Controlling as the Vital Function of Management Essay

Controlling as the Vital Function of Management - Essay Example Controlling functions and techniques are exercised in all functional areas of management such as finance, marketing, human resource, production, etc. The process of control is very much associated with planning, the primary function of management. Both these functions are complementary to each other in the sense that either of these has no meaning unless the other is performed. In simple terms, controlling is the process of ensuring that all activities are in conformity with what has been planned already. It is the act of identifying any deviation from the standard performance by comparing it with the actual performance. Controlling function is not complete once the deviations are identified. Correcting the deviation, if any, is also under the purview of controlling process. It is a four-step process of establishing performance standards based on the firm's objectives, measuring and reporting of actual performance, comparing the two, and taking corrective or preventive actions, if necessary. Henry Fayol defines controlling as " in an undertaking, control consists in verifying whether everything occurs in conformity with the plan adopted, the instructions issued, and principles established, It has for an object to point out weaknesses and errors in order to rectify them and prevent recurrence. It operates on everything-things, people actions." Performance standards are ... Corrective action is warranted only when actual performance is below standards to ensure that the problem will not recur. On the other hand, if the performance is greater than or equal to standards, the behavior or system because of which it happened will be reinforced. Characteristics of Controlling Process Controlling is a never-ending process. Organisations which strive for improved performance will keep on controlling the activities of all areas. The exercise of controlling process is cyclical in nature which permanently observes the discrepancies of actual performance and corrects such deviations. Controlling is inseparably associated with planning function as the former cannot be exercised without the latter. In other words, planning is pointless unless it is accompanied by controlling. Because, mere establishment of standards alone will not bring success in business, rather, it must be compared with the actual continuously. Controlling is both anticipatory and retrospective. It expects problems and takes preventive action. With corrective actions, the process also follows up on problems. It employs a number of techniques based on the nature and area of problems. Controlling process ensures successful and efficient performance from executors who are held responsible for discrepanci es. However, employees are reluctant to have a control mechanism in the organization as it constantly evaluates their performance in terms of what is needed by the organization.

Immortality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Immortality - Essay Example The influence of immortality has had a basis in human society for thousands and thousands of years. Whereas many people will fantasise about the idea that our physical bodies may surpass their lifespan, it is now universally accepted that no one can live forever (in the physical sense); yet the debate as to whether there is some essence, namely the human soul, that 'lives on' after our physical body has passed away continues to fuel much debate. Thousands of years ago the search for the Philosopher's Stone, a red coloured compound which was believed to greatly prolong human life, as well as turn metal into gold (and thus bring wealth as well as long life), became the holy grail of the medieval world. Buddhism in particular places much emphasis on the belief that our 'essence' moves from creature to creature through reincarnation, that we are reborn into a new body each time our physical one dies, and that our actions in the last body determine which new body we are put into. Christia nity, unlike Buddhism believes that our actions in this life determine whether we spend the rest of eternity in Heaven of Hell. There are many people who will then go on to argue that if a person does not go to Heaven or Hell, they will become trapped in Limbo, wandering 'in between' the astral planes. Christian beliefs seem to have derived a lot from the teachings of Plato, be it that the changed Gods to God. The fact that immortality has played such an integral role in society and religion raises many questions. It begs an answer to the question 'what is motivating people to look for things (namely religious beliefs and actual objects, such as the Philosopher's Stone), that will secure their immortality Why do people want to live forever' Moving on from this question then we can ask 'are religious systems and people in powerful positions manipulating people's belief (particularly in the immortality of the soul, and hence the fate of it after death), in immortality to control their actions' A King, for example in medieval England could use the Church as a vehicle for ensuring that all his subjects obey his every order. Yes, it was believed that a King had 'divine right,' but were these 'rights' believed to be from God or were they a creation of the Monarchy, or an age old belief that the monarchy had corrupted The King could easily have, and did, punish heretics, using their deaths as a warning to others that if they too committed heresy their souls would be damned to hell, because an insult to the King is an insult to God himself.It follows from this that I am sceptical of the idea that the soul will ascend or descend to its Christian resting place. Whilst I too humour the idea of the soul, I find myself drawn towards the idea of reincarnation. Perhaps it is my ego, yet as I sit and think, I cannot help but recall the teachings of Hume. He stated that we could never know our 'true self,'1 be that our soul or something else, because all we can ever experience (Hume was a renowned advocate of Empiricism2), is our perceptions. I am aware that I am constantly in a 'perceptive state' (thinking, reasoning, unconsciously or consciously), I cannot see how