Controlling Meaning
When you are driving a car on a highway than you cannot go at full speed as some sort of control in the form of brakes is needed to ensure that the car does not meet with an accident. In the same way in case of companies some control is needed to ensure that company’s plans are implemented properly, controlling is an integral part of any company because with proper control no plan of action can be successful. Controlling in simple words refers to the comparison of actual performance with perceived performance and ensures that any deviation of actual performance from the planned performance is corrected timely. In order to understand more about this concept, one should look at the advantages and disadvantages of controlling –
Advantages of Controlling
Accomplishment of Objectives on Time
The first and foremost advantage of having a control mechanism in place is that it leads to accomplishments of objectives set by the planning department of the company on time. In simple words just like in case of highway if you do not apply brakes you can go ahead of your destination or if you are driving too slowly then you will reach your destination late in the same way control ensures that company achieves its objectives timely that is neither too fast which leaves scope for errors nor too slow.
Efficient Use of Resources
It ensures that resources of the company are used efficiently because it is the control function which seeks to reduce wastage of resources by ensuring that all activities are done according to set standard or norms which can go a long way in ensuring that company minimizes the losses from wastage of resources.
Timely Correction of Deviations
In case of a highway if you take the wrong intersection and go ahead 200 miles and then you realize the mistake than it is of no use, however after going 10 or 20 miles in the wrong direction you check Google maps and realize the mistake then it can be timely corrected. In the same way, if controlling is done properly than minor deviation can be easily corrected on time by the management thus ensuring that minor deviation does not become major and puts the whole company in the jeopardy.
Disadvantages of Controlling
Difficulty in Measuring Qualitative Factors
The first and foremost limitation of controlling is that it measures actual performance with the planned performance which is in quantitative terms and thus it cannot be applied effectively when you have to measure and control the performance of qualitative variables and goals. Hence for example factors like human emotions, the motivation level of employees, satisfaction level of workers, etc. are beyond the purview of control function.
No control over External Factors
Controlling works best when management has to control only internal factors but if one takes into account external factors like government policies, technological factors, change in consumer taste and so on, then one can say that controlling cannot be a success because controlling assumes that external factors will remain same or won’t change in a big way.
Employees Dissatisfaction
People who bear the most brunt of control function are the employees because controlling is mostly applied on the way employees of the company work whether it’s related to their attendance or monitoring their work through cameras or reducing their rest time and so on. In simple words, too much of controlling can lead to employee dissatisfaction which in turn can lead to lower morale of the employees of the company which in the long run can do more harm than good as far as the company is concerned.
As one can see from the above that controlling has advantages as well as disadvantages and it is the responsibility of the company to ensure that controlling is used for the maximum benefit of both employees as well as the company at the same time undermining the disadvantages.