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Instructions:
All five questions in this exam are compulsory and must be attempted.
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©
The Institute of Chartered Accountants –
Ghana 2015
Final Mock Exam 1: Questions 1
PART A
Part A contains ONE compulsory 40-mark case study. You must attempt this question.
This question covers Corporate Strategy Formulation, Implementation and Evaluation, the subject of Part A
of the Study Text for Paper 2.6 Corporate Strategy, Ethics and Governance.
Weaknesses
High production costs: Arnland is a relatively high labour cost economy.
Out-dated production facilities: The actual production facilities were last updated in 1991. Current
equipment is not efficient in its use of either labour, materials or energy.
Restricted internet site: Software development has focused on internal systems, rather than internet
development. The current website only provides information about Hammond Shoes; it is not possible to buy
footwear from the company’s website.
Opportunities
Increased consumer spending and consumerism: Despite the decline of its manufacturing industries,
Arnland remains a prosperous country with high consumer spending. Consumers generally have a high
disposable income and are fashion conscious. Parents spend a lot of money on their children, with the aim
of ‘making sure that they get a good start in life’.
Increased desire for safe family shopping environment: A recent trend is for consumers to prefer shopping
in safe, car-free environments where they can visit a variety of shops and restaurants. These shopping
villages are increasingly popular.
Growth of the green consumer: The numbers of ‘green consumers’ is increasing in Arnland. They are
conscious of the energy used in the production and distribution of the products they buy. These consumers
also expect suppliers to be socially responsible. A recent television programme on the use of cheap and
exploited labour in Orietaria was greeted with a call for a boycott of goods from that country. One of the
political parties in Arnland has emphasised environmentally responsible purchasing in its manifesto. It
suggests that ‘shorter shipping distances reduce energy use and pollution. Purchasing locally supports
communities and local jobs’.
Threats
Cheap imports: The lower production costs of overseas countries provide a constant threat. It is still much
cheaper to make shoes in Orietaria, 4000 kilometres away, and transport the shoes by sea, road and train
to shops in Arnland, where they can be offered at prices that are still significantly lower than the footwear
produced by Hammond Shoes.
Legislation within Arnland: Arnland has comprehensive legislation on health and safety as well as a
statutory minimum wage and basic redundancy rights and payments for employees. The government is likely
to extend its employment legislation programme.
Recent strategies
Senior management at Hammond Shoes have recently suggested that the company should consider closing
its Petatown production plant and move production overseas, perhaps outsourcing to established suppliers in
Orietaria and elsewhere. This suggestion was immediately rejected by the Hammond family, who questioned
the values of the senior management. The family issued a press release with the aim of re-affirming the core
values which underpinned their business. The press release stated that ‘in our view, the day that Hammond
Shoes ceases to be a Petatown company, is the day that it closes’. Consequently, the senior management
team was asked to propose an alternative strategic direction.
The senior management team’s alternative is for the company to upgrade its production facilities to gain
labour and energy efficiencies. The cost of this proposal is GHS37.5m. At a recent scenario planning
workshop the management team developed what they considered to be two realistic scenarios. Both
scenarios predict that demand for Hammond Shoes’ footwear would be low for the next three years.
However, increased productivity and lower labour costs would bring net benefits of GHS5m in each of these
years. After three years the two scenarios differ. The first scenario predicts a continued low demand for the
next three years with net benefits still running at GHS5m per year. The team felt that this option had a
probability of 0.7. The alternative scenario (with a probability of 0.3) predicts a higher demand for
Hammond’s products due to changes in the external environment. This would lead to net benefits of
GHS10m per year in years four, five and six. All estimated net benefits are based on the discounted future
cash flows.
Financial information: The following financial information (see Figure 1) is also available for selected recent
years for Hammond Shoes manufacturing division.
Final Mock Exam 1: Questions 3
PART B
Part B contains FIVE 20-mark questions. You must attempt THREE of these questions.
Question 1 and 2 cover Corporate Strategy Formulation, Implementation and Evaluation, the subject of Part
A of the Study Text for Paper 2.6 Corporate Strategy, Ethics and Governance.
Question 3 covers Ethics the subject of Part B of the Study Text for Paper 2.6 Corporate Strategy, Ethics and
Governance.
Question 4 covers both Part A, Corporate Strategy Formulation, Implementation and Evaluation; and Part B,
Ethics, of the Study Text for Paper 2.6 Corporate Strategy, Ethics and Governance.
Question 5 covers both Part B, Ethics; and Part C, Corporate Governance, of the Study Text for Paper 2.6
Corporate Strategy, Ethics and Governance.
2014
Figure 1 – Extract from financial results: EMV
Extract from the statement of financial position
GHSm
Assets
Non-current assets
Intangible assets 2,000
Property, plant and equipment 6,100
8,100
Current assets
Inventories 100
Trade receivables 900
Cash and cash equivalents 200
1,200
GHSm
Equity and liabilities
Equity
Share capital 5,700
Retained earnings 50
Total equity 5,750
Non-current liabilities
Long-term borrowings 2,500
Current liabilities
Trade payables 1,000
Current tax payable 50
1,050
Total liabilities 3,550
Total equity and liabilities 9,300
Required
(a) Assess, using both financial and non-financial measures, the attractiveness, from Swift’s perspective,
of EVM as an acquisition target. (10 marks)
(b) Porter’s Diamond can be used to explore the competitive advantage of nations and could be a useful
model for Joe Swift to use in his analysis of countries that he might move his company to.
Examine using Porter’s Diamond the factors which could influence Swift’s decision to move a large
part of its logistics business to Ecuria. (10 marks)
(Total = 20 marks)
6 Final Mock Exam 1: Questions
2 GreenTech 36 mins
GreenTech was established in 1990. The company began by specialising in the supply of low voltage, low
emission, quiet, recyclable components to the electronic industry. Its components are used in the control
systems of lifts, cars and kitchen appliances. Two medium-sized computer manufacturers use greenTech
components in selected ‘green’ (that is, environmentally-friendly) models in their product range. Recent
market research showed that 70% of the global electronics industry used greenTech components somewhere
in its products.
In 1993 the company began a catalogue mail order service (now Internet-based) selling ‘green’ components
to home users. Most of these customers were building their own computers and they required such
components on either environmental grounds or because they wanted their computers to be extremely quiet
and energy efficient. From 2005, greenTech also offered fully assembled computer systems that could be
ordered and configured over the Internet. All greenTech’s components are purchased from specialist
suppliers. The company has no manufacturing capability, but it does have extensive hardware testing
facilities and it has built up significant technical know-how in supplying appropriate components. The
management team that formed the company in 1990 still runs the company.
Finance and revenue
The company has traded profitably since its foundation and has grown steadily in size and revenues. In
2014, its revenues were GHS64m, with a pre-tax profit of GHS10m. The spread across the three revenue
streams is shown in Figure 1:
All figures in GHSm 2014 2013 2012
Component sales to electronics industry 40 36 34
Component sales to home users 20 18 16
Fully assembled green computers 4 3 2
Total 64 57 52
The corporate recovery specialists, Fenix, put forward a strategic direction that essentially offered
more services to greenTech’s current customers in the electronics industry. They suggested that the
company should expand its product range as well as being able to manufacture components to
respond to special requirements. They also believed that potential supply problems could be avoided
and supply costs could be cut if greenTech acquired its own manufacturing capability. ‘You need to
secure the supply chain, to protect your future position.’ They felt that the surplus cash in the
company should be used to acquire companies that already had these manufacturing capabilities.
The third team was led by Professor Ag Wan from Catalyst University. Their main recommendation
was that greenTech should not see itself as a supplier of components and computers but as a supplier
of green technology. They suggested that the company should look at many other sectors (not just
electronics) where quietness, low emissions and recyclable technology were important. ‘The company
needs to exploit its capabilities, not its products. It is looking too narrowly at the future. To compete
in the future you need to develop your markets, not your products’, concluded the professor.
Figure 3, which was shown on the television show, illustrates how each solution came from a different part
of an amended Ansoff product/market matrix.
Products
Existing New
Markets Existing Project/Build Product development with new
Lewis-Read (option 1) capabilities
Fenix (option 2)
New Market Development with new No team chose this option
uses and capabilities Diversification
Professor Ag Wan (option 3)
Figure 3: Adapted Ansoff matrix showing the position of the three solutions
In the television programme, the panel chose option 3 (as suggested by Professor Ag Wan’s team) as being
the most appropriate strategic direction and, much to everyone’s surprise, the company began to pursue this
direction with much vigour. Objectives and goals were established and a set of processes was designed to
facilitate business-to-business transactions with potential new customers. These processes allow customers,
by using computer-aided design software, to view the specification of products available, to assemble them
and to integrate their own components into the design. This means that they are able to construct virtual
prototypes of machines and equipment. This process design, delivered through a web service, is still under
development.
Required
(a) Evaluate the current strategic position of greenTech using a SWOT analysis. (8 marks)
(b) The panel selected the proposal of Professor Ag Wan as the winning proposal.
Write a briefing paper evaluating the three proposals and justifying the selection of the proposal of
Professor Ag Wan as the best strategic option for greenTech to pursue. (12 marks)
(Total = 20 marks)
Due to the nature of the biotechnology industry, B has been very secretive about the research work it is
conducting. However, the news of the recent invention has caused a lot of excitement in the scientific
community. Within this community this non-GM technology, developed by B, is seen to have the potential to
contribute significantly to both the economy and the well being of populations in poorer countries.
Recently, however, B has faced increasing protests from environmental lobby groups and elements of the
local community near its laboratories. These groups want B to stop developing and testing these non-GM
seeds. These stakeholder groups claim, incorrectly, that the seeds are genetically modified.
The government of the country in which B is based is currently conducting an enquiry into the safety of GM
crops. The enquiry is not likely to reach a conclusion for another 18 months. The expected conclusion is a
ban on the research and development of GM crops. Some other countries have already banned research and
development into GM crops, whilst other countries have approved such research.
Although B does not genetically modify seeds, the Board believes that the company will suffer from the
adverse publicity that will result from a ban on research and development into GM crops.
The Board of B is considering the following options:
1 The company could work to convince the stakeholders that it is not genetically modifying seeds and
that it is in the best interests of everyone that it is allowed to carry on with its research.
2 The company could move to a country where there is a more tolerant attitude to research and
development in the area of biotechnology.
Required
(a) Discuss the corporate responsibility that B has towards the government, the environmental lobby
groups and the local community as stakeholders. (6 marks)
(b) Recommend how B can improve relationships with the government, the lobby groups and the local
community. (10 marks)
(c) Discuss the corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues relating to B’s option to relocate, using the
four dimensions of CSR; legal, ethical, economic and philanthropic. (4 marks)
(Total = 20 marks)
Required
(a) Identify which 'other parties', besides shareholders, are likely to be interested in LAS's annual report.
(4 marks)
(b) Discuss the purpose of, and advantages LAS could derive from, a mission statement. (4 marks)
(c) Advise the Finance Director if his suggestion to move the corporate headquarters is a breach of the
International Federation of Accountants (IFAC)’s Code of Ethics. (12 marks)
(Total = 20 marks)
5 SPQ 36 mins
As a ICAG member, you have recently been appointed as the Head of Internal Audit for SPQ, a multinational
listed company that carries out a large volume of internet sales to customers who place their orders using
their home or work computers. You report to the Chief Executive, although you work closely with the Finance
Director. You have direct access to the Chair of the Audit committee whenever you consider it necessary.
One of your internal audit teams has been conducting a review of IT security for a system which has been in
operation for 18 months and which is integral to internet sales. The audit was included in the internal audit
plan following a request by the chief accountant. Sample testing by the internal audit team has revealed
several transactions over the last three months which have raised concerns about possible hacking or
fraudulent access to the customer/order database. Each of these transactions has disappeared from the
database after deliveries have been made but without sales being recorded or funds collected from the
customer. Each of the identified transactions was for a different customer and there seems to be no
relationship between any of the transactions.
You have received a draft report from the internal audit manager responsible for this audit which suggests
serious weaknesses in the design of the system. You have discussed this informally with senior managers
who have told you that such a report will be politically very unpopular with the chief executive as he was
significantly involved in the design and approval of the new system and insisted it be implemented earlier
than the IT department considered was advisable. No post-implementation review of the system has taken
place.
You have been informally advised by several senior managers to lessen the criticism and work with the IT
department to correct any deficiencies within the system and to produce a report to the audit committee that
is less critical and merely identifies the need for some improvement. They suggest that these actions would
avoid criticism of the chief executive by the Board of SPQ.
Required
(a) Explain the role of internal audit in internal control and risk management. (10 marks)
(d) Applying the ethical principles from the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC)’s Code of
Ethics, explain which principles should apply to the head of internal audit when reporting the results
of this internal review and how any ethical conflicts should be resolved. (10 marks)
(Total = 20 marks)
10 Final Mock Exam 1: Questions