CONTROL

• A process of monitoring and correcting

subordinates performance to achieve
organizational goals
 Control process

• Setting performance standards

• Measuring actual performance
• Evaluation of deviations
• Taking corrective action.
 Significance of control
• Facilitates better working relations
• For benchmarking
• Matching employee performance against job description
• Leads to standardised actions
• Helps prevent malpractice including the effective use of
delegated authority
• It evaluates top management efficiency in planning
• Ensures maximum utilization of resources.
 Types of control

Pre-action
• control before an activity takes place
• Eliminates activities that create discrepancies.

Steering
• This takes place while work is in progress
• Personal observations and policies are used to
identify deviations.
 Types of control cont...
Post action
• result oriented control, done after completion of
work activities
• provides managers with meaningful information on
the effectiveness of their planning effort
• Can be used for reward and performance appraisal
decisions.
 Types of control cont...
Screening
• Monitors the progress of certain activities and
approvals have to be made before executing
the next phase.
 Types of control cont...
• Excessive control can act as a barrier to
effective performance, retard motivation and
inhibit creativity
• Inadequate control wastes resources.
 Factors determining the type of control system
Size of an organization
• Smaller organizations rely more on informal controls while
larger organizations normally adopt formal systems with
more direct supervision.
Degree of decentralisation
The more decentralised the organization is, the greater the
need for control.
Importance of activity
Where an error would be costly to the organization, greater
control is needed.
Organizational position
• Who has to be controlled more; top/lower level managers..
 DECISION MAKING

• Making a conclusive choice on what must and

what must not be done in a given situation.
 Decision making process

Identify the problem

Collect relevant information
Develop alternatives
Evaluate alternatives
Select and implement the best alternative.
 Types of decisions

Programmed
• regularly made and have predictable results
• depend highly on procedures, rules and policies to
guide the user
These decisions are made under certainty condition.
 Types of decisions cont…

Semi-programmed
• A combination of moderately unusual and
partially known problems and solutions
• These are gradually modified and improved
• These decisions are made under doubtful condition.
 Types of decisions cont...

Non-programmed
• These are new and non-recurring decisions with
unpredictable results
• The process is not logical since it involves defining
unusual problems with limited information and
changes that come in different times
• These decisions are made under risk conditions.
 Causes for making poor decisions
• Managers’ failure to devote enough effort in the
decision making process
• Series of management success
• Limited resources
• Management rigidity..