the responsibility to the employees, customers, vendors, etc.? What could reporting a low bottom line mean for the company? Could the company's financial survival be threatened? What could happen to the assistant controller if he/she does not comply with the supervisor's request?