Crane Company had 206000 shares of common stock, 19400 shares of convertible preferred stock, and $1470000 of 6% convertible bonds outstanding during 2018. The preferred stock is convertible into 39000 shares or common stock. During 2015, Crane paid dividends of $1.00 per share on the common stock and $4 per share on the preferred stock. Each $1,000 bond is convertible into 30 shares of common stock. The net income for 2018 was $603000 and the income tax rate was 35%. Diluted earnings per share for 2018 is (rounded to the nearest penny) a. $2.10 b. $2.46. c. $2.28 d. $2.06

You work as the sales manager for a company that sells office supplies to businesses of all sizes. because the profit margins are razor-thin, you need to ensure that you are getting the very best prices on paper, pencils, pens, post-it notes, and other office supplies from the manufacturers. when reviewing the quarterly profit statement, you realize that your costs are higher than they should be, and you trace the higher costs back to an employee who has been lax about getting competitive bids to ensure the lowest prices. when you conduct your research to determine the reason for the higher costs, and take action to bring those costs back down, in which of the key management processes are you taking part?