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example of accounting case study

  • 23 Apr 2024
  • In Practice

Getting to Net Zero: The Climate Standards and Ecosystem the World Needs Now

What can companies and regulators do as climate predictions grow grimmer? They should measure impact, strengthen environmental institutions, and look to cities to lead, say Robert Kaplan, Shirley Lu, and Rosabeth Moss Kanter.

example of accounting case study

  • 17 Jan 2024
  • Research & Ideas

Are Companies Getting Away with 'Cheap Talk' on Climate Goals?

Many companies set emissions targets with great fanfare—and never meet them, says research by Shirley Lu and colleagues. But what if investors held businesses accountable for achieving their climate plans?

example of accounting case study

  • 23 Jun 2023

This Company Lets Employees Take Charge—Even with Life and Death Decisions

Dutch home health care organization Buurtzorg avoids middle management positions and instead empowers its nurses to care for patients as they see fit. Tatiana Sandino and Ethan Bernstein explore how removing organizational layers and allowing employees to make decisions can boost performance.

example of accounting case study

  • 07 Feb 2023

Supervisor of Sandwiches? More Companies Inflate Titles to Avoid Extra Pay

What does an assistant manager of bingo actually manage? Increasingly, companies are falsely classifying hourly workers as managers to avoid paying an estimated $4 billion a year in overtime, says research by Lauren Cohen.

example of accounting case study

  • 13 Jan 2023

Are Companies Actually Greener—or Are They All Talk?

More companies than ever use ESG reports to showcase their social consciousness. But are these disclosures meaningful or just marketing? Research by Ethan Rouen delves into the murky world of voluntary reporting and offers advice for investors.

example of accounting case study

  • 24 Feb 2022

Want to Prevent the Next Hospital Bed Crisis? Enlist the SEC

After two years of COVID-19, many hospitals still haven't figured out how to manage the overwhelming wave of patients that flood ICUs during each surge. Regina Herzlinger and Richard Boxer offer a novel solution. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

example of accounting case study

  • 28 Feb 2021
  • Working Paper Summaries

Connecting Expected Stock Returns to Accounting Valuation Multiples: A Primer

This paper introduces a framework to investors and researchers interested in accounting-based valuation. The framework connects expected stock returns to accounting valuation anchors. It can be generalized to evaluate an enterprise's expected returns, and can be adapted to correct for the use of stale accounting data.

Measuring Employment Impact: Applications and Cases

Employment impact-weighted accounting statements quantify the positive and negative effects of firm practices for employees and the broader labor community. This analysis of companies in different sectors shows how these statements are beneficial both at an aggregate and more specific level.

  • 02 Nov 2020

Accounting for Organizational Employment Impact

Impact-weighted accounting methodology standardizes previously disparate measures of impact, in this case the impact of employment. This paper’s methodology and analysis of Intel, Apple, Costco, and Merck shows the feasibility of measuring firm employment impact for insight into firm practices and performance. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

  • 20 Sep 2020

Updating the Balanced Scorecard for Triple Bottom Line Strategies

Society increasingly expects businesses to help solve problems of environmental degradation, inequality, and poverty. This paper explains how the Balanced Scorecard and Strategy Map should be modified to reflect businesses’ expanded role for society.

  • 24 Aug 2020

Performance Hacking: The Contagious Business Practice that Corrodes Corporate Culture, Undermines Core Values, and Damages Great Companies

Performance hacking (or p-hacking for short) means overzealous advocacy of positive interpretations to the point of detachment from actuals. In business as in research there are strong incentives to p-hack. If p-hacking behaviours are not checked, a crash becomes inevitable.

example of accounting case study

  • 27 Feb 2020
  • Sharpening Your Skills

How Following Best Business Practices Can Improve Health Care

Why do Harvard Business School scholars spend so much time and money analyzing health care delivery? Open for comment; 0 Comments.

  • 18 Feb 2020

A Preliminary Framework for Product Impact-Weighted Accounts

Although there is growing interest in environmental, social, and governance measurement, the impact of company operations is emphasized over product use. A framework like this one that captures a product’s reach, accessibility, quality, optionality, environmental use emissions, and end of life recyclability allows for a systematic methodology that can be applied to companies across many industries.

  • 16 Oct 2019

Core Earnings? New Data and Evidence

Using a novel dataset of earnings-related disclosures embedded in the 10-Ks, this paper shows how detailed financial statement analysis can produce a measure of core earnings that is more persistent than traditional earnings measures and forecasts future performance. Analysts and market participants are slow to appreciate the importance of transitory earnings.

example of accounting case study

  • 28 May 2019

Investor Lawsuits Against Auditors Are Falling, and That's Bad News for Capital Markets

It's becoming more difficult for investors to sue corporate auditors. The result? A weakening of trust in US capital markets, says Suraj Srinivasan. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

  • 22 Jan 2019

Corporate Sustainability: A Strategy?

Between 2012 and 2017, companies within most industries adopted an increasingly similar set of sustainability practices. This study examines the interplay between common and strategic practices. This dynamic distinction helps for understanding whether and how sustainability practices can help companies establish a competitive advantage over time.

  • 03 Jan 2019

Financing the Response to Climate Change: The Pricing and Ownership of US Green Bonds

Green bonds are used for environmentally friendly purposes like renewable energy. Complementing previous research, this paper explores the US corporate and municipal green bond and shows that a subset of investors is willing to give up some return to hold green bonds.

example of accounting case study

  • 03 Dec 2018

How Companies Can Increase Market Rewards for Sustainability Efforts

There is a connection between public sentiment about a company and how the market rewards its corporate social performance, according to George Serafeim. Is your company undervalued? Open for comment; 0 Comments.

  • 19 Nov 2018

Lazy Prices

The most comprehensive information windows that firms provide to the markets—in the form of their mandated annual and quarterly filings—have changed dramatically over time, becoming significantly longer and more complex. When firms break from their routine phrasing and content, this action contains rich information for future firm stock returns and outcomes.

example of accounting case study

  • 24 Sep 2018

How Cost Accounting is Improving Healthcare in Rural Haiti

The cost of healthcare in rural Haiti was found to vary widely, even inside the same health organization. A pioneering cost accounting system co-developed by Robert Kaplan was called in to determine the cause. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

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Free business case studies to bring real-life examples into the classroom

Searching for materials to bring into the classroom can be time consuming. At CPA Canada, we've made it a little easier by providing free case studies you can use in your next business or management accounting course. 

Developed by academics and industry leaders, our case studies provide high-quality content in the areas of strategy management, financial management and reporting, and performance management and measurement. 

Use them to complement your lessons and keep students engaged. Give your students valuable insights from real-life companies that they can apply in the work force.

Students will learn how to address day-to-day operations and challenges and improve a company’s financial performance.

Use them in your classroom today!

Available topics

Strategy management, strategy mapping: saskatchewan green roofing (sgr) .

Use this case study to illustrate how focusing on community support, the environment, and operational excellence led to a successful strategy mapping implementation.

Performance Management and Measurement

Business model design: nespresso.

Inspire your students by showing them how a shift in strategy is what Nespresso needed to achieve success and redefine the coffee industry.

Process-based management: ACME

Follow the journey of a utility company as it implements a process-based management plan.

Scenario planning: Lessons from the field

Don't wait for disaster to strike. Use these examples to walk your students through a six-step process to implement a strong decision-making model.

Financial Management and Financial Reporting 

Future value drivers: lessons from the field.

Explore the power of invisible assets and how various companies turned them into profit.

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Financial Statements Examples – Amazon Case Study

Financial Statements are informational records detailing a company’s business activities over a period.

Tanner Hertz

Austin has been working with Ernst & Young for over four years, starting as a senior consultant before being promoted to a manager. At EY, he focuses on strategy, process and operations improvement, and business transformation consulting services focused on health provider, payer, and public health organizations. Austin specializes in the health industry but supports clients across multiple industries.

Austin has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration in Strategy, Management and Organization, both from the University of Michigan.

  • What Are Financial Statements?

Amazon’s Balance Sheet

Amazon’s income statement, amazon’s cash flow statement, usage of financial statements, amazon case study faqs, what are financial statements.

Investors need financial statements to gain a full understanding of how a company operates in relation to competitors. In the case of Amazon , profitability metrics used to analyze most businesses cannot be used to compare the company to businesses in the same sector.

Amazon remains low in profitability continuously to reinvest in growing operations and new business opportunities. Instead, investors can point to the metrics signified in Amazon’s cash flow statement to demonstrate growth in revenue generation over the long term.

There are three main types of financial statements, all of which provide a current or potential investor with a different viewpoint of a company’s financials. These include the following below. 

Balance Sheet

The balance sheet represents a company’s total assets, liabilities, and shareholder ’s equity at a certain time. 

Assets are all items owned by a company with tangible or intangible value, while liabilities are all debts a company must repay in the future.

Shareholders' equity is simply calculated by subtracting total assets from total liabilities. This represents the book value of a business.

Income Statement

The income statement represents a company’s total generated income minus expenses over a specified range of time. This can be 3 months in a quarterly report or a year in an annual report . 

Revenue includes the total money a company makes over a set time. 

This includes operating revenue from business activities and non-operating revenue, such as interest from a company bank account.

Expenses include the total amount of money spent by a company over time. These can be grouped into two separate categories, Primary expenses occur from generating revenue, and secondary expenses appear from debt financing and selling off held assets.

Cash Flow Statement

The cash flow statement represents a company’s total cash inflows and outflows over a specified time range, similar to the income statement. Cash in a business can come from operating, investing, or financing activities. 

Operating activities are events in which the business produces or spends money to sell its products or services. This would be income from the sales of goods or services or interest payments and expenses such as wages and rent payments for company facilities.

Investing activities include selling or purchasing assets, which can include investing in business equipment or purchasing short-term securities. Financing activities include the payment of loans and the issuance of dividends or stock repurchases.

Key Takeaways

  • Financial statements have information relevant for investors to understand the operations and profitability of a business over a specified time.
  • Fundamental analysis typically focuses on the main three financial statements: the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement.
  • Although analyzing business financials can provide an unaltered outlook into the operations of a business, the numbers don’t always demonstrate the full story, and investors should always conduct thorough due diligence beyond pure statistics.
  • Investors must ensure all of a company's financial statements are analyzed before forming a thesis, as inconsistencies in one sheet may be caused by an unusual one-time expense or dictated by a global measure out of the company’s control (ex., COVID-19).

Now that we have a general understanding of the financial statements, we can begin to take a look at Amazon’s most recent quarterly filing. 

Company filings can be found by using EDGAR (database of regulatory filings for investors by the SEC) or from Amazon’s investor relations website.

example of accounting case study

Before we begin analyzing this sheet, it is important to take note of the statement just below the title, indicating that the data is being displayed in millions. 

This can throw off newcomers, who may be very confused upon seeing Amazon’s revenue is $53,888. Amazon’s quarterly revenue is indeed $53.8 billion as calculated in millions.

When looking at Amazon’s assets, it is important to note the difference between current and total assets. Current assets are categorized separately due to the expectation that they can be converted to cash within the fiscal year.

Current assets can be used in the current ratio to analyze Amazon’s ability to pay off its short-term obligations. The current ratio formula is:

Current Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities

Amazon’s current ratio sits at 0.92, which is below the e-commerce industry average of 2.09 as of March 2023 (Source: Macrotrends ).

This could mean that Amazon is potentially overvalued compared to competitors, but this is only one metric and should ultimately be all of an investment decision, especially considering the capital-intensive nature of Amazon’s business model.

It is also important to understand all of the vocabulary used to detail items in Amazon’s balance sheet. Some of the major items’ definitions can be found below:

Assets are classified as follows.

  • Cash and cash equivalents: Assets of high liquidity, such as certificates of deposit or treasury bonds.
  • Marketable securities: Liquid securities can be sold in the public market, such as stock in another company or corporate bonds.
  • Accounts receivable (A/R): Money owed to the company that has not been received yet, such as from items previously bought on credit.
  • Inventories: Unsold finished or unfinished products from a company that has yet to be sold.
  • Property and equipment (PP&E): Assets owned by a company that is used for business activities. It may include factory assets or other types of real estate.
  • Operating leases: Assets rented by a business for operational purposes. Calculated as the net present value on the balance sheet.
  • Goodwill: Calculates intangible assets that cannot be sold or directly measured, such as customer reputation and loyalty.

Liabilities are of the following types.

  • Accounts payable (A/P): Obligations accrued through business activities that must be paid off shortly.
  • Accrued expenses: Current liabilities for a business that must be paid in the next 12 months.
  • Unearned revenue: This represents revenue earned by a business that has not yet received. Prevents profits from being overstated for a specific period.
  • Long-term debt: Debts in which payments are required over 12 months.
  • Lease liabilities: Payment obligations of a lease taken out by a company.
  • Stockholders’ equity: Net worth of a business/asset value to shareholders.
  • Retained earnings: Net profit remaining for a company after all liabilities are paid.

Amazon’s next statement in its quarterly filing is the income statement. The income statement is useful for comparing a company’s growth over time and matching it up against competitors in the same or different sectors.

example of accounting case study

An essential factor to note when looking at a company’s income statement is whether its revenue and net income are consistently growing year over year. Investors should also be aware of Wall Street expectations, as they can heavily influence the business’s share price.

Many important ratios are used when analyzing a company’s income statement. Some of the most notable ones include:

  • EV/EBITDA = (Market Capitalization + Debt - Cash) / (Revenue - Cost of Goods Sold - Operating Expenses)
  • Gross Margin =  (Revenue - Cost of Goods Sold) / Revenue
  • Operating Margin = Operating Income / Revenue
  • Net Margin = Net Income / Revenue
  • Return on Equity (ROE) = Net Income / Average Shareholder Equity (End Value + Beginning Value / 2)
  • Earnings Per Share = Net Income / Shares Outstanding

Let’s use these ratios to conduct a comparables analysis between Amazon and eBay, a company at a much lower valuation relative to the e-commerce giant.  Here are their ratios side-by-side, as of Amazon’s Q1 2023 and eBay’s Q1 2023 filings:

* = EV/EBITDA ratios sourced from finbox.com , March 2023 trailing twelve months (TTM)

Looking at these statistics on paper, it is clear to see that Amazon seems overvalued compared to eBay due to lower margins, negative earnings per share, and an EV/EBITDA multiple over three times as high as the business. 

However, pure stats on an income statement cannot fully justify purchasing one company or another. The statement merely shows what a company is doing without a corporate spin.

One thing to note that is unique about Amazon’s business model is how the company invests huge amounts of capital into R&D and technology to expand its operations continuously.

Their numbers don’t account for the massive cash flows and growth opportunities that the business takes advantage of.

When conducting fundamental analysis, an investor must consider all aspects of a business beyond the financial statements, including comparing business models to competitors and setting benchmarks encompassing the overall sector.

Amazon’s cash flow statement is where the company begins to shine compared to its competitors in the online commerce sector. The company has consistently increased cash flow from operating activities and constantly returns value to shareholders in the form of capital appreciation.

example of accounting case study

It is notable for focusing on what the company is doing inside of its cash flow statements to get a better picture of why its income or stock price is trending a certain way. 

For example, an explosive drop in net income in an otherwise stable company could be due to mismanagement or hampered growth but is most likely due to M&A activity charged in a quarter that may be skewing the numbers. The cash flow statement clears this up.

Compared to 2022, Amazon has increased its annual cash from operating activities by over 38% from the previous year based on a 12-month rolling basis.

This increase has also resulted in an 11.7% increase in investment expenditures, which should allow Amazon to continue growing faster than similar companies.

In comparison, according to eBay’s most recent 10-K filing , the company generated an 82% growth in operating cash flow (OCF), however, this stat can be very misleading due to the company’s lack of investment in processes such as R&D and SG&A.

In 2022, the company reported $92M in investing activities, representing only 26% of operating cash flows. Amazon reported over $37.6B in investing activities representing approximately 88% of its OCF.

The income statement can misrepresent how well a company is doing, as while eBay has a higher net income, Amazon strategically reinvests its cash flows into R&D and other expenses to produce more over time continuously. 

What makes the cash flow statement so essential to fundamental analysis is the fact that it is tough to manipulate its numbers through financial engineering or clever accounting. 

The statement purely shows precisely where all of the money a company makes is being used. Many investors use the cash flow statement to tell the true financial health of a business, as profits can often not be indicative of a growth company's value.

The stock price of a company can easily be swayed by sentiment or the market cycle , and the income statement can be skewed through large one-time transactions or large amounts of financed revenue. The amount of money in the possession of a company is very hard to adjust.

Amazon currently has much better growth prospects than eBay and thus sells at a higher premium in the open market , but you wouldn’t understand why unless you took in the full picture of the company.

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Everything You Need To Master Valuation Modeling

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Financial statements are excellent tools to learn more about a business in terms of an overall market or sector of operation. Using financial statements to determine the current value of a business is essential for understanding a company’s stock price.

Along with the ratios mentioned, analysts often form their methodologies over time to focus on companies that are strong in specific financial circumstances. 

Tools such as stock screeners can sort millions of companies by certain factors. For instance, some investors may seek defensive companies with consistent dividend growth over long periods, while others may seek growth companies with the most innovative new technology.

Investors should keep all of this information in mind, as well as pay attention to the reports of analysts with varied performance outlooks. It is essential to seek out the opinions of multiple sources before establishing an opinion on a business.

Looking at reports from analysts specializing in the industry can also ensure that your expectations are reasonable compared to industry experts. 

If your thesis results in Amazon growing its revenues by 20% a year while analysts across the country are only expecting growth in the range of 5-7%, it could be a sign that you may have overlooked a key factor in your due diligence .

The overall goal of using financial statements is to fully understand the company you are investing in to justify a position. Although your views may slightly differ from experts, quality due diligence can result in somewhat varied outcomes based on an investor’s outlook for the future.

Using EBITDA instead of net income strips away the capital structure and taxation of a business to analyze the pure earnings potential of a business. This is more practical for investors to see the general trajectory of a company’s income over time.

For example, companies may decide on completing a merger or acquiring another company. This will require a company to report its current and acquired assets on its balance sheet .

Over time, these assets must be recorded as expenses through the use of depreciation, which is the process of deducting from gross revenue to account for the decreasing value of company plant assets. 

If these assets increase in value over time, this could decrease revenues over time not due to company performance but because of increased prices for equipment outside of the company’s control. 

Without looking at EBITDA, company financials may paint a completely different picture with the use of net income that may or may not be justified at all.

ROE is an important metric to distinguish how good a company is at generating profits with investor capital compared to its share price and competitors. It is yet another indicator used to analyze the trajectory of a business over time. 

Using ROE can also demonstrate how much financing a company requires to generate its revenue and if investors are really getting a great return for the amount of money shareholders contribute. 

A startup that has recently gone public on the stock exchange may have a very low to negative ROE compared to an established company. Still, the startup may have the margins and growth to justify its valuation . 

Much like every financial ratio, ROE doesn’t demonstrate the entire story of a business, and the full picture of a business must be considered to decide on an equity investment.

To proliferate and take market share from competitors , Amazon undercuts prices on many products to decrease competition and remain the top player in the industry.

Amazon, like many other companies recently since the pandemic, has also faced significant increases in operating expenses , thus lowering operating and net margins in the short term. Once Amazon begins to slow expansion, these margins are expected to rise.

Amazon’s net income is very low for many of the same reasons. The company is profitable yet is constantly reinvesting into new businesses and products to further grow cash flows for future expenditures.

Amazon investors are not focused on income but rather on its ability to continuously grow in the long term. Growth companies like Amazon do not issue dividends because they believe that the money is better reinvested in business operations.

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Researched and Authored by Tanner Hertz | LinkedIn

Free Resources

To continue learning and advancing your career, check out these additional helpful  WSO  resources:

  • Accounting Conservatism
  • Accounting Equation
  • Accounting Ratios
  • Three Financial Statements in FP&A
  • Working Capital Cycle

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Teaching Resources Library

Accounting Case Studies

example of accounting case study

The University of Manchester home

Case studies in accounting and business management

Professor Robert W Scapens, Division of Accounting and Finance, Manchester Business School.

The research methods books of Yin are frequently cited as references to justify the use of case study research. In his early work he defined a case study as:

  • an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context;
  • when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident; and
  • in which multiple sources of evidence are used (Yin, 1984, p. 23).

However, case studies are used in many different ways in the various disciplines of the social sciences, and across the humanities. In accounting, and business management more generally, case studies are frequently used to understand the nature of accounting and management practices. Frequently, such studies are criticised as “not generalisable”. However, such criticism is grounded in a rather positivistic view of case study research, whereas in accounting and business management case studies are used in a broad range of different methodological approaches.

In simple terms it is possible to distinguish positive to interpretive case studies. Both types of studies fit Yin’s definition (summarised above), but they use case studies in very different ways. Positive case studies present objective facts which should ultimately lead to generalisable findings, but further quantitative work is usually needed for (statistical) generalisation. Hence, the case studies can only be exploratory - providing insights and propositions which could be tested through statistical analysis of large samples. In contrast, interpretive case studies are grounded in subjective understandings, which provide local explanations of the social phenomena of interest. Hence, such case studies should seek to be explanatory; providing ways of understanding the nature of accounting and management practices as social phenomena.

Two recent accounting case studies which clearly illustrate these differences are:

  • Kennedy, F.A. and Widener, S.K., “A Control Framework: Insights from Evidence on Lean Accounting”, Management Accounting Research, 19.4, (2008) 301–323.
  • Ahrens, T. and Chapman, C.S. “Management Accounting as Practice” Accounting, Organizations and Society, 32.1-2 (2007) 1-27.

The book edited by Chris Humphrey and Bill Lee B. (eds.), The Real Life Guide to Accounting Research, [Kidlington, Oxford: Elsevier, 2004], contains various contributions which examine the practical issues of doing research, and includes a number of chapters on various aspects of case study research. In particular, Chapter 15 (by Scapens) discusses ways of doing “Doing Case Study Research”.

Staff using case studies

Within the Manchester Business School there are many people who use a wide range of different types of case studies. In the Accounting and Finance Division (interpretive) case studies are used primarily by the people in the Management Accounting and Information Systems group.

Management Accounting

  • Professor Sven Model
  • Professor Ted O’Leary
  • Prof Robert W Scapens
  • Dr Jodie Moll
  • Dr ChunLei Yang

Information Systems

  • Professor Mike Newman
  • Dr Brian Nicholson
  • Dr Heba El-Sayed

Download PDF slides of the presentation ' What is a case study in accounting and business management? '

Course Resources

Case studies.

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A set of in-class activities is available for some of the modules in this course to support face-to-face and hybrid classes. These are not already built into the assignment tool of your learning management system (Canvas, Blackboard, etc.), but they can be downloaded for use or previewed below:

  • Module 1: Case Study: Harley-Davidson, Inc.
  • Module 2: Case Study: Harley Davidson
  • Module 3: Case Study: Burton Snowboards
  • Module 4: Case Study: Janus Motorcycles
  • Module 5: Case Study: MOD Pizza
  • Module 6: Case Study: Auto Manufacturing
  • Module 7: Case Study: Zero-Based Budgeting
  • Module 8: Case Study: Ski Santa Fe
  • Module 9: Case Study: Highland Park
  • Module 10: Case Study: Wells Fargo
  • Case Studies. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
  • Classroom. Authored by : ProSymbols. Provided by : Noun Project. Located at : https://thenounproject.com/term/classroom/520781/ . License : CC BY: Attribution

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Hertz CEO Kathryn Marinello with CFO Jamere Jackson and other members of the executive team in 2017

Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies of 2021

Two cases about Hertz claimed top spots in 2021's Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies

Two cases on the uses of debt and equity at Hertz claimed top spots in the CRDT’s (Case Research and Development Team) 2021 top 40 review of cases.

Hertz (A) took the top spot. The case details the financial structure of the rental car company through the end of 2019. Hertz (B), which ranked third in CRDT’s list, describes the company’s struggles during the early part of the COVID pandemic and its eventual need to enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 

The success of the Hertz cases was unprecedented for the top 40 list. Usually, cases take a number of years to gain popularity, but the Hertz cases claimed top spots in their first year of release. Hertz (A) also became the first ‘cooked’ case to top the annual review, as all of the other winners had been web-based ‘raw’ cases.

Besides introducing students to the complicated financing required to maintain an enormous fleet of cars, the Hertz cases also expanded the diversity of case protagonists. Kathyrn Marinello was the CEO of Hertz during this period and the CFO, Jamere Jackson is black.

Sandwiched between the two Hertz cases, Coffee 2016, a perennial best seller, finished second. “Glory, Glory, Man United!” a case about an English football team’s IPO made a surprise move to number four.  Cases on search fund boards, the future of malls,  Norway’s Sovereign Wealth fund, Prodigy Finance, the Mayo Clinic, and Cadbury rounded out the top ten.

Other year-end data for 2021 showed:

  • Online “raw” case usage remained steady as compared to 2020 with over 35K users from 170 countries and all 50 U.S. states interacting with 196 cases.
  • Fifty four percent of raw case users came from outside the U.S..
  • The Yale School of Management (SOM) case study directory pages received over 160K page views from 177 countries with approximately a third originating in India followed by the U.S. and the Philippines.
  • Twenty-six of the cases in the list are raw cases.
  • A third of the cases feature a woman protagonist.
  • Orders for Yale SOM case studies increased by almost 50% compared to 2020.
  • The top 40 cases were supervised by 19 different Yale SOM faculty members, several supervising multiple cases.

CRDT compiled the Top 40 list by combining data from its case store, Google Analytics, and other measures of interest and adoption.

All of this year’s Top 40 cases are available for purchase from the Yale Management Media store .

And the Top 40 cases studies of 2021 are:

1.   Hertz Global Holdings (A): Uses of Debt and Equity

2.   Coffee 2016

3.   Hertz Global Holdings (B): Uses of Debt and Equity 2020

4.   Glory, Glory Man United!

5.   Search Fund Company Boards: How CEOs Can Build Boards to Help Them Thrive

6.   The Future of Malls: Was Decline Inevitable?

7.   Strategy for Norway's Pension Fund Global

8.   Prodigy Finance

9.   Design at Mayo

10. Cadbury

11. City Hospital Emergency Room

13. Volkswagen

14. Marina Bay Sands

15. Shake Shack IPO

16. Mastercard

17. Netflix

18. Ant Financial

19. AXA: Creating the New CR Metrics

20. IBM Corporate Service Corps

21. Business Leadership in South Africa's 1994 Reforms

22. Alternative Meat Industry

23. Children's Premier

24. Khalil Tawil and Umi (A)

25. Palm Oil 2016

26. Teach For All: Designing a Global Network

27. What's Next? Search Fund Entrepreneurs Reflect on Life After Exit

28. Searching for a Search Fund Structure: A Student Takes a Tour of Various Options

30. Project Sammaan

31. Commonfund ESG

32. Polaroid

33. Connecticut Green Bank 2018: After the Raid

34. FieldFresh Foods

35. The Alibaba Group

36. 360 State Street: Real Options

37. Herman Miller

38. AgBiome

39. Nathan Cummings Foundation

40. Toyota 2010

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Accounting Case Studies Samples For Students

230 samples of this type

Regardless of how high you rate your writing skills, it's always a worthy idea to check out a competently written Case Study example, especially when you're handling a sophisticated Accounting topic. This is precisely the case when WowEssays.com directory of sample Case Studies on Accounting will come in useful. Whether you need to think up a fresh and meaningful Accounting Case Study topic or examine the paper's structure or formatting peculiarities, our samples will provide you with the required data.

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Changing Role Of The Management Accountant And The Use Of Financial Information Case Studies Example

Introduction to management accounting, managerial accounting at mars inc case study examples.

The organization chosen for the purpose of this assignment is Mars Inc. The reason for choosing this organization is that my relative Mrs. Rachna Kapoor have been working as an accounting professional for 5 years in their Cost Accounting and Budget Management department in London, United Kingdom.

About Mars Inc.

Dunkin donuts case study example, introduction.

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Good Case Study On Accounting Analysis Of Baidu Inc

Business analysis using financial statement, standards of auditing case study example, international standards of auditing, good most kind regards case study example.

Please find the below report analyzing different costing techniques and how they can be effective to your company. It is my sincere hope that the contents of this paper will be useful to Mahir International now and in future.

Intern, Mahir international.

Executive Summary.3

Introduction 3 & 4 Part A: Calculations (in excel) 7 -12 Part B: Analytical Discussions 4 - 7 Recommendations 6.

References12

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In the United States, Federation of Accounting Standard Bodies sets Generally Accepted Accounting Principles(GAAP) and outside United States,International Accounting Standards Board, sets the International Financial Reporting Standards(IFRS). The approach carried out in IFRS and GAAP accounting standards is different. There are many accounting treatments for various transaction that differ under both of the accounting standards.

LIFO Inventory accounting is not allowed under IFRS. However, US Firms following GAAP accounting standards are required to dislcose LIFO reserve in the footnotes of financial statements. LIFO Reserve = COGS LIFO - COGS FIFO

This adjustment enhances the comparability between US GAAP and IFRS firms.

Financial statements case study example.

Part IGenerally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP) GAAP are accounting standards that are used for preparation, presentation and reporting financial statements for public, private, government and nonprofit making organizations. The purpose of these rules is to ensure that the reporting of financial statements is transparent and observes consistency. This is a measure to ensure that those relying on the reporting make prudent economic decisions. Financial statements covered by GAAP include the balance sheet, income statements and the cash flow statements.

International Accounting Standards (IFRS)

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The current paper examines the issues of strategic management accounting including stages of strategic management process, the roles of management accounting, concept of opportunity costs, concept of relevant and irrelevant costs, cost classification and practical application of breakeven analysis. Besides, it contains examples illustrating some of the above listed concepts. The claims are supported with relevant arguments; the examples reflect the issues associated with running business in contemporary market environment. Each task is divided into sections related to different parts of each question. Each part of the question contains appropriate conclusions.

Main Stages of Strategic Management Process

Case Study On Managerial Accounting vs Financial Accounting

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Destin Bras Products Co. (Destin) is a company engaged in the manufacture of valves, pumps and flow controllers. Destin is a highly competitive company, having at its helm Steve Abbott, John Scott and Roland Guidry and is a local success story in Destin, Florida.

Importance Of Principle Based Conceptual Framework In Financial Reporting Case Study

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1. Draw a system diagram showing the product and information flows between WGD and FastFit, starting with FastFit placement of an order through when it makes payment for goods received. This diagram will represent each company as a circle for a total of two circles.

Sample Case Study On Enron Case Study

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In 2000, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Qwest, Joseph Nacchio, was charged civil and criminal liabilities after it has been found that he violated the provisions of GAAP against fraud and insider trading. He was sentenced to six years in prison in 2007 and was slapped with a $19 Million fine and a forfeiture order for proven illegal stock sales transactions worth $52 Million. In this memo, the author discusses the different aspects of Qwest’s case, emphasizing the role of GAAP and the PCAOB.

Outsourcing Process Case Studies Example

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U.S president purchases a Mercedes Benz C230 Mercedes is made in Germany therefore it will have to be imported to the United States. This is a debit in the balance of payment account. Importing the Mercedes is a transfer of good meaning the current account will be the one to be affected.

U.S resident purchases Chevrolet Impala

Chevrolet is a U.S based firm. Therefore, this is a no entry to the country’s balance of payment statement.

Foreigner purchases GE dryer

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<<Name>> <<Professor Name>> <<Subject>> <<Date>>

Free Case Study About Calculations

The production director of Wilmslow Ltd wants to schedule production for quarter 3 (the twelve weeks ending 17 September) and asks you to use the revised information to prepare the following: - The revised production budget for Alphas and Betas;

Closing stock is 5 days and 10 days of sales for Q4, for alpha and beta respectively, which is 20% more than the new estimated demand, so the Q4 estimated demand is 120% of 2000 and 2400 respectively =120/100*2000=2400 2400/12=200 units (12 weeks because each week is 5 days)..For Alpha

Informational Interviews Case Study Examples

The following are interviews aimed at establishing the pros, as well as cons of having certain types of jobs in a company. As such, the assessment will help identify whether the field whose professions will be interviewed are worth pursuing. Three professions will be identified. They will include; a salesman, a financial accountant, and an IT technician.

Personal Information

Business Address P.O Box 275-20394 Street Address 3700 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118 City Belmont . State California Zip Code LOS ANGELES CA 90087

Business Email: Business PhoneNumber: 1-877-242-1728

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COMMENTS

  1. Financial Statements Examples

    The first of our financial statements examples is the cash flow statement. The cash flow statement shows the changes in a company's cash position during a fiscal period. The cash flow statement uses the net income figure from the income statement and adjusts it for non-cash expenses. This is done to find the change in cash from the beginning ...

  2. A Collection of Case Studies on Financial Accounting Concepts

    This thesis is compiled of twelve case studies, each on a unique accounting concept. Each case study was analyzed in a group of two to four students, and each student completed a write-up answering the case questions and examining the proper accounting treatment for each issue in the case. Case topics included financial statement

  3. Accounting Articles, Research, & Case Studies

    by David Freiberg, Katie Panella, George Serafeim, and T. Robert Zochowski. Impact-weighted accounting methodology standardizes previously disparate measures of impact, in this case the impact of employment. This paper's methodology and analysis of Intel, Apple, Costco, and Merck shows the feasibility of measuring firm employment impact for ...

  4. A Compilation of Accounting Case Studies

    The following thesis is a compilation of case studies in various areas of financial accounting that I completed over the course of two semesters under the advisory of Dr. Victoria Dickinson. During the class we reviewed different case studies that focused on various accounting concepts and principles that we were learning about in Intermediate

  5. A Compilation of Case Studies in Financial Accounting

    contract with the student when the customer orders a beer and the bartender says. it will cost $5. Step 2: Identify the performance obligations in the contract: The performance. obligation in the contract is for the bartender to give the student a beer. Step 3: Determine the contract price: The contract price is $5.

  6. Free business case studies to bring real-life examples into the

    Developed by academics and industry leaders, our case studies provide high-quality content in the areas of strategy management, financial management and reporting, and performance management and measurement. Use them to complement your lessons and keep students engaged. Give your students valuable insights from real-life companies that they can ...

  7. Financial Statements Examples

    Amazon reported over $37.6B in investing activities representing approximately 88% of its OCF. The income statement can misrepresent how well a company is doing, as while eBay has a higher net income, Amazon strategically reinvests its cash flows into R&D and other expenses to produce more over time continuously.

  8. (PDF) Case Study Research in Accounting

    Examples of case study research in managerial accounting, auditing, and financial accounting illustrate the strengths of case studies for theory development and their potential for generating new ...

  9. PDF Management Accounting Case Study: An Interactive CGMA Business Game

    22 Humble Pies -Company and Product Info Small business loan -60,000 sq. ft. facility Revs - $6.1M } Projected $9.3M -new major customer Employees and Plant 8 salaried employees, 50 hourly@ $8.50 - $12.50 per hour; 3- 4 warehouse workers -2 shifts/day; 2 supervisors/shift Plant capacity - currently $1M/month; with $500k investments

  10. Accounting Case Studies

    Accounting Case Studies. Teaching Resources Library Amazon.com, Inc. Teaching Resources Library Auswide Bank. Teaching Resources Library Bloomin' Brands. Teaching Resources Library Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. Teaching Resources Library Spartan Race Inc. Teaching Resources Library The National Hockey League's 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

  11. Management Accounting

    Case Studies. Here you can download a number of additional case studies to help you in your studies of Management Accounting. These are available in either Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF formats. Lecturers: Solutions and Teaching Notes to accompany these additional case studies are available from the Lecturer Centre of this OLC.

  12. PDF Case studies in accounting research

    Case studies in accounting research BILL LEE and CHRISTOPHER HUMPHREY Abstract: This chapter provides a personalised analysis of the historical development of case ... For example, Scapens (2004, p. 257) reports: "As editor-in-chief of Management Accounting Research I have encouraged the use of case studies and in the journal's first ten ...

  13. Case studies in accounting and business management

    In contrast, interpretive case studies are grounded in subjective understandings, which provide local explanations of the social phenomena of interest. Hence, such case studies should seek to be explanatory; providing ways of understanding the nature of accounting and management practices as social phenomena. Two recent accounting case studies ...

  14. PDF A Handbook of Case Studies in Finance

    I. Glossary of Terms 4 Balance Sheet In financial accounting, a balance sheet or statement of financial position is a summary of the financial balances of a sole proprietorship, a business

  15. Case Studies

    These are not already built into the assignment tool of your learning management system (Canvas, Blackboard, etc.), but they can be downloaded for use or previewed below: Module 1: Case Study: Harley-Davidson, Inc. Module 2: Case Study: Harley Davidson. Module 3: Case Study: Burton Snowboards. Module 4: Case Study: Janus Motorcycles.

  16. Big 4 Accounting Firm

    8 hours of 1:1 Zoom sessions with MBB coach. All Access Pass: 600+ cases, 27 chatbot cases, 10K+ math/structure drills, 12 industry overview primers, 9 video courses. Resume and Cover Letter edits. 1 Year Membership to MC Community. Next cohort begins: May 7. Learn More. $2050 Buy Now. Already purchased the Case Library?

  17. Case Studies of Accounting Concepts and Principles

    The following thesis contains solutions to case studies performed on various accounting standards in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, GAAP. Each case study focuses on a different area of financial reporting with some focusing on the principles and others on the documentation. The case studies were done in conjunction

  18. Case Study Method: A Step-by-Step Guide for Business Researchers

    Rather than discussing case study in general, a targeted step-by-step plan with real-time research examples to conduct a case study is given. Introduction In recent years, a great increase in the number of students working on their final dissertation across business and management disciplines has been noticed ( Lee & Saunders, 2017 ).

  19. Accounting Case Study Examples With Solutions By Ph.D ...

    Our Professional Writers Covers Major Topics Under Accounting Case Study Help. When you ask us for help in writing accounting case study, we ensure to provide the right assistance with the papers. You can expect the following type of accounting case study assignment from our experts: Book Keeping. Variance Accounting.

  20. Accounting Firm Automation: 10 Examples + 4 Case Studies

    4 Case Studies Of Accounting Firm Automation. 1. Transforming Multiple Business Processes At Johnston Carmichael. In the past, the team at Johnston Carmichael made use of a client portal solution that was "very basic, clunky, and not intuitive for users," according to Yvonne Irwin, the company's director of client services and projects.

  21. Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies of 2021

    Fifty four percent of raw case users came from outside the U.S.. The Yale School of Management (SOM) case study directory pages received over 160K page views from 177 countries with approximately a third originating in India followed by the U.S. and the Philippines. Twenty-six of the cases in the list are raw cases.

  22. Accounting Case Study Examples That Really Inspire

    230 samples of this type. Regardless of how high you rate your writing skills, it's always a worthy idea to check out a competently written Case Study example, especially when you're handling a sophisticated Accounting topic. This is precisely the case when WowEssays.com directory of sample Case Studies on Accounting will come in useful.