Nathan Johnson’s Rental Car Reimbursement
CONTENT REQUIREMENTS
Requirement 1
Provide an overview of the case and the ethical dilemma/question that Nathan faces. (3
pt)
Requirement 2
Identify any laws or rules that exist that might apply to this scenario. (8 pts)
Requirement 3
Assume Nathan has not submitted either bill yet. Discuss the parties that will be affected
by Nathan’s decision, and prepare a convincing argument in favor of Nathan sending the
higher bill to the accounting firm for reimbursement by identifying how the parties will
be positively affected by this choice. (8 pts)
Requirement 4
Assume Nathan has not submitted either bill yet. Prepare a convincing argument against
Nathan sending the higher bill/for sending the lower bill to the accounting firm for
reimbursement by identifying how the parties will be affected by this choice. (8 pts)
Requirement 5
Given the facts presented in the case, state what you would do in this situation – be
honest! (5 pts)
WRITING REQUIREMENTS
Requirement 1
Use “their”, “there”, and “they’re” appropriately within your paper. You MUST
use all three. Underline them, bold them, or italicize them so I can find them easily.
(4 pts)
Requirement 2
Use “than” and “then” appropriately within your paper. You MUST use both.
Underline them, bold them, or italicize them so I can find them easily. (4 pts)
Writing Restrictions for this assignment:
• Read “On Writing” for the things I will be looking for in your writing
• 12-point font
• Double-spaced
• Two page maximum
• Remember – repeating the same idea more than once is a waste of paper, and does
not make your argument any more convincing. BE CONCISE.
ON WRITING
Here are my expectations for all writing assignments:
• Typed in 12-point Times New Roman font
• Double spaced
• Reasonable margins (no smaller than 1 inch)
• In essay format with a proper introduction, body, and conclusion
Since I expect your writing to improve over the semester, I will be more lenient in my
grading of your writing skills at the beginning of the semester. However, these are the
types of grammar issues I expect not to see in any of your writing – penalties will
become harsher as the semester continues (examples are included on page two):
• There should be no run-on or incomplete sentences.
• The paper should be free of misspellings.
• More than one typographical error. Significant typographical errors may result in
a zero for the assignment.
• Inappropriate language and continued misuse of punctuation.
As the semester progresses, you may find that the penalties/comments are harsh.
However, my goal is to train you for the business world, and poor writing, poor spelling,
and typographical errors are not tolerated in business. I would rather you learn how to
address these problems in a classroom setting rather than on your first job with millions
of dollars at risk.
I believe the main reason for poor writing with college students is a lack of attention
rather than a lack of understanding. I believe many of you think you can complete a
written assignment in one sitting, with no editing. THIS IS NOT TRUE! Many of you
will need to write at least two drafts of EVERY assignment in order to make it clear and
concise, using proper grammar with no errors. Some of you will need more than two
drafts. Recognize this and work with it, allowing yourself enough lead time to complete
an assignment and revise it as necessary. Not only do I want you to learn concepts, but I
want you to learn your own writing needs to better prepare you for your future.
EXAMPLES OF POOR WRITING
Run On Sentences
The auditor should have given more consideration to the accounting issues not all
intangible assets should be amortized.
The manager gave the auditor an explanation that was reasonable and the auditor wrote
down the explanation in her workpapers without asking for any additional proof and it
was found later that this explanation could not completely explain the fluctuation in
salaries expense which resulted in the auditors stating there were no material errors when
in fact there were.
Incomplete Sentences/Sentence Fragments
Because the company bought more fixed assets.
While the senior reviewed the new evidence.
Other (poor punctuation, poor language, typographical/spelling errors)
The auditor should asses all material changes.
The auditor’s estimation of the account balance was right on.
The companies financial statements were incorrect.
We reviewed the inventory listing; and determined that it was complete.
We reviewed the inventory listing, it was complete.
There were many things that we could learn form this client.
More examples will be provided as the semester progresses – taken from your papers.
Don’t be an example!
Nathan Johnson’s Rental
Car Reimbursement
Solving Ethical Dilemmas:
Should He Pocket the Cash?
Frank A. Buckless, Mark S. Beasley,
Steven M. Glover, and Douglas F. Prawitt
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completing and discussing this case you should be able to
Understand ethical considerations that can arise during recruiting and in practice
• Reason through alternative courses of action when dealing with these issues
BACKGROUND
Nathan recently interviewed with one of the accounting firms in the city where he
wants to live. The firm agreed to cover the expense of a rental car that he used to travel
from his university to the firm’s office. The rental car agency required that Nathan pay
for the car with his credit card and have the firm reimburse Nathan for the expense
rather than have the firm pay the expense directly. At the end of his trip Nathan was
supposed to pay the bill and then send the receipt to the firm for reimbursement.
As Nathan prepares to send in the receipt, he notices that the car rental agency has
overbilled him by $40. Nathan calls the accounting firm to explain that his reimburse-
ment request will be delayed because he has been overbilled. During his phone conver-
sation with the human resources (HR) manager, Nathan says he will call the rental
agency to have his bill corrected and will send the firm a copy for reimbursement when
the revised bill arrives. The HR manager tells Nathan not to bother correcting the over-
billing; she requests that he simply send in the current receipt and the firm will reim-
burse him for the entire amount. The HR manager is not concerned about paying the
higher bill-apparently it does not meet the firm’s “materiality threshold.”
This case was prepared by Frank A. Buckless, Ph.D. and Mark S. Beasley, Ph.D. of North Carolina State Univer-
sity and Steven M. Glover, Ph.D. and Douglas F. Prawitt, Ph.D. of Brigham Young University, as a basis for class
discussion. It is not intended to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation.
motion all In ISBN 113.01692X
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Nathan Johnson’s Rental Car Reimbursement Solving Ethical Dilemmas
Before deciding whether to send in the incorrect bill, Nathan calls the rental car
agency to see why he was overbilled. The agent is quite rude, essentially telling Nathan
to “get lost.” Now Nathan is determined to get the money back, and after several long-
distance phone calls and considerable hassle, the rental car company agrees to credit his
card to correct the $40 overbilling. The credit will show up on Nathan’s next credit card
statement.
The recruiter, however, has already told Nathan that the accounting firm will pay
the higher amount and has requested that he forget about the error and send the bill in
for reimbursement. Being a bright, aspiring business professional, Nathan immediately
realizes he could have the rental agency credit his card for the $40, but send the current
receipt to the accounting firm to get reimbursed for the amount he originally paid.
Essentially he would walk away from the deal with $40 in his pocket, less the cost of his
long-distance phone calls to correct the error. Given the hour he spent fighting with the
rental company, a little reimbursement for his trouble does not sound too bad to Nathan.
REQUIREMENTS
1. Given that the firm did not have any problem paying the higher bill, would
Nathan’s planned course of action be ethical? Why or why not?
2. What other courses of action might be available to Nathan? Which do you
think would be the best action for him to take?

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