FREE ESSAY ON TRADITIONAL CONTROL METHODS

TRADITIONAL CONTROL METHODS

Traditional Control Methods - 3 Categories
Traditional control methods are based on setting standards and then monitoring
performance. 
These methods fall into three categories such as 1) diagnostic control systems 2)
boundary control 
systems and 3) interactive control systems. The following is a synopsis and explanation
of each of 
those categories.
Category 1: Diagnostic Control Systems
Diagnostic control systems " like budget and performance reports " aim to ensure that
goals are met and that any variances can be easily explained. The principal purpose of
the diagnostic control system is to reduce the need for managers to constantly monitor
every aspect of the business. To conserve the manager's time, only those deviations that
are significant are brought to the manager's attention. Theoretically, employees are left
to do the job, while the managers are confident that any grave deviation will appear
naturally, in budget reports or employee performance evaluations. The diagnostic control
system, however, has one potentially critical flaw: it assumes that that the results
reported by the employees (i.e. sales reports, expenditure reports) are accurate and that
employees don't :fudge" results to make it appear as though they are meeting goals or
staying within established parameters. 
Category 2: Boundary Control Systems
Boundary control systems "establish the rules of the game and identify actions and
pitfalls that employees must avoid." Codes of ethics and business conduct are widely used
in the business industry. Rules concerning conduct and ethics are particularly important
for any business that has a reputation "build on trust." For example, Lockheed Martin's
code of ethnics is geared to the personal integrity of all employees, requiring that they
conduct themselves with the highest standards whether in their personal lives or in the
professional environment. These codes deal with "doing things right" and "doing the right
things". For example, Lockheed employees must not disclose proprietary company
information without proper authorization or they would face federal indictment.
Lockheed's employees also are prohibited from accepting gifts valued at more than $100
from any company that does business with Lockheed. 
Category 3: Interactive Control Systems. 
In the interactive control system, manager control is based upon the questioning of
subordinates face to face. Naturally, in larger companies, less direct interaction among
personnel is possible. Thus, in large companies, the interactive control systems are
implemented by holding weekly meetings among senior management and department heads.
Based on reports from each department, management can evaluate strengths and weaknesses
(i.e. unexpected volume of sales of a certain product or decreased revenue from another)
and adjust their goals and targets accordingly.