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Abstract(s)
O orçamento é apontado como a ferramenta de gestão central nos sistemas de controlo de gestão vigentes nas organizações. No entanto, tem sido alvo de muitas críticas, tanto na literatura como por gestores, levando as organizações a adotarem melhorias nos seus processos tradicionais ou até mesmo optar por reformular por completo os seus modelos de gestão, promovendo o seu abandono. Ainda assim, estudos revelam que o orçamento continua a ser a ferramenta predominante nas organizações e estas não tencionam abandoná-lo. Esta dissertação assenta num estudo empírico na empresa Cerealis - Produtos Alimentares, S.A., empresa portuguesa de grande dimensão do setor agroalimentar, cujo modelo de controlo de gestão assenta num Plano Estratégico, suportado por Orçamentos anuais e complementado com Forecasts trimestrais.
Este estudo tem como propósitos principais verificar os motivos pelos quais persiste a utilização do orçamento, verificar a veracidade das críticas existentes em seu torno em contexto real e se estas são mitigadas através das melhorias apresentadas na literatura. Neste sentido, visando responder às questões de investigação, foram analisados documentos internos e realizadas 8 entrevistas presenciais com Diretores e elementos de vários departamentos intervenientes no processo de planeamento e controlo orçamental, tendo por base uma listagem de funções e limitações do orçamento sugeridas por vários autores.
As conclusões do estudo estão em concordância com a literatura pois revela que a empresa tem vindo a melhorar os seus processos, contrariando os principais problemas e limitações do exercício orçamental apontados na literatura, nomeadamente, com o enquadramento do orçamento anual num plano estratégico que reflete os objetivos de longo prazo, através da introdução de metas relativas no modelo de avaliação e realização de Forecasts trimestrais ao longo do ano, contribuindo assim para um melhor alinhamento organizacional, alocação de recursos mais flexível e capacidade de resposta mais célere. Porém, denota-se um excessivo foco financeiro e uma estrutura de controlo vertical hierárquica, característico de uma gestão orçamental tradicional. Por outro lado, o negócio tem características de alguma “estabilidade”, pelo que o modelo parece estar adequado ao ramo de atividade. Conclui-se que estes últimos fatores evidenciados são o que motivam o uso do orçamento na empresa.
Este estudo contribui para a literatura ao explorar as razões pelas quais o orçamento continua a ser a ferramenta predominante nos modelos de controlo de gestão nas organizações, apesar das críticas que lhe são dirigidas. Adicionalmente, revela que a melhoria dos processos orçamentais, através de metodologias alternativas e complementares, é suficiente para mitigar essas limitações, nomeadamente de planeamento e controlo.
Traditional Budget is identified as the central management tool in organization’s management control systems. However, it has been under criticism, both in the literature and by managers, which lead organizations to adopt improvements in their traditional budgeting processes or, in the other hand, to reformulate their management model completely, promoting the abandonment of the budget. Nevertheless, studies show that budgeting remains the predominant tool in organizations and they do not intend to abandon it. This dissertation is based on an empirical study of Cerealis - Produtos Alimentares S.A., a large Portuguese company, whose management control model is based on a Strategic Plan, supported by annual budgets and complemented by quarterly Forecasts. This study's main purposes are verifying the reasons why persists the use of the budget, verify the accuracy of existing criticism around it in a real context and if these are mitigated through the improvements shown in the literature. In order to respond to the research questions, internal documents were analyzed and eight face-to-face interviews were conducted with Directors and members of various departments involved in the budget planning and control process, based on a list of functions and budget limitations suggested by several authors. The conclusions of the study are in agreement with the literature, once it reveals that the company has been improving its processes, contradicting the main problems and limitations of traditional budgeting processes pointed out in the literature, namely, with the convergence of annual budgets to a strategic plan, which reflects the long-term objectives, through the introduction of relative goals in the performance management model and through realization of quarterly Forecasts throughout the year, thus contributing to a better organizational alignment, more flexible resource allocation and faster response to the market imperatives. However, denoted an excessive financial focus and a vertical control structure, characteristic of a traditional budget management. On the other hand, the business has characteristics of some "stability", reason why the model seems to be adapted to the branch of activity. We conclude that these are the main reasons that motivate the use of the budget in the company. This study contributes to the literature by exploring the reasons why the budget continues to be the predominant tool in management control models in organizations, despite the criticisms directed to it. In addition, it reveals that the improvement of budgetary processes, through alternative and complementary methodologies, is sufficient to mitigate these constraints, especially planning and control.
Traditional Budget is identified as the central management tool in organization’s management control systems. However, it has been under criticism, both in the literature and by managers, which lead organizations to adopt improvements in their traditional budgeting processes or, in the other hand, to reformulate their management model completely, promoting the abandonment of the budget. Nevertheless, studies show that budgeting remains the predominant tool in organizations and they do not intend to abandon it. This dissertation is based on an empirical study of Cerealis - Produtos Alimentares S.A., a large Portuguese company, whose management control model is based on a Strategic Plan, supported by annual budgets and complemented by quarterly Forecasts. This study's main purposes are verifying the reasons why persists the use of the budget, verify the accuracy of existing criticism around it in a real context and if these are mitigated through the improvements shown in the literature. In order to respond to the research questions, internal documents were analyzed and eight face-to-face interviews were conducted with Directors and members of various departments involved in the budget planning and control process, based on a list of functions and budget limitations suggested by several authors. The conclusions of the study are in agreement with the literature, once it reveals that the company has been improving its processes, contradicting the main problems and limitations of traditional budgeting processes pointed out in the literature, namely, with the convergence of annual budgets to a strategic plan, which reflects the long-term objectives, through the introduction of relative goals in the performance management model and through realization of quarterly Forecasts throughout the year, thus contributing to a better organizational alignment, more flexible resource allocation and faster response to the market imperatives. However, denoted an excessive financial focus and a vertical control structure, characteristic of a traditional budget management. On the other hand, the business has characteristics of some "stability", reason why the model seems to be adapted to the branch of activity. We conclude that these are the main reasons that motivate the use of the budget in the company. This study contributes to the literature by exploring the reasons why the budget continues to be the predominant tool in management control models in organizations, despite the criticisms directed to it. In addition, it reveals that the improvement of budgetary processes, through alternative and complementary methodologies, is sufficient to mitigate these constraints, especially planning and control.
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Keywords
Controlo de gestão Sistemas de controlo de gestão Orçamento Estratégia Management control Management control systems Budget Strategy