Chapter 7 - Control Flashcards
(38 cards)
Control
A regulatory process of establishing standards to achieve organizational goals, comparing actual performance against the standards, and taking corrective action when necessary.
Control is achieved when:
Behaviour and work procedures conform to standards, and company goals are accomplished
The basic control process involves:
Standards; comparison to standards; corrective action; dynamic process; and feedback, concurrent and feed forward control
Standards
A basic comparison when measuring the extent to which various kinds of organizational performances are satisfactory or unsatisfactory. (Meeting goals)
Benchmarking
The process of identifying outstanding practices, processes, and standards in other companies and adapting them to your company.
Using benchmarking to set standards
- Determine what to benchmark
- Identify the companies against which to benchmark your standards
- Collect data to determine other companies’ performance standards
Comparison to standards
Compare actual performance to performance standards.
Corrective action
Identify performance deviations, analyze those deviations, and then develop and implement programs to correct them.
Dynamic process
Control is a continuous, dynamic process. Control is not a one-time achievement or result, it must be continually maintained.
Three basic control methods
Feedback control
Concurrent control
Feedforward control
Feedback Control
A mechanism for gathering information about performance deficiencies after the occur.
Concurrent Control
A mechanism for gathering information about performance deficiencies as they occur, eliminating or shortening the delay between performance and feedback.
Feedforward Control
A mechanism for monitoring performance inputs rather than outputs to prevent or minimize performance deficiencies before they occur.
Guidelines for using feedforward control
- Thorough planning and analysis are required
- Careful discrimination must be applied in selecting input variables
- The feedforward system must be kept dynamic
- A model of the control system should be developed
- Data on input variables must be regularly collected
- Data on input variables must be regularly assessed
- Feedforward control requires action
Control may not always be possible because of
Control loss, Regulation costs, Cybernetic feasibility, and Unintended consequences
Control Loss
Situation in which behaviour and work procedures do not conform to standards.
Regulation Costs
The cost associated with the implementing or maintaining control.
Cybernetic Feasibility
The extent to which it is possible to implement each step in the control process.
Unintended consequences
Control systems help companies, managers, and workers accomplish their goals, but at the same time that control systems help solve some problems, they can create others.
Five methods of control
Bureaucratic Control Objective Control Normative Control Concertive Control Self-Control (Self-Management)
Bureaucratic Control
Use of hierarchical authority to influence employee behaviour by rewarding or punishing employees for compliance or non-compliance with organization policies, rules, and procedures.
Objective Control
Use of observable measures of worker behaviours or outputs to assess performance and influence behaviour.
Normative Control
Regulation of workers behaviour and decisions through widely shared organizational values and beliefs.
Concertive Control
Regulation of workers behaviour and decisions through work group values and beliefs.
