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Hope and Fraser (2003) argue that “budgeting, as most organizations practice it, should be abolished”. However, a study by Libby and Lindsay (2010) suggests “that budgeting systems continue to play a key role in firms’ control systems and that most compan $13.69   Add to cart

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Hope and Fraser (2003) argue that “budgeting, as most organizations practice it, should be abolished”. However, a study by Libby and Lindsay (2010) suggests “that budgeting systems continue to play a key role in firms’ control systems and that most compan

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An essay discussing pros & cons of budgeting

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  • October 21, 2016
  • 10
  • 2014/2015
  • Essay
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INSTRUCTIONS: You MUST submit this document as your assignment. Other formats will not be accepted and
you will receive a mark of zero. Do not try to change the layout of this document as it will not be accepted.
Complete all details in Section 1 and start your assignment on Page 2. Ensure you enter your details in the
header on Page 2, they will appear on every page. Save the file as <StudentNo><ModuleCode> (e.g.
1123456BS1234). IMPORTANT: Save this file as a PDF.

Cardiff Business School
COURSEWORK COVER SHEET 2014/2015


Section 1 (to be completed by the student)
Student Name: Isobel Jones
Student Number: 1240186
Module Code: BS3517
Module Title: Management Accounting & Control
Hope and Fraser (2003) argue that “budgeting, as most organizations
practice it, should be abolished”. However, a study by Libby and
Lindsay (2010) suggests “that budgeting systems continue to play a
key role in firms’ control systems and that most companies have no
Coursework Title:
plans to abandon this practice”.Drawing on the literature, critically discuss
the claims made by proponents of beyond budgeting and analyse why, in
light of these criticisms, budgeting can,or should, remain central to
management control systems.
Submission Date 15.03.2015
date: 17.03.2015 document last (Updated Lecturer: Dr Nina Sharma
(before 16:00 on…) saved/printed: automatically)

Section 2 ( To be completed by the Lecturer) MARK AWARDED:
COMMENTS:
---




Number of words: 2216




Created by: sbsjj15 Document last opened: 15/03/2015 17:27:15 Version 2.3

, Isobel Jones 1240186 BS3517

The primary purpose of budgeting is defined as supporting management in successfully

implementing its strategies as well as in planning and controlling its operational measures (Rickards,

2006, p. 62); budgeting emerged in the 1920s within large industrial organisations as a cost

management tool, but by the 1970s it was also being used to govern the actions of employees (Hope

& Fraser, 2003, p. 111).



Budgets are criticised in a number of ways. They are seen as internal and inward facing; they cannot

be instrumental in achieving external effectiveness because they cannot signal changes in the

business environment (Ekholm & Wallin, 2000, p. 535). Growing awareness of the importance of the

external business environment on commercial success and the change in the effectiveness of product

markets (Ekholm & Wallin, 2000, p. 523) has led to a perception that more anticipation and

monitoring of externals are needed, together with empowerment of employees and less rigid

planning and control (Ekholm & Wallin, 2000, p. 521). This can be linked with Simons’ suggestion of

widening the narrow definition of ‘control’ to include three other ‘levers’ of control: belief systems,

boundary systems and interactive control systems (Simons, 1995, p. 81).



It is posited that businesses increasingly require tools to measure intangibles (knowledge, capabilities

and relationships) rather than tangible assets (Kaplan & Norton, 2000, p. 100). There is a tension

between the need to meet specific targets and the requirement for management to be more

innovative and flexible in a time of heightened market volatility and rapid technological change

(Frow, et al., 2010, p. 444). Consequently, there is a perceived need to move from a “command and

control” model of budgeting to that of a “facilitate and empower” model (Frow, et al., 2010, p. 444).



Critics of traditional budgeting attack it on several other fronts. Budgeting turns decisions into

gaming exercises by encouraging managers to lie and cheat (Jensen, 2001, p. 96). Managers game

both the realisation and the setting of targets (Jensen, 2003, p. 382). Hope and Fraser argue that

budgets contain “obsolete data” and that they embed foregone conclusions about the financial state

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