Business Studies 6 Marks Question

The controlling function of management ensures the work accomplishment according to plan. The importance of this function is:(i) Helps in achieving objectives.(ii) Controlling helps in adaptability to environmental changes.(iii) Controlling helps in coping with organisational complexity.(iv) Controlling helps in maintaining and improving quality.(v) Controlling helps in financial matters.(vi) Helps in improving employee's performance.(vii) Helps is monitoring sales.(viii) Helps in minimising errors.

In my viewpoint, both are partially correct because controlling is both forward looking as well as backward looking. Controlling is backward looking because like a postmortem of past activities the manager looks back to previous year's performance to find out its deviation from standard planning. It is also backward looking because planning is guided by past experiences and feedback report of controlling function.Planning is forward looking because plans are prepared for future. It involves looking in advance and making policy for maximum utilisation of resources in future.Controlling is also forward looking because controlling does not end only by comparing past performance with standard. It involves finding the reasons for deviations and suggests the measures so that these deviations do not occur in future. So, this statement that planning is forward looking and controlling is backward looking is only partially correct as planning and controlling are both forward looking as well as backward looking.