Control is a function of management that assists in identifying errors and taking the proper corrective actions. Simply, it ensures that activities are performed properly and without error.
According to modern concepts, control is a proactive action since earlier concepts of control were only used when errors were detected. Control in management includes setting standards, measuring performance, and taking corrective action in decision-making.
Definition
In 1916, Henri Fayol formulated one of the first definitions of control as it pertains to management:
According to E. F. L. Brech:
According to Harold Koontz:
According to Stafford Beer:
According to Robert J. Mockler, who presented a more comprehensive definition of managerial control:
The control subsystem functions in close harmony with the operating system. The degree to which they interact depends on the nature of the operating system and its objectives. Stability refers to a system's ability to maintain a pattern of output without wide fluctuations. The rapidity of response pertains to the speed with which a system can correct variations and return to the expected output.
A political election can illustrate the concept of control and the importance of feedback. Each party organizes a campaign to get its candidate selected and outlines a plan to inform the public about both the candidate's credentials and the party's platform. As the election nears, opinion polls furnish feedback about the effectiveness of the campaign and about each candidate's chances of winning. Depending on the nature of this feedback, certain adjustments in strategy and/or tactics can be made in an attempt to achieve the desired result.
From these definitions, it can be stated that there is a close link between planning and controlling. Planning is a process by which an organization's objectives and the methods to achieve the objectives are established, and controlling is a process that measures and directs the actual performance against the planned goals of the organization. Thus, goals and objectives are often referred to as Siamese twins of management. The managerial function of management is the measurement and correction of performance to make sure that enterprise objectives and the goals devised to attain them are accomplished.
The absence of a right to control the actions or working practices of person engaged at work is generally an indication that the working relationship with that person is covered by a contract for services and is not a form of employment.First-tier Tribunal (Tax), ECR Consulting Ltd v Revenue & Customs UKFTT 313 (TC), paragraph 23, delivered on 11 May 2011, accessed on 2 March 2025
Characteristics
Control is a continuous process Control is closely linked with planning Control is a tool for achieving organizational activities Control is an end-to-end process Control compares actual performance with planned performance* Control points out the error in the execution process Control minimizes cost Control achieves the standard Control saves time Control helps management monitor performance Control compares performance against standards Control is action oriented
Elements
The four basic elements in a control system are: the characteristic or condition to be controlled the sensor the comparator the activator
They occur in the same sequence and maintain consistent relationships with each other in every system.
The first element is the characteristic or condition of the operating system to be measured. Specific characteristics are selected because a correlation exists between them and the system's performance. A characteristic can be the output of the system during any stage of processing (e.g. the heat energy produced by a furnace), or it may be a condition that is the result of the system (e.g. the temperature in the room which has changed because of the heat generated by the furnace). In an elementary school system, the hours a teacher works or the gain in knowledge demonstrated by the students on a national examination are examples of characteristics that may be selected for measurement, or control.
The second element of control, the sensor, is a means for measuring the characteristic. For example, in a home heating system, this device would be the thermostat, and in a quality-control system, this measurement might be performed by a visual inspection of the product.
The third element of control, the comparator, determines the need for correction by comparing what is occurring with what has been planned. Some deviation from the plan is usual and expected, but when variations are beyond those considered acceptable, corrective action is required. It involves a sort of preventative action that indicates that good control is being achieved.
The fourth element of control, the activator, is the corrective action taken to return the system to its expected output. The actual person, device, or method used to direct corrective inputs into the operating system may take a variety of forms. It may be a hydraulic controller positioned by a solenoid or electric motor in response to an electronic error signal, an employee directed to rework the parts that failed to pass quality inspection, or a school principal who decides to buy additional books to provide for an increased number of students. As long as a plan is performed within allowable limits, corrective action is not necessary; however, this seldom occurs in practice.
Information is the medium of control, because the flow of sensory data and later the flow of corrective information allow a characteristic or condition of the system to be controlled.
Controlled characteristic or condition The primary requirement of a control system is that it maintains the level and kind of output necessary to achieve the system's objectives. It is usually impractical to control every feature and condition associated with the system's output. Therefore, the choice of the controlled item (and appropriate information about it) is extremely important. There should be a direct correlation between the controlled item and the system's operation. In other words, control of the selected characteristic should have a direct relationship to the goal or objective of the system.
Sensor After the characteristic is sensed, or measured, information pertinent to control is fed back. Exactly what information needs to be transmitted and also the language that will best facilitate the communication process and reduce the possibility of distortion in transmission must be carefully considered. Information that is to be compared with the standard, or plan, should be expressed in the same terms or language as in the original plan to facilitate decision making. Using machine methods (computers) may require extensive translation of the information. Since optimal languages for computation and for human review are not always the same, the relative ease of translation may be a significant factor in selecting the units of measurement or the language unit in the sensing element.
In many instances, the measurement may be sampled rather than providing a complete and continuous feedback of information about the operation. A sampling procedure suggests measuring some segment or portion of the operation that will represent the total.
Comparison with standard In a social system, the norms of acceptable behavior become the standard against which so-called deviant behavior may be judged. Regulations and laws provide a more formal collection of information for society. Social norms change, but very slowly. In contrast, the standards outlined by a formal law can be changed from one day to the next through revision, discontinuation, or replacement by another. Information about deviant behavior becomes the basis for controlling social activity. Output information is compared with the standard or norm and significant deviations are noted. In an industrial example, frequency distribution (a tabulation of the number of times a given characteristic occurs within the sample of products being checked) may be used to show the average quality, the spread, and the comparison of output with a standard.
If there is a significant difference between output and plan that cannot be corrected, the system is "out of control." This means that the objectives of the system are not feasible in relation to the capabilities of the present design. Either the objectives must be re-evaluated or the system redesigned to add new capacity or capability. For example, drug trafficking has been increasing in some cities at an alarming rate. The citizens must decide whether to revise the police system so as to regain control, or whether to modify the law to reflect a different norm of acceptable behavior.
Implementor The activator unit responds to the information received from the comparator and initiates corrective action. If the system is a machine-to-machine system, the corrective inputs (decision rules) are designed into the network. When the control relates to a man-to-machine or man-to-man system, however, the individual(s) in charge must evaluate: (1) the accuracy of the feedback information, (2) the significance of the variation, and (3) what corrective inputs will restore the system to a reasonable degree of stability. Once the decision has been made to direct new inputs into the system, the actual process may be relatively easy. A small amount of energy can change the operation of jet airplanes, automatic steel mills, and hydroelectric power plants. The pilot presses a button, and the landing gear of the airplane goes up or down; the operator of a steel mill pushes a lever, and a ribbon of white-hot steel races through the plant; a worker at a control board directs the flow of electrical energy throughout a regional network of stations and substations. It takes but a small amount of control energy to release or stop large quantities of input.
Process
Step 1. Establishment of Standard.
Standards are the criteria against which actual performance will be measured. Standards are set in both quantitative and qualitative terms.
Step 2. Measurement of actual performance
Performance is measured in an objective and reliable manner. It should be checked in the same unit in which the standards are set.
Step 3. Comparing actual performance with standards.
This step involves comparing the actual performance with standards laid down in order to find the deviations. For example, performance of a salesman in terms of unit sold in a week can be easily measured against the standard output for the week.
Step 4. Analysis the cause of deviations.
Managers must determine why standards were not met. This step also involves determining whether more control is necessary or if the standard should be changed.
Step 5. Taking corrective action.
After the reasons for deviations have been determined, managers can then develop solutions for issues with meeting the standards and make changes to processes or behaviors.
Classifications
Control may be grouped according to three general classifications: the nature of the information flow designed into the system (open- or closed-loop control) the kind of components included in the design (man or machine control systems) the relationship of control to the decision process (organizational or operational control).
Open and closed-loop control