We explain what is control in administration and what are the phases of the control process. In addition, the types of administrative control.
What is control in administration?
In management sciences, we speak of control to refer to one of the main administrative functions, together with planning, organization and direction, which is responsible for ensuring that the organization’s actions are carried out according to plan, or evaluating the effectiveness of the results obtained, that is, their degree of proximity with the expected ideal.
The administrative dynamics of control usually involve obtaining information regarding the business process and results, and the application of the corrections that are pertinent to correct the errors and maximize the efficiency.
It is a feedback mechanism of the organizational system that depends to operate on the three previous steps, especially planning, a stage where expectations and goals are set. In theory, an organization whose processes and results are closer to plan will be much more efficient than one that gets off track.
Thus, the control processes allow not only measure organizational performance, but also establish precisely the quality standards suitable for this, and also evaluate and take the pertinent corrective measures.
The ideal control processIn this sense, it must be economical, flexible and preventive, but also, as we have said, it must respond to the organizational objectives set.
Control process (phases)
The phases of the control process tend to be the following:
- Phase 1: Establish standards. In this initial phase, the measurement or evaluation parameters are refined and defined, without which it would be impossible to know how good or bad the product is. This implies four types of standards: quantity (production volume, stock quantity, etc.), quality (accuracy, product achievement), time (production times), and cost (cost of sales, production costs. , etc.).
- Phase 2: Performance evaluation. The actual measurement of organizational processes.
- Phase 3: Performance comparison. The expected performance margins are compared with those obtained, they are compared with the initial standards to determine the margin of success or error.
- Phase 4: Corrective action. A report is prepared that records all of the above and the necessary actions are taken to improve or perfect the process, such as determining at what level of the business structure are the problems and what are their possible solutions.
Types of administrative control
There are the following types of administrative control:
- Prior control or pre-control. Being prior to the action, they ensure that it responds to the planned resources (human, material and financial). This involves identifying the budgeted financial expenses, anticipating the activities to be carried out and anticipating what it will cost to carry them out.
- Managerial or management control. They are known as progress controls or cybernetic controls, and they monitor the journey of organizational processes before they end, to have time to take action or force a change of route. These controls only work if you have adequate feedback.
- Current control. This control is carried out throughout the business process, that is to say, at the same time that they are passing, in the hands of managers or the operating personnel themselves.
- Subsequent control. They are carried out once the productive action is finished and are given retrospectively, evaluating the entire journey and drawing the pertinent conclusions of what went well and what did not. Then a report is collected that is used for future management and to reward or encourage workers.