Definitions of Controlling
Controlling is the essential management function that ensures organizational activities align with strategic goals by monitoring performance, identifying deviations, and implementing corrective actions.
As the final function in the management process, it creates a feedback loop between plans and results.
From Henri Fayol’s foundational concept of verification to Peter Drucker’s performance measurement approach and modern thinkers like Kaplan & Norton’s balanced scorecard, controlling has evolved into a multidimensional process.
This article compiles 25 authoritative definitions from management luminaries like Koontz, Mintzberg, and Deming, revealing how controlling maintains efficiency, quality, and strategic alignment in today’s dynamic business environment.
Let’s explore the 25 notable definitions of controlling in management:
1.) Henri Fayol – “Controlling consists of verifying whether everything occurs in conformity with the plan adopted, the instructions issued, and principles established.”
2.) Peter Drucker – “Controlling is the process of measuring and correcting performance to ensure enterprise objectives and plans are accomplished.”
3.) Koontz & O’Donnell – “Controlling is the measurement and correction of performance to make sure enterprise objectives and the plans devised to attain them are being accomplished.”
4.) George R. Terry – “Controlling is determining what is being accomplished, evaluating the performance, and applying corrective measures if necessary.”
5.) Robert J. Mockler – “Controlling is a systematic effort to set performance standards with planning objectives, to design information feedback systems, to compare actual performance with predetermined standards, and to take corrective action.”
6.) William Newman – “Controlling is the process of comparing actual performance with standards and taking action to correct any deviations.”
7.) Harold Koontz – “Controlling implies measurement of accomplishment against the standard and the correction of deviations to assure attainment of objectives according to plans.”
8.) Stephen P. Robbins – “Controlling is the process of monitoring activities to ensure they are being accomplished as planned and correcting any significant deviations.”
9.) James Stoner – “Controlling is the process of ensuring actual activities conform to planned activities.”
10.) Richard Daft – “Controlling is the systematic process of regulating organizational activities to make them consistent with expectations established in plans, targets, and standards of performance.”
11.) Ernest Dale – “Controlling is the function that measures performance against standards, identifies deviations, and suggests corrective action.”
12.) Louis Allen – “Controlling is the process that measures current performance and guides it toward some predetermined goal.”
13.) Theo Haimann – “Controlling is the process of checking to determine whether or not proper progress is being made toward objectives and goals and acting if necessary to correct any deviation.”
14.) Philip Kotler – “Controlling is the process of taking steps to bring actual results and desired results closer together.”
15.) Michael Porter – “Strategic controlling involves monitoring whether a company is achieving competitive advantage and implementing corrective actions if not.”
16.) Henry Mintzberg – “Controlling represents the cybernetic function in organizations – the feedback mechanism that keeps activities on track.”
17.) Mary Parker Follett – “Controlling should be coactive rather than coercive – a shared responsibility between managers and workers.”
18.) Edwards Deming – “Effective controlling relies on statistical measurement of processes rather than after-the-fact inspection.”
19.) Joseph Juran – “Controlling involves quality measurement and continuous improvement to meet customer requirements.”
20.) Tom Peters – “In excellent companies, controlling means everyone monitors quality – it’s not just management’s job.”
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21.) Warren Bennis – “Contemporary controlling focuses more on vision and empowerment than rigid command-and-control systems.”
22.) Gary Hamel – “Innovative organizations practice ‘soft controlling’ through peer review and cultural norms rather than bureaucracy.”
23.) Kaplan & Norton – “Strategic controlling requires balanced scorecards that track financial and non-financial indicators.”
24.) Chris Argyris – “Effective controlling systems must account for both espoused theories and theories-in-use within organizations.”
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25.) W. Edwards Deming – “Modern controlling emphasizes building quality into processes rather than inspecting quality after production.”
These 25 definitions reveal controlling as management’s compass – continuously measuring, evaluating, and correcting organizational performance.
From Fayol’s verification principles to Deming’s quality focus and Kaplan’s balanced metrics, effective controlling ensures that plans become results.
In today’s dynamic business world, it remains the critical bridge between strategy and execution, maintaining organizational alignment and excellence.
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Sujan Chaudhary is an MBA graduate. He loves to share his business knowledge with the rest of the world. While not writing, he will be found reading and exploring the world.