What is your approach to using the manager's expense account?
This question centers around how responsible you are with the company's resources. As Bezos says, "Life's too short to hang out with people who aren't resourceful." Your answer doesn't necessarily need to convey whether you are conservative or liberal when utilizing a company's assets. Instead, focus on how you use them. Think of an example of how you accomplished more with less, how you took advantage of a manager's expense account or petty cash, whether the budget was large or small, and how you made every cent stretch farther. Bezos also said, "I think frugality drives innovation, just like other constraints do. One of the only ways to get out of a tight box is to invent your way out."
Your interviewer asks this question to gauge your experience and character and to see how well you fit the mold of their company culture. The Amazon Leadership Principle of 'Frugality' comes into play here; "Accomplish more with less. Constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention. There are no extra points for growing headcount, budget size, or fixed expense."
"I look at the manager's expense account like that cigar box that holds your petty cash. Or, to take it even further, I look at it as an ammunition box. When possible, I prefer to keep that ammo in the box and aim to win the war without firing a single round. Petty cash should always be rationed and used only as a last resort. When used, it should be done frugally and with a strategy to make every cent stretch as far as possible."
