Meaning of Control
Control refers to such supervision which ensures that all the activities of a business organization are performed according to the predetermined objectives, planning, policies, programs, given directions, and rules of the management. It aims to bring forth the deficiencies and errors of work and to detect the reasons and the persons responsible for such work so that these may be rectified on time and the occurrence of such errors may be controlled.
Definition
According to L. M. Joseph
Control is that process with whose help the manager makes his subordinates work according to the predetermined standards and if any difference is found in the standard and actual performance, then to find the reasons for the same and arrange for its rectification.
Scope (Area or Span) of Control
The area of managerial scope is very wide. According to Heldon, Smith, and Fish, the main areas of managerial control in any business organization are the following, which can be controlled by management functions
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Control Over Policies
The policies of an organization, a policy booklet is issued and propagated widely, so that each employee of the organization is well-versed with the policies of the organization and can abide by them.
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Control Over Organisation
An organizational chart and manual are prepared in which the relation of employees of each level is described. From time to time, it is amended after analyzing the organizational structure.
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Cost Control
This is also a major area of managerial control. Each businessman wants to produce maximum at minimum cost. To fulfil this objective it is necessary to keep control over costs.
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Control Over Personnel
To see that the employees of the organization are completing their work within the stipulated time or not is called control over personnel. This work is usually done by the supervisor who is a senior officer of the organisation itself.
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Control Over Working Methods
To know whether each employee and department is performing their work on time and in the correct manner or not, it is necessary to keep control over the working methods. The working methods may be controlled by analyzing and evaluating the working methods from time to time and deleting the unwanted elements of the departments and subdivisions.
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Control Over Capital Expenditure
The function of control over the capital expenditure of an organization is performed by an expert committee. This committee is responsible wholly for all activities from preparing the Capital Budget to implementing it for the organization.
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Control Over Material
Control over material is kept by controlling the activities like purchase of material, transport, storing, standard of material and utilization, etc.
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Control Over Outside Relations
To Maintain and keep control over the relations with outside parties and organizations, a public relations department is established. This department develops and controls the relations between an organization and the outside world.
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Overall Control
Detailed planning is done to keep overall control over the organization. In this master plan, wide provisions are made for each department and subdivision, through which control over all the activities of the organization is done.