Concept explainers
Planning and Control
Many companies use budgets for three purposes. First, they use them to plan how to deploy resources to best serve customers. Second, they use them to establish challenging goals, or stretch targets, to motivate employees to strive for exceptional results. Third, they use them to evaluate and reward employees.
Assume that you are a sales manager working with your boss to create a sales budget for next year. Once the sales budget is established, it will influence how other departments within the company plan to deploy their resources. For example, the manufacturing manager will plan to produce enough units to meet budgeted unit sales. The sales budget will also be instrumental in determining your pay raise, potential for promotion, and bonus. If actual sales exceed the sales budget, it bodes well for your career. If actual sales are less than budgeted sales, it will diminish your financial compensation and potential for promotion.
Required:
- Do you think it would be appropriate for your boss to establish the sales budget without any input from you? Why?
- Do you think the company would be comfortable with allowing you to establish the sales budget without any input from your boss? Why?
- Assume the company uses its sales budget for only one purpose—planning to deploy resources in a manner that best serves customers. What thoughts would influence your estimate of future sales as well as your boss’s estimate of future sales?
- Assume the company uses its sales budget for only one purpose—motivating employees to strive for exceptional results. What thoughts would influence your estimate of future sales as well as your boss’s estimate of future sales?
- Assume the company uses its sales budget for only one purpose—to determine your pay raise, potential for promotion, and bonus. What thoughts would influence your estimate of future sales as well as your boss’s estimate of future sales?
- Assume the sales budget is used for all three purposes described in questions 3—5. Describe any conflicts or complications that might arise when using the sales budget for these three purposes.
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MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING FOR MANGER CONNEC
- The actions listed next are associated with either an activity-based operational control system or a traditional operational control system: a. Budgeted costs for the maintenance department are compared with the actual costs of the maintenance department. b. The maintenance department manager receives a bonus for beating budget. c. The costs of resources are traced to activities and then to products. d. The purchasing department is set up as a responsibility center. e. Activities are identified and listed. f. Activities are categorized as adding or not adding value to the organization. g. A standard for a products material usage cost is set and compared against the products actual materials usage cost. h. The cost of performing an activity is tracked over time. i. The distance between moves is identified as the cause of materials handling cost. j. A purchasing agent is rewarded for buying parts below the standard price set by the company. k. The cost of the materials handling activity is reduced dramatically by redesigning the plant layout. l. An investigation is undertaken to find out why the actual labor cost for the production of 1,000 units is greater than the labor standard allowed. m. The percentage of defective units is calculated and tracked over time. n. Engineering has been given the charge to find a way to reduce setup time by 75 percent. o. The manager of the receiving department lays off two receiving clerks so that the fourth-quarter budget can be met. Required: Classify the preceding actions as belonging to either an activity-based operational control system or a traditional control system. Explain why you classified each action as you did.arrow_forwardSuppose that the controller of your companys largest factory is a particularly optimistic individual. If you were in charge of developing the master budget, how, if at all, would you be influenced by this knowledge?arrow_forwardAssignment Details The chief financial officer (CFO) discussed your analysis and strategy with the executive team and feels that you are the perfect person to work on the corporate budget. Based on the current external environment, the organization has limited resources, and each department has been asked to reduce costs. Based on your experience, answer the following questions: What type of costs should the departments reduce first and why? How can the organization prevent budgetary slack in the budgeting process since the bonuses of managers are tied to the budget? What are some potential ethical issues all organizations deal with in the budgeting process? What are some ways of dealing with these potential problems?arrow_forward
- Budgets need to be fair and attainable for employees to consider the budget important in their normal daily activities. Which of the following situations will likely lead to human behavior problems? a. allowing employees the opportunity to be a part of the budget process b. setting goals too loosely, creating a budgetary slack c. setting goals that are consistent across the firm d. setting goals that are reasonable and attainablearrow_forwardWhich of the following is true in a bottom-up budgeting approach? Group of answer choices departments determine their needs and relate them to the overall goals supervisors tell departments their budget amount and the departments are free to work within those amounts departments budget their needs however they see it every expense needs to be justifiedarrow_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
- What are some characteristics of performance-based budgeting? What are some advantages and disadvantages of performance-based budgeting? How does the organization you selected incorporate performance-based budgeting? If the organization you selected does not incorporate performance-based budgeting, how does the organization reflect or incorporate program outcomes to the budget? When responding to classmates, compare the organization you chose to theirs. Is one organization more successful at describing their strategic plan and aligning their budget to reflect outcomes? Why or why not?arrow_forwardWhy is it important that a firm prepares a budget and how they analyze the ongoing performance? What advantages does a business have by going through the budget process?arrow_forward: The chief executive of your company has asked you to recommend an approach to be used in preparing budgets and to draft guidelines for senior managers on managing performance using budgets. As the management accountant prepare a report to the chief executive describing your selected approach and your recommended guidelines For senior managers. In preparing your report you should consider the behavioral consequences of using budgets in planning and controlarrow_forward
- Which of the following is true in a bottom-up budgeting approach? a.Supervisors tell departments their budget amount and the departments are free to work within those amounts. b.Departments determine their needs and relate them to the overall goals. c.Every expense needs to be justified. d.Departments budget their needs however they see fit.arrow_forwardthe chief executive of your company has asked you to recommend an approach to be used in preparing budgets and to draft guidelines for senior managers on managing performance using budgets. as teh management accountant prepare a report to the chief executive describing your selected approach and your recommended guidelines for senior managers. In preparing your report you should consider the behavioural consequences of using budgets in planning and controlarrow_forwardBudgets are an integral part of management control systems. Evaluate this statement with real life example. CVP analysis help managers to take better decision. Justify with real life scenario. Standard cost systems provide companies with a number of advantages, argue the statement.arrow_forward
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