Control in Management
Give examples and lucid explanation of the various types of control that can be used by a manager.
Managers can implement controls before, during or after an activity has been completed. The first type of control is called feedforward control; the second, concurrent control; and the last feedback control.
Feedforward control
Feedforward control anticipates problems. It is the most desirable type of control due to the fact that it actually prevents the problem as it takes place before the activity. For example, hospital emergency rooms are looking to prevent mistakes, such as discharging a person with chest pains, only for them to have a heart attack a couple hours later. Medical experts are aware that a serious ailment can looks a lot like something else. Therefore, many ER’s are setting protocols and oversights in place to prevent these kinds of mistakes. Another example can be found when McDonald’s opened their first restaurant in Moscow. During this time, it sent company quality control experts to help Russian farmers learn techniques for growing high-quality potatoes and to help bakers learn processes for baking high quality breads. They did this with the aim of producing consistent quality product, no matter the geographical location. The key to feedforward control is taking managerial action before a problem occurs. That way, problems can be prevented instead of having to be corrected after the damage has been done. However, these controls require timely and accurate information that isn’t always easy to get and therefore managers end up using the other two types of control.
Concurrent Control
Concurrent control takes place while a work activity is in progress.
For example, the director of business product management at Google, Nicholas Fox, and his team keep a watchful eye on one of Google’s most profitable businesses – online ads. They monitor the numbers of searches and clicks, the rate at which users click on ads and the revenue generated –
Managers can implement controls before, during or after an activity has been completed. The first type of control is called feedforward control; the second, concurrent control; and the last feedback control.
Feedforward control
Feedforward control anticipates problems. It is the most desirable type of control due to the fact that it actually prevents the problem as it takes place before the activity. For example, hospital emergency rooms are looking to prevent mistakes, such as discharging a person with chest pains, only for them to have a heart attack a couple hours later. Medical experts are aware that a serious ailment can looks a lot like something else. Therefore, many ER’s are setting protocols and oversights in place to prevent these kinds of mistakes. Another example can be found when McDonald’s opened their first restaurant in Moscow. During this time, it sent company quality control experts to help Russian farmers learn techniques for growing high-quality potatoes and to help bakers learn processes for baking high quality breads. They did this with the aim of producing consistent quality product, no matter the geographical location. The key to feedforward control is taking managerial action before a problem occurs. That way, problems can be prevented instead of having to be corrected after the damage has been done. However, these controls require timely and accurate information that isn’t always easy to get and therefore managers end up using the other two types of control.
Concurrent Control
Concurrent control takes place while a work activity is in progress.
For example, the director of business product management at Google, Nicholas Fox, and his team keep a watchful eye on one of Google’s most profitable businesses – online ads. They monitor the numbers of searches and clicks, the rate at which users click on ads and the revenue generated –