Chapter 8 Terms

Control

The process of gathering feedback to ensure that a plan is being properly executed or modified as circumstances change.

Self-imposed budget

method of preparing budgets in which managers prepare their own budgets. These budgets are then reviewed by higher-level managers, and any issues are resolved by mutual agreement.

Participative Budget

(Also Known as Self Imposed Budget) budget that is prepared with the full cooperation and participation of managers at all levels. Self-imposed budgets have a number of advantages: 1. Individuals at all levels of the organization are recognized as members of the team whose views and judgments are valued by top management. 2. Budget estimates prepared by front-line managers are often more accurate and reliable than estimates prepared by top managers who have less intimate knowledge of markets and day-to-day operations. 3. Motivation is generally higher when individuals participate in setting their own goals than when the goals are imposed from above. Self-imposed budgets create commitment. 4. A manager who is not able to meet a budget that has been imposed from above can always say that the budget was unrealistic and impossible to meet. With a self-imposed budget, this claim cannot be made.

Perpetual Budget

(Also known as continuous Budget) a 12-month budget that rolls forward one month (or quarter) as the current month (or quarter) is completed. In other words, one month (or quarter) is added to the end of the budget as each month (or quarter) comes to a close. This approach keeps managers focused at least one year ahead so that they do not become too narrowly focused on short-term results.

Continuous budget

A 12-month budget that rolls forward one month as the current month is completed.

Ending finished goods inventory budget

A budget showing the dollar amount of unsold finished goods inventory that will appear on the ending balance sheet.

Budget

A detailed plan for the future that is usually expressed in formal quantitative terms.

Cash budget

A detailed plan showing how cash resources will be acquired and used over a specific time period.

Direct materials budget

A detailed plan showing the amount of raw materials that must be purchased to fulfill the production budget and to provide for adequate inventories.

Production budget

A detailed plan showing the number of units that must be produced during a period in order to satisfy both sales and inventory needs.

Manufacturing overhead budget

A detailed plan showing the production costs, other than direct materials and direct labor, that will be incurred over a specified time period.

Direct labor budget

A detailed plan that shows the direct labor-hours required to fulfill the production budget.

Merchandise purchases budget

A detailed plan used by a merchandising company that shows the amount of goods that must be purchased from suppliers during the period.

Selling and administrative expense budget

A detailed schedule of planned expenses that will be incurred in areas other than manufacturing during a budget period.

Sales budget

A detailed schedule showing expected sales expressed in both dollars and units.

Master budget

A number of separate but interdependent budgets that formally lay out the company's sales, production, and financial goals and that culminates in a cash budget, budgeted income statement, and budgeted balance sheet.

Responsibility accounting

A system of accountability in which managers are held responsible for those items of revenue and cost—and only those items—over which they can exert significant control. The managers are held responsible for differences between budgeted and actual results.

Planning

Developing goals and preparing budgets to achieve those goals.