Management Reporting Cases

During the semester you will complete three
Management Reporting C
ases that utilize the 201
3
Form
10
–
K for Blue Nile, Inc., accounting standards, and other materials. These case
s
are intended to teach
the following skills:
1.
Clo
se reading and critical evaluation of financial information.
2.
Application of financial accounting concepts to a real
–
world business.
3.
Ability to obtain and organize information, to identify and solve unstructured problems in
unfamiliar settings, and to exerc
ise good judgment in complex and ambiguous business
contexts.
4.
Appreciation of how real
–
world companies use financial information to make decisions and the
wide variety of decisions that financial accounting affects.
Elements of Blue Nile, Inc.
’
s Form 10
–
K
may be used during class discussions. The 201
3
Form 10
–
K
may be obtained from Blue Nile, Inc.
’
s website.
Preparation Guidelines
All Management Reporting Case assignments must:
?
Be type written (12
–
point font, single
–
spaced, and one
–
inch margins) using
standard business
memo format
. Please see the
“
Writing Business Memos
”
handout, which is posted on
Blackboard, for a description of this format.
?
Not exceed two pages in length.
?
Not include a cover sheet.
?
Use appropriate English spelling and usage.
?
Have se
rially numbered pages.
?
Spell out numbers from one to ten, except when used with mathematical, statistical, scientific,
or technical units and quantities (e.g., distances, weights, or measures). All other numbers are
to be expressed numerically.
?
Be organiz
ed, with appropriate headings and subheadings.
?
Use citations that are easy to follow when referring to the Form 10
–
K.

The Management Reporting Cases require individual reading, analysis, and writing. All Management Reporting Case assignments must: *Be type written (12-point font, single-spaced, and one-inch margins) using standard business memo format. Please see the ?Writing Business Memos handout posted on Blackboard. *Not exceed two pages in length. *Not include a cover sheet. *Use appropriate English spelling and usage. *Have serially numbered pages. *Spell out numbers from one to ten, except when used with mathematical, statistical, scientific, or technical units and quantities (e.g., distances, weights, or measures). All other numbers are to be expressed numerically. *Be organized, with appropriate headings and subheadings. *Use citations that are easy to follow when referring the Form 10-K.

This handout is also available online at the George Mason University Writing Center web site:
http://writing
center.gmu.edu
Updated 2006
Writing Business Memos
A memorandum (memo) is used to make annou
ncements, to confirm what transpired during
conversations or meetings, and to request or exch
ange information. It can
be directed to a few
specific people but often addresse
s a group, entire team or depart
ment. It is often written in
the first person (
I
or
we
) and ranges from very informal to extremely formal, depending on the
writer and the intended
recipients. Its topic is narrow a
nd should be apparent immediately.
Since it is a business document, it is important
that the writing be up-front and concise. A good
memo summarizes facts, analyzes pertinent i
ssues, makes a recommendation, and supports it. It
is easy to get overly technical and use unnecessary
words to describe a situation; attention to
clarity eliminates any need for the writer to go
into lengthy explanations
. Remember, too, that a
memo becomes the property of its recipients and is
not “private.” Don’t say anything in a memo
that you wouldn’t say in person.
STANDARD MEMO HEADING
Though the format for a memo may vary from one
organization to another, the standard heading
consists of a series of clearly labeled lines
that convey key information about the memo’s
contents and its distribution. The following are standard elements of a memo header:
Date:
The date on which the memo is distributed
To:
The person(s) to whom it is primarily
addressed (sometimes with job title)
cc:
Name(s) of anyone else who receives
a copy (sometimes with job title)
From:
Name of the writer, usually followed by his/he
r handwritten initials (sometimes with job
title)
Subject:
or
Re:
Concise statement of the memo’s topic
THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN WRITING MEMOS:
•
Identify your audience befo
re you begin to write.
•
Ask yourself, should this be persua
sive, directive, or technical?
•
Be concise and come straight to the point.
•
Maintain a business-like tone.
•
Use headings, bullets, and/or numbered lists
so key points stand out and the document is
easy to read.
•
As when writing anything, each paragraph should contain one main idea. Also, try to
keep each paragraph short.
•
Always proofread very carefully. Check all of your facts.
•
Don’t forget to identify any a
ttachments. If not, a recipien
t would not realize anything
was missing.
•
Never include a closing. The “From” line eliminates the need.

Management Reporting Case 2
In addition to the technical aspects of financial reporting, financial accountants and managers must
understand the ethical considerations and implications of their accounting judgments. An awareness of,
and a commitment to, e
thical professional practices is critical to the preparation and use of financial
reports by accountants, managers, investors, regulators, and other stakeholders.
The Chair of Blue Nile, Inc.
’
s Board of Directors has asked you to evaluate Blue Nile, Inc.
’
s 201
3
Form 10
–
K and determine how well it meets the CFA Institute
’
s Code of Ethics. This Code of Ethics
can be obtained
from
http://www.cfapubs.org/doi/pdf/10.2469/ccb.v2014.n6.1
.
Pre
pare a memo to the Chair that contains an analysis of how well the disclosures in the Form 10
–
K
carry out the values expressed in the CFA Institute
’
s Code of Ethics. Describe each Code standard and
discuss how it applies to Blue Nile, Inc.
’
s 201
3
Form 10
–
K. Use examples from the Form 10
–
K to
support your assertions. If necessary, suggest how the Form 10
–
K could be improved to better carry
out the Code standards.
Submission:
Please
submit your memo
in Blackboard via Turnitin
by 11:59 PM on the due date
.