Discuss any two limitations of Control.

Answer – Controlling ensures that activities conform to plans by comparing actual performance with standards and correcting significant deviations. It is goal oriented, pervasive, continuous and closely linked with planning. It looks backward at completed performance and forward by improving future action.

• Difficulty in setting quantitative standards: employee morale, creativity and reputation are not easily expressed in numbers.
• Limited control over external factors: a firm cannot directly control government policy, economic shocks or competitors.
• Employee resistance: intrusive monitoring or unfair measures may be opposed.
• Cost: information systems, supervision and detailed checking require resources; benefits should justify the expenditure.

These limitations call for balanced measures, employee participation and attention to the most important areas rather than abandonment of control.