Cake lady bakery is famous for its pound cakes. the main ingredient of the cakes is flour, which cake lady purchases by the pound. in addition, the production requires a certain amount of direct labor. cake lady uses a standard cost system, and at the end of the first quarter, there was an unfavorable direct labor cost variance. which of the following is a logical explanation for that variance? a. the cost of workers' medical insurance plans jumped up dramatically during the quarter. b. the production staff changed the work flow process so that production required fewer direct labor hours. c. the purchasing manager was able to secure a volume discount on flour, purchasing the flour for less than the amount set by standard. d. the factory lost two experienced workers at the beginning of the quarter, and their replacements wasted a large amount of direct materials during their training period.

Zachary company produces commercial gardening equipment. since production is highly automated, the company allocates its overhead costs to product lines using activity-based costing. the costs and cost drivers associated with the four overhead activity cost pools follow: activities unit level batch level product level facility level cost $ 64,800 $ 27,730 $ 15,000 $ 154,000 cost driver 2,400 labor hrs. 47 setups percentage of use 11,000 units production of 780 sets of cutting shears, one of the company’s 20 products, took 240 labor hours and 7 setups and consumed 15 percent of the product-sustaining activities. required: (a) had the company used labor hours as a company wide allocation base, how much overhead would it have allocated to the cutting shears? (b) how much overhead is allocated to the cutting shears using activity-based costing? (c) compute the overhead cost per unit for cutting shears first using activity-based costing and then using direct labor hours for allocation if 780 units are produced. if direct product costs are $150 and the product is priced at 30 percent above cost for what price would the product sell under each allocation system? (d) assuming that activity-based costing provides a more accurate estimate of cost, indicate whether the cutting shears would be over- or underpriced if direct labor hours are used as an allocation base. explain how over-or undercosting can affect vaulker's profitability. (e) comment on the validity of using the allocated facility-level cost in the pricing decision. should other costs be considered in a cost- plus pricing decision? if so, which ones? what costs would you include if you were trying to decide whether to accept a special order?

Greenway industries is a major multinational conglomerate. its business units compete in a range of industries, including home appliances, pharmaceuticals, commercial real estate, and plastics manufacturing. although its largest business unit, which produces kitchen appliances, is among the most profitable in the industry, it generates only 35 percent of the company's revenues. which of the following is most likely true of greenway's stock price? a. it is valued at less than the sum of its individual business units. b. it is valued at greater than the sum of individual business units. c. it is valued at the exact sum of individual business units. d. it is consistently lower than the industry average. it is valued at greater than the sum of individual business units.

Nextdoor is an instant messaging application for smartphones. new smartphone users find it easier to connect with friends and relatives through this mobile app when compared to other similar instant messaging applications. hence, it has the largest user base in the industry. thus, nextdoor app's value has increased primarily due to itsa. learning curve effects. b. economies of scale. c. economies of scope. d. network effects.