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E.4 Link between Planning and Control
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| E.4 Link between Planning and Control For control to be effective, it must be integrated with planning so that managers can easily compare actual results with planned projections. It is necessary to state that the ability to control activities must be considered during the planning process. In short, one of the commonly used definitions of control is control is the process through which managers assure that actual activities conform to planned activities. This definition clearly shows that planning and control are closely related. The relationship between planning and control is continuous. Managers make plans, and control is used to evaluate the effectiveness of organisational activities relative to those plans. If the control system indicates that things are working to plan, the current plan should be maintained, but if adequate progress is not made as indicated by the control system, there maybe the need to review the course of activities in the plan or the plan entirely. 167 In short, the control mechanism measures the progress towards the set goals and provides opportunity for managers to detect deviations from the plan, so that timely and corrective actions can betaken. Again, there would not be any control process if the functions of planning are not in place. The goal set by planning is the standard of performance set by control. Contributing to the link between planning and control, Lawal (1993) noted areas of distinctions and similarities between plan and control thus Distinctions (a) Planning entails decision making while control is a monitoring process that depends on the existence of planning. b) Planning is concerned with ends and means and control focuses on results and feedbacks. Similarities (a) Both are concerned with identifying and quantifying standards of performance. The measures utilised for planning are similar to those used for control. b) Planning and control utilises quantitative techniques such as linear programming, statistical control and network analysis. Download 3.37 Mb. Share with your friends:
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