Concept explainers
Both the budget process and budgets themselves can impact management actions, both positively and negatively. For instance, a common practice among not-for-profit organizations and government agencies is for management to spend any amounts remaining in a budget at the end of the budget period, a practice often called ‘’use it or lose it” The view is that if a department manager does not spend the budgeted amount, top management will reduce next year’s budget by the amount not spent To avoid losing budget dollars, department managers often spend all budgeted amounts regardless of the value added to products or services. All of us pay for the costs associated with this budget system
Required
Write a half-page report to a local not-for-profit organization or government agency offering a solution to the “use it or lose it” budgeting problem.
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- The management of Hess, Inc., is developing a flexible budget for the upcoming year. It was not pleased with the small amount of net income the budget showed at all sales levels and Is contemplating using a less expensive material. This action reduces direct material cost by $1 per unit. What would be the effects on financial statements and a flexible budget if management takes this approach? Are there other factors that need to be considered?arrow_forwardWhich of the following is true in a bottom-up budgeting approach? Every expense needs to be justified. Supervisors tell departments their budget amount and the departments are free to work within those amounts. Departments budget their needs however they see fit. Departments determine their needs and relate them to the overall goals.arrow_forwardIf management is being evaluated on their ability to manage a budget, what can they do to decrease cash outflow?arrow_forward
- Which of the following statements is True? a. Budget data are generally prepared by top management and distributed downward in anorganization b. The budget committee is responsible for preparing detailed budget figures in anorganization c. The primary purpose of the cash budget is to show the expected cash balance at the endof the budget period. d. Under zero-based budgeting, a manager is required to start at zero budget levels each period, as if the programs involved were being initiated for the first timearrow_forwardIs it important for a company to follow a strict budget even though they may be experiencing phenomenal profits? Do you think that there will be a bias towards greed when creating the budget for this company? Explain. How does management greed influence budget decisions? Please consider each of the questions separately in this post. It is important for you to understand the value of the budget as a blueprint for the business – even in times of exceptional “good news”. It is also important to consider the role of greed within the budgeting process of the firm. Perhaps you might want to think about the budget as a communication to employees about what ownership and management believes is its focus. You might even want to see if any other of the exceptional “bad boys” in the business world were reflecting their greed even within their budgeting documents.arrow_forwardWhich of the following statements about top down budgeting is true? Multiple Choice It is an appropriate method to use in times of financial stress. Eliminates a manager's excuse who tries to claim that his budget is unrealistic The budget process is often more efficient. It allows senior management to better prioritize resources to propelling the growth of the companyarrow_forward
- Management may alter its actions during the year to bring actual results into line with the operating budget. An operating budget tends to become less accurate for periods further in the future. To offset this issue, some organizations routinely update their budget based on the latest available information. What would be things that a company would adjust to get the operating budget aligned?arrow_forwardWhich of the following statements is incorrect? The cash budget shows anticipated cash flows. The production budget is derived from the direct materials and direct labor budgets. A continuous twelve-month budget results from dropping the month just ended and adding a future month. In the budget process for not-for-profit organizations, the emphasis is on cash flow rather than on revenue and expenses.arrow_forwardBudgetary control is financial jargon for managing income and expenditure. In practice it means regularly comparing actual income or expenditure to planned income or expenditure to identify whether or not corrective action is required. For example most University departments are given annual chest budgets for general equipment. By regularly comparing actual expenditure on this budget to planned expenditure a department will be aware of whether a particular item can be afforded. If the account is in deficit a department will need to identify an alternative source of funds (e.g. departmental reserves or charging to a research grant or contract). This process of monitoring expenditure and taking appropriate action is known as budgetary control.arrow_forward
- Criticize the following quotation:“At our company, budgeted revenue is set so high andbudgeted expenses so low that no department can ever meetthe budget. This way, department managers can never relax;they are motivated to keep working harder no matter howwell they are already doing.”arrow_forwardA company can expect to receive which of the following benefits when it starts its budgeting process? The budget provides managers with a benchmark against which to compare actual results for performance evaluation. The planning required to develop the budget helps managers foresee and avoid potential problems before they occur. The budget helps motivate employees to achieve sales growth and cost-reduction goals. All of the abovearrow_forwardDescribe how and why managers of companies use budgets. In doing so, cite three advantages of using budgets to manage businesses. Additionally, cite three mistakes that are often made by companies in setting their budgetary goals or standards. Provide an example of how each of these three mistakes can negatively impact the business.arrow_forward
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