Budgets and enterprise.
Publisher: University of Birmingham
Published: 1980
Place of publication: Birmingham
Language: eng
Description: So many of the studies of the way in which budget systems might be designed and operates in business firms have concentrated on gaining rather fragmented,isolated and static views of the budget process.For example,studies of the level of the budget standards have tented to focus only on the simple response of the individual manger to different degrees of budget tightness,without considering the possible relationship between budget standard,or the budget system it self and the objective of the firm(or that of the one who runs the firm,). What might underline the manager response has been substantially neglected.
Indeed little attempt has been made to study the behavioural aspects of the budget system and its process in the dynamic context.To makes points more clear,few answers have been so far given to some questions such as: What is the role of a budget system in the organizational context of a firm? Are its design and operation in accord with the aim on which the firm is formed and emerged?Whom is the system supposed to serve?What appropriate strategies might be employed to make its functioning more efficient?
A synthesis of some of the accountants,economics and organizational behaviourists views has been tried in this paper with aim of giving reasonable answers to some of these and other interrelated questions.
Initially, the forces that lead to the adoption of an organization fitting the description of a firm are examined. This,then enables the leadership position of the entrepreneur to be analysed and the argument is developed to introduce the executive manager and their roles.Defining the control in general terms,it is concluded that a homeostatic model of control is most likely to lead to the desirable results from the entrepreneur's point of view.The operation budget is identified as one providing ex-ante and ex-post control-motivation mechanism which serves both the entrepreneur and managers of the firm. Managers are then identified as quasi-entrepreneurs whose role are not dissimilar to that of the entrepreneur.Identifying the appropriate processes to improve the functioning of the budget system is finally undertaken; taking as major considerations the needs,objectives and influences that apply to quasi-entrepreneurs as well as the resolution to be consistent with the goals of the entrepreneur.
Notes: Thesis (M.Soc.Sc) - University of Birmingham, Dept of Accounting.
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