Controlling function of management is :
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Forward looking, backward looking and evaluative
Option (1) Only prescriptive — Incorrect. Planning is prescriptive. Controlling is evaluative, as it checks whether decisions have been turned into action.
Option (2) Only evaluative — Incorrect. It is evaluative, but not only that. It is also backward looking and forward looking.
Option (3) Prescriptive and forward looking — Incorrect. Prescriptive describes planning, not controlling.
Option (4) Forward looking, backward looking and evaluative — Correct. Controlling is like a postmortem of past activities (backward looking). Its corrective action aims to improve future performance (forward looking). It also checks whether decisions have turned into action (evaluative).
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “Planning is basically an intellectual process involving thinking, articulation and analysis to discover and prescribe an appropriate course of action for achieving objectives. Controlling, on the other hand, checks whether decisions have been translated into desired action. Planning is thus, prescriptive whereas, controlling is evaluative.” “…On the contrary, controlling is like a postmortem of past activities to find out deviations from the standards. In that sense, controlling is a backward-looking function. However, it should be understood that planning is guided by past experiences and the corrective action initiated by control function aims to improve future performance. Thus, planning and controlling are both backward-looking as well as a forward-looking function.” |