is one in which persons with responsibility over cost control prepare their own budgets. This is in contrast to a budget that is imposed from above. The major advantages of a self-imposed budget are: (1) Individuals at all levels of the organization are recognized as members of the team whose views and judgments are valued. (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. (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 excuse is not available.
Self-imposed budgets do carry with them the risk of budgetary slack. The budgets prepared by lower-level managers should be carefully reviewed to prevent too much slack.