FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING IN AN ECONOMIC CONTEXT ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION ID1–1 Security analysts and stockholders: These users would use financial statements to try to estimate the future earnings and cash flow potential of the company, which would be used to project a value for the company’s stock. Bank loan officers: These users would use the financial statements to determine the ability of a company to repay loans to the bank. A company’s customers and suppliers: These users would use financial statements to determine whether to extend credit to the company (suppliers) or whether to rely upon the company to be a supplier (customers). Both suppliers and customers would also use the financial statements to monitor the company’s profit margins. Public utilities: This group would use the financial statements to determine the company’s growth rate and how that might impact upon the company’s utility needs. Also, they would evaluate the company’s ability to pay its bills. Labor unions: These groups would use the financial statements to monitor the profitability of the company to help determine the amount of pay raises and benefits that it will negotiate for from the company. A company’s managers: The company’s managers will use the financial statements to assess the overall financial health of the company. This could impact the managers in a number of ways: raises, promotion opportunities, performance of other departments, etc. ID1–2 The board of directors serves various functions for a company. One is to represent and protect the interests of the stockholders who are not on the board. Another is to provide oversight and input to management. The managers are involved in running the business on a day to day basis whereas the board is more focused on the bigger, long term picture. A weak board may not ask probing questions of management but instead may take everything at face value and believe anything that management says to them. A healthy management team would want a strong board that delivers valuable input. A management team that wants a weak board of directors may be trying to hide something (management fraud). Auditors are concerned with management fraud because, if there is a problem, in many cases the auditors will be sued by the stockholders on the basis that the auditors should have detected the fraud.