Consider the Six Costs That Follow

Essay

Consider the six costs that follow.
1. Advertising and promotion costs of a do-it-yourself retailer
2. Surgical supplies used in a hospital's operating room
3. Aircraft depreciation charges of an airline
4. Utility charges that include a minimum-use fee, for a small business
5. Annual business licensing fee paid by a daycare centre
6. Truck fuel consumed by a road construction company
Required:
A. Classify each of these costs as variable, committed fixed, discretionary fixed, or semi-variable.
B. Briefly describe the behaviour of a per-unit variable cost as activity changes.
C. What elements are present in a semi-variable cost that cause it to behave in a semivariable manner?
D. Generally speaking, does management have more flexibility when dealing with committed fixed costs or discretionary fixed costs?