Companies engaged in a single line of business most commonly utilize an organizational structure that can be: a functional (departmental) organizational structure.

highly decentralized matrices.

either independent, consolidated, or hybrid profit centers.

hybrid functional organizations with a combination of

decentralized and centralized decision making.

either centralized, principal, or critical-path in nature.

Insurance companies have internal controls in place to protect assets, monitor the accuracy of accounting records and encourage operational efficiencies and adherence to policies. these internal controls are generally of two types: administrative controls and accounting controls. administrative controls are the policies and procedures that guide the daily actions of employees. accounting controls are the policies and procedures that delineate authorizations of financial transactions that are done, safeguard assets, and provide reports on the company’s financial status in a reliable and timely manner. internal controls should include both preventative and detective controls. the purpose of preventative controls is to stop problems and errors before they occur. detective controls identify problems after they have occurred. preventative controls are usually more effective at reducing problems, but they also tend to be more expensive. internal controls must be flexible to adjust for changes in laws and regulations in addition to adding new products or modifying current ones. companies must also do regular analyses to ensure that the benefits of implementing the controls are worth their costs. when concerned about paying unwarranted insurance claims which type of control would be useful?

Which of the following statements is true of the balanced-scorecard? a. it is a more or less a one-dimensional metric of measuring competitive advantages of a firm. b. it is one of the traditional approaches of measuring firm performance. c. its primary focus is to base a firm's strategic goals entirely on external performance dimensions. d. it attempts to provide a holistic perspective on firm performance.

Sole proprietorships produce more goods and services than does any other form of business organization.