NOTES FOR CONTROLLING

CONTROLLING

If things are going as planned, why is control necessary?

I think this question can be answered by saying how do you know things are going as planned unless you do control. Control is much more than just taking care of problems that have come up. It also involves monitoring activities, comparing performance to standards, and then taking action as needed.

How is controlling related to the other functions of management?

Controlling is the final link in the ongoing management process. It's the only way we know whether goals are being met and why they are or are not being accomplished as planned. Managing doesn't involve just one or two or even three of the functions. It takes a manager performing all four management functions-planning, organizing, leading, and controlling-to ensure that organizational members' work activities are completed effectively and efficiently.

What's the difference between immediate corrective action and basic corrective action? Which is more difficult to do? When should each be used?

These are all good questions! What options does a manager have when he or she discovers that actual performance isn't measuring up to standards? One option is immediate corrective action. This involves correcting problems immediately in order to get performance back on track. It's "putting out fires" as they arise. The other option for correcting performance is more general and comprehensive in nature. Basic corrective action involves digging deeper-determining why and how performance has deviated and then correcting the source of that deviation. Because it's more thorough, basic corrective action tends to be more difficult to do because it takes time and effort to look for reasons why performance is deviating and then taking action to correct these deviations. Immediate corrective action is real-time, right-now, get-it-solved. There's not the search for reasons behind the deviation. The focus is on getting the problem solved immediately. Each of these approaches does have its place, however. A manager should use immediate corrective action when a problem arises that must be addressed immediately. Let me share an example. One school night I was running late and stopped at a local fast food restaurant to pick up something quick for dinner. When I got home and set out the food for my family, we discovered that part of our order was missing. I got back in my car, drove back to the restaurant, and asked for the manager. When I explained what had happened-trying my best to remain calm-she gladly gave me the missing items and even threw in dessert for all of us. The manager took immediate corrective action to resolve the performance deviation. However, let's say that this problem keeps occurring. Customers aren't getting what they ordered. At this point, the manager needs to take basic corrective action. She needs to uncover where the problem lies. Do employees need better training in order taking and order filling? Is there too much noise in the kitchen and work area for people to properly hear what is being ordered? Is there a problem with the cash register? Knowing when immediate corrective action is appropriate and when basic corrective action needs to be taken is something that managers must learn.

Can managers delegate control?

Yes, managers can delegate, and have been delegating, control to subordinates. Many employees have been empowered to measure actual performance, compare that performance against standards, and then take any necessary action. This doesn't relieve the manager of the ultimate responsibility for work performance, however. The manager's job is to coordinate work efforts so that goals are being met efficiently and effectively. And this means keeping an eye on things even if control has been delegated.

Why is what we control probably more important than how we control?

What we control is more important than how we control because the criteria we choose to focus on determines what organizational members will attempt to excel at. What performance measures will be used to determine whether goals are being met? The choice of performance measures will influence employees' work behaviors.

Which is more serious: overvariance or undervariance?

Overvariance and undervariance refer to the range of variation between actual performance and the established standard. Determining which is more serious really depends on the performance being measured. For example, undervariance on a measure such as quality or profits can be serious. But undervariance on safety violations can be a positive thing. Likewise, overvariance on a measure such as product defects can be serious, but overvariance on number of sales calls completed can be good. Either way, when there is a variation outside the acceptable range, a manager needs to assess the situation to determine if action is needed.

Why would managers want to control for organizational performance?

Performance is the end result of an activity. It's "how you do" on a test after reading and studying your textbook and class notes. It's the score you receive on a term paper after researching, writing, editing, and rewriting the material. It's how a sales rep for Eli Lilly does in convincing physicians to prescribe one of the company's new drugs. It's how an organization is doing in its work. The performance that results lets us know how well we've done at what we said we were going to accomplish. And, of course, managers want to control for organizational performance since that's how they know the end results of all the work processes and activities that are taking place, whether the organization has 100, 1,000, or 10,000 employees.

Isn't MBWA a subjective and inferior way to control work activities?

Quite the contrary! MBWA (management by walking, or wandering, around) is a great way to find out "up close and personal" what your subordinates are dealing with and the types of issues they're facing. You may have the impression that just because MBWA doesn't generate quantitative measures that it's too subjective and thus is inferior to other methods of controlling. However, by getting out and personally observing employees at work, you're getting first-hand information that's not filtered or subject to someone else's interpretation.

***Big thank you to Stephen P. Robbins & Mary Coulter, Robbins Online Learning System (R.O.L.L.S), Pearson, Prentice Hall