Control is not a “dirty word” it is not about controlling people but rather processes; it is dynamic. The steps include (Kinicki & Williams, 2016) Establish standards for desired outcomes Measure actual performance/outcomes Compare performance to standards (difference between desired and actual outcomes) Take corrective action (what needs to be done to achieve desired outcomes) Why are measures so critical for control systems?

Control systems are important for organizations since they answer the basic question of whether the organization is going in the right direction and thus the need to change operations in the event that things are not happening as conceived during planning and execution. Measures are thus imperative since they affect the operations and systems put in place. When undertaking organizational control systems, measures are the scale to which controls operate. Measures are therefore the expected outcome, or the unintended results which if detected, then an action can be taken to prevent further damages (Bedford, 2015). For instance, controls help to achieve safety and reduce cost of productions. Measures would thus be the steps necessary that must be taken, to ensure that such desired result is met. It also means that measures are the steps taken to achieve needed best practices. Similarly, controls can be in such a way that when they are detected, then other enhanced measures can be triggered to enhance safety during production. Conversely, when the measures are not in place, the data or information that can help make sound decisions regarding the control mechanisms would be missing hence weak control systems.

references

Bedford, D. S. (2015). Management control systems across different modes of innovation: Implications for firm performance. Management Accounting Research, 28, 12-30.