Advanced In his study of ‘The Impact of Budgets on People’, published in 1952, C. Argyris reported inter alia the following comment by a financial controller on the practice of participation in the setting of budgets in his company:

‘We bring in the supervisors of budget areas, we tell them that we want their frank opinion, but most of them just sit there and nod their heads. We know they’re not coming out with exactly how they feel. I guess budgets scare them.’ You are required to suggest reasons why managers may be reluctant to participate fully in setting budgets, and to suggest also unwanted side effects which may arise from the imposition of budgets by senior management. (13 marks)

ICAEW Management Accounting