Analyzing violations to internal control principles
Analyzing internal control
When responding to the cases in 8-1A, be sure to think critically about each case. Identify the principles of internal control that has been violated, and give an explanation of why you think that principle has been violated. Identify the consequences of the actions described in the cases. Make a recommendation for what the business should do to ensure adherence to principles of internal control.
For each of these five separate cases, identify the principle of internal control that is violated.
Recommend what the business should do to ensure adherence to principles of internal control.
1. Heather Flatt records all incoming customer cash receipts for her employer and posts the customer payments to their respective accounts.
2. At Netco Company, Jeff and Jose alternate lunch hours. Jeff is the petty cash custodian, but if someone needs petty cash when he is at lunch, Jose fills in as custodian.
3. Nadine Cox posts all patient charges and payments at the P-Town Medical Clinic. Each night Nadine backs up the computerized accounting system to a tape and stores the tape in a locked file at her desk.
4. Barto Sayles prides himself on hiring quality workers who require little supervision. As office manager, Barto gives his employees full discretion over their tasks and for years has seen no reason to perform independent reviews of their work.
5. Desi West’s manager has told her to reduce costs. Desi decides to raise the deductible on the plant’s property insurance from $5,000 to $10,000. This cuts the property insurance premium in half. In a related move, she decides that bonding the plant’s employees is a waste of money since the company has not experienced any losses due to employee theft. Desi saves the entire amount of the bonding insurance premium by dropping the bonding insurance.
