Managers in large organizations have to delegate some decisions to those who are at lower levels in the organization. This chapter explains how responsibility accounting systems, return on investment (ROI), residual income, operating performance measures, and the balanced scorecard are used to help control decentralized organizations. | Performance Measurement in Decentralized Organizations Chapter 11 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 11: Performance Measurement in Decentralized Organizations Managers in large organizations have to delegate some decisions to those who are at lower levels in the organization. This chapter explains how responsibility accounting systems, return on investment (ROI), residual income, operating performance measures, and the balanced scorecard are used to help control decentralized organizations. Decentralization in Organizations Benefits of Decentralization Top management freed to concentrate on strategy. Lower-level decisions often based on better information. Lower level managers can respond quickly to customers. Lower-level managers gain experience in decision-making. Decision-making authority leads to job satisfaction. A decentralized organization does not confine decision-making authority to a few top executives; rather, | Performance Measurement in Decentralized Organizations Chapter 11 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 11: Performance Measurement in Decentralized Organizations Managers in large organizations have to delegate some decisions to those who are at lower levels in the organization. This chapter explains how responsibility accounting systems, return on investment (ROI), residual income, operating performance measures, and the balanced scorecard are used to help control decentralized organizations. Decentralization in Organizations Benefits of Decentralization Top management freed to concentrate on strategy. Lower-level decisions often based on better information. Lower level managers can respond quickly to customers. Lower-level managers gain experience in decision-making. Decision-making authority leads to job satisfaction. A decentralized organization does not confine decision-making authority to a few top executives; rather, decision-making authority is spread throughout the organization. The advantages of decentralization are as follows: It enables top management to concentrate on strategy, higher-level decision-making, and coordinating activities. It acknowledges that lower-level managers have more detailed information about local conditions that enable them to make better operational decisions. It enables lower-level managers to quickly respond to customers. It provides lower-level managers with the decision-making experience they will need when promoted to higher level positions. It often increases motivation, resulting in increased job satisfaction and retention, as well as improved performance. Decentralization in Organizations Disadvantages of Decentralization Lower-level managers may make decisions without seeing the “big picture.” May be a lack of coordination among autonomous managers. Lower-level manager’s objectives may not be those of the organization. May be difficult to spread innovative
