Cushman Company had $846,000 in sales, sales discounts of $12,690, sales returns and allowances of $19,035, cost of goods sold of $401,850, and $291,025 in operating expenses. Gross profit equals:

If you were running a company, what are at least two things you could do to improve its productivity.

You are chairman of the board of a successful technology firm. there is a nominal federal corporate tax rate of 35 percent, yet the effective tax rate of the typical corporation is about 12.6%. your firm has been clever with use of transfer pricing and keeping money abroad and has barely paid any taxes over the last 5 years; during this same time period, profits were $28 billion. one member of the board feels that it is un-american to use various accounting strategies in order to avoid paying taxes. others feel that these are legal loopholes and corporations have a fiduciary responsibility to minimize taxes. one board member quoted what the ceo of exxon once said: “i’m not a u.s. company and i don’t make decisions based on what’s good for the u.s.” what are the alternatives? what are your recommendations? why do you recommend this course of action?

Lillypad toys is a manufacturer of educational toys for children. six months ago, the company's research and development division came up with an idea for a unique touchscreen device that can be used to introduce children to a number of foreign languages. three months ago, the company produced a working prototype, and last month the company successfully launched its new device on the commercial market. what should lillypad's managers prepare for next? a. increased competition from imitators b. a prolonged period of uncontested success c. a sharp decline in demand for the product d. a difficult struggle to move from invention to innovation