Case studies

Teaching cases offers students the opportunity to explore real world challenges in the classroom environment, allowing them to test their assumptions and decision-making skills before taking their knowledge into the workplace.

1 – 10 of 16
Applied filters:
Accounting and Finance
Built Environment
Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals
The Case Writing Centre, University of Cape Town, Graduate School of Business
The CASE Journal
Clear all
Case study
Publication date: 1 December 2010

Shahriar Khaksari, Khaled Amira, Lacey Teixeira, Rosa J. Vela and Zhimin Liu

Doug Scovanner, CFO of Target Corporation, was about to present his proposal at the November 2008 Board meeting. He was prepared to discuss immediate strategic actions which would…

Abstract

Doug Scovanner, CFO of Target Corporation, was about to present his proposal at the November 2008 Board meeting. He was prepared to discuss immediate strategic actions which would provide support for working capital for the discount retailer. The retail community was about to suffer their worst fourth quarter in recent memory. Consumer spending had contracted, unemployment was rising and the deflated housing market had driven the economy into a recession. Although discount retailers had fared better than other industries during the second and third quarters, they were not immune to the overall economic downturn which had become a global crisis. To further complicate matters, Target's largest competitor, Wal-Mart, just posted third quarter growth even though Target was bracing for a busy holiday season. Scovanner anticipated further strain on working capital before year-end as cash flow tightened and the capital markets remained at a virtual stand-still.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 7 no. 1
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

Case study
Publication date: 3 January 2017

Miranda Lam, Hongtao Guo and Paul McGee

Tom Gould, an entrepreneur, had been operating Treadwell’s Ice Cream, a small ice cream restaurant since 2000. Treadwell’s Ice Cream had been preparing its financial statements…

Abstract

Synopsis

Tom Gould, an entrepreneur, had been operating Treadwell’s Ice Cream, a small ice cream restaurant since 2000. Treadwell’s Ice Cream had been preparing its financial statements under cash basis. Tom Gould turned over all his receipts, both personal and business expenses, to his bookkeeper who entered them into QuickBooks. At tax time, his tax accountant excluded non-qualifying expenses from the tax filing. Periodically, Tom met with his bookkeeper to determine the results of operations and financial position at the end of that period of time. Most of Treadwell’s transactions were easily recognized by Tom, who preferred to pay all expenses by cash rather than credit. However, the bookkeeper had not been separating operating from non-operating activities, and had been using multiple accounts to record the same or similar costs. Therefore, the current income statement and balance sheet were not appropriately categorized and organized. In addition, since the bookkeeper was not a tax account, business expenses had been mixed with Tom Gould’s personal expenses on the income statement. There were no adjustment to the income statement after the tax accountant identified non-qualifying expenses when preparing tax filing. As Tom and his wife were considering turning over more day to day operations to his son and hiring a non-family member as a manager to help his son, he would need the books to provide an accurate picture of the business.

Research methodology

Primary source materials included interviews with the owner, Thomas Gould, his son, Michael Gould, and their Accountant, Tom Mallas. Secondary source materials included monthly and annual financial data from QuickBooks (monthly data are available upon request but are not relevant to the case discussion). Other secondary source materials included geographic, economic, industry, and competitors’ information.

Relevant courses and levels

This case is well suited for an introductory level undergraduate financial accounting course, after accrual accounting and accounting information systems (accounting cycles) have been introduced. When analyzing this case, students will apply concepts and principles of financial statement preparation. The case is also appropriate to serve as a review of accrual accounting, and of income statement and balance sheet preparation at the beginning of an intermediate level financial accounting course. Students can be asked to reformat the income statement from the single-step format to the multiple-step format. By working through financial statements with common errors found in small businesses, students can practice identifying these errors, thus providing a review of the various sections of the income statement and prepare students for more in-depth discussions of each section. In a tax course, this case can stimulate discussions on non-qualifying expenses and common shortcomings in small business accounting.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

Keywords

Case study
Publication date: 1 May 2007

Michael Tucker, Winston Tellis and Dina Franceschi

Fonkoze is the largest Microfinance Institution in Haiti whose clients are mostly poor women. The authors had access to documents and meetings of the organization for an extended…

Abstract

Fonkoze is the largest Microfinance Institution in Haiti whose clients are mostly poor women. The authors had access to documents and meetings of the organization for an extended period, and observed the growth of the organization from a single office to 21 branch offices. In so doing, their staff had to spend increasing time in fundraising so that they could make more loans to the existing and new customers. This case presents the decisions of the Board and the management to alleviate some of those problems. Against a backdrop of political and civil turmoil, the case could be instructive for students and instructors alike. The Board had to decide whether to apply for status as a regulated bank, or to transform into some other financial entity.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 3 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

Abstract

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

Case study
Publication date: 1 May 2013

Khaksari Shahriar and Platikanov Stefan

The case presents a financing dilemma at a fast growing, Brazilian construction company. The growing demand for residential and commercial real estate in Brazil, coupled with the…

Abstract

Case description

The case presents a financing dilemma at a fast growing, Brazilian construction company. The growing demand for residential and commercial real estate in Brazil, coupled with the capital intensive nature of the industry generates the need for a considerable external financing. The students are invited to take the perspective of the financial manager and evaluate three financing alternatives – an issue of debentures, a seasoned equity offering, and a capital-raising ADR offering. In their evaluation and final recommendation students need to consider the implications of each of the financing alternatives on firm value, equity risk, cost of capital, financial leverage, issuance costs, and ownership structure. The case also presents a valuable opportunity to discuss the interdependence between the institutional development of an economy and the development of its capital markets.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 9 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

Keywords

Case study
Publication date: 1 December 2011

Richard H. Borgman

In August 2007 the Mainsail II SIV-Lite was frozen by its trustee as a result of the ongoing credit crisis. The state of Maine held $20 million of Mainsail commercial paper in its…

Abstract

In August 2007 the Mainsail II SIV-Lite was frozen by its trustee as a result of the ongoing credit crisis. The state of Maine held $20 million of Mainsail commercial paper in its Cash Pool portfolio, a short-term portfolio that puts temporary, excess state revenues to work. When word of the potential loss became public, the Treasurer came under attack. The case introduces the functions of a state Treasury department, with particular emphasis on the investment objectives and guidelines for the cash pool as well as its composition. The case reviews the events leading up to and including August 2007, the month when the credit markets first began to seize and when the financial crisis effectively began. It examines securitization, structured finance, and the Mainsail SIV-Lite structure in some detail.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 8 no. 1
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

Case study
Publication date: 1 May 2013

Jayanti Bandyopadhyay, Paul F. McGee and Linda A. Hall

This case illustrates the tax implications of a movie produced in a foreign country that resulted in a loss. Teaching opportunities include the application of tax rules to a…

Abstract

Case description

This case illustrates the tax implications of a movie produced in a foreign country that resulted in a loss. Teaching opportunities include the application of tax rules to a Schedule C business loss and a resulting net operating loss (NOL) deduction, the consideration of hobby and passive activity losses, the tax treatment of funds received in a divorce settlement, and how an individual might handle a possible IRS examination. Students are asked to prepare a revised Form 1040 for the movie business loss and the individual NOL deduction based on evidence provided in the case. Sufficient information is provided in the case to identify audit “red flags” in a tax return. Using the tale of an actual movie production in a foreign country and its consequent tax implications can provide an attractive alternative to teaching tax accounting rules that are often considered by students as “dry”.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 9 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

Keywords

Case study
Publication date: 1 November 2018

Humberto Florez

The COO for Suape Container Terminal, the largest deep–water port in Brazil's Northeast must consider a proposal presented by the users' council that calls for the establishment…

Abstract

The COO for Suape Container Terminal, the largest deep–water port in Brazil's Northeast must consider a proposal presented by the users' council that calls for the establishment of a reservation scheme that minimizes the risk of docking delays. Under this proposal, ocean carriers, on the one hand, agree to pay a reservation fee that significantly increases revenue for Tecon Suape. On the other hand, they expect Tecon Suape to compensate them financially when a berth is not available upon vessel arrival. Tecon Suape's management team must evaluate that suggestion, as the team prepares to enter contractual negotiations with the users.

Details

Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals Cases, vol. no.
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 2631-598X
Published by: Council for Supply Chain Management Professionals

Keywords

Abstract

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 8 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

Case study
Publication date: 1 May 2009

Kenton Swift and Mel McFetridge

The financial statements of public companies located in the United Arab Emirates provide excellent examples of the impact that reporting investments at fair value can have on net…

Abstract

The financial statements of public companies located in the United Arab Emirates provide excellent examples of the impact that reporting investments at fair value can have on net income. This is because of the wide fluctuations in securities prices and real estate prices in recent years. Using an actual company, National General Insurance, which is located in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, this case provides examples of the impact of fair value accounting for investments under International Financial Reporting standards (IFRS), for both securities and property investments. As US financial reporting moves towards harmonization with IFRS, it is critical to understand how reporting for investments under US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP) compares with international reporting standards. Specific learning objectives include gaining an understanding of the reporting requirements for investments under IFRS, understanding the difference between reporting requirements for investments under US GAAP and IFRS, and understanding both the positive and negative impacts on reported net income from using fair values for reporting investments.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

1 – 10 of 16