17-2. Assume that an average firm in the office supply business has a 6% profit margin, a 40% total liabilities/assets ratio, a total assets turnover of 2 times, and a dividend payout ratio of 40%. Is it true that if such a firm is to have any sales growth (g > 0), it will be forced to borrow or to sell common stock (that is, it will need some nonspontaneous external capital even if g is very small)? Explain.

Case in point 1.2 suppose you work in the it department of global hotels, a multinational hotel chain. global hotels runs several specialized business support systems, including a guest reservations system that was developed in-house to meet the requirements of a large company with worldwide operations. guests can make one-stop online reservations by visiting global's website, which has links to all major travel industry sites. global hotels just acquired momma's, a regional chain of 20 motels in western canada. momma's uses a vertical reservations package suitable for small- to medium-sized businesses and a generic accounting and finance package. should momma's use global hotels' information systems or continue with its own? in your answer, consider issues such as business profiles, business processes, system interactivity, edi, ecommerce, and the characteristics of both information systems. what additional information would be to you in making a recommendation?

Richardson hired j. c. flood company, a plumbing contractor, to correct a stoppage in the sewer line of her house. the plumbing company's 'snake' device, used to clear the line leading to the main sewer, became caught in the underground line. to release it, the company excavated a portion of the sewer line in richardson's backyard. in the process, the company discovered numerous leaks in a rusty, defective water pipe that ran parallel with the sewer line. to meet public regulations, the water pipe, of a type no longer approved for such service, had to be replaced either then or later, when the yard would have to be excavated again. the plumbing company proceeded to repair the water pipe. though richardson inspected the company's work daily and did not express any objection to the extra work involved in replacing the water pipe, she refused to pay any part of the total bill after the company completed the entire operation. j. c. flood company then sued richardson for the costs of labor and material it had furnished. (c) for what, if anything, should richardson be liable? explain."

(a) what was the opportunity cost of non-gm food for many buyers before 2008? (b) why did they prefer the alternative? (c) what was the opportunity cost in 2008? (d) why did it change?