Consider the following statements about the relationship between planning and controlling:
(A) A system of control presupposes the existence of certain standards.
(B) Without controlling, there is no predetermined understanding of the desired performance.
(C) The statement ‘planning is looking ahead while controlling is looking back’ is only partially correct.
(D) Controlling is called a backward-looking function as it is like a postmortem of past activities.
(E) Planning is called a forward-looking function as it seeks to compel events to conform to plans.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (A), (C) and (D) only
(A) A system of control presupposes the existence of certain standards. — Correct. Control checks work against standards. These standards come from planning, so they must exist before control can start.
(B) Without controlling, there is no predetermined understanding of the desired performance. — Incorrect. It is without planning that there is no predetermined understanding of the desired performance. Planning sets the desired performance; controlling checks it.
(C) The statement ‘planning is looking ahead while controlling is looking back’ is only partially correct. — Correct. Each function looks both ways. Planning is guided by past experience, and corrective action aims to improve future performance.
(D) Controlling is called a backward-looking function as it is like a postmortem of past activities. — Correct. Controlling looks at past activities to find deviations from the standards, much like a postmortem. In that sense it looks back.
(E) Planning is called a forward-looking function as it seeks to compel events to conform to plans. — Incorrect. Planning is forward-looking because plans are prepared for the future and based on forecasts. Making events conform to plans is the work of controlling.
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “Relationship between Planning and Controlling Planning and controlling are inseparable twins of management. A system of control presupposes the existence of certain standards. These standards of performance which serve as the basis of controlling are provided by planning. Once a plan becomes operational, controlling is necessary to monitor the progress, measure it, discover deviations and initiate corrective measures to ensure that events conform to plans. Thus, planning without controlling is meaningless. Similarly, controlling is blind without planning. If the standards are not set in advance, managers have nothing to control. When there is no plan, there is no basis of controlling. Planning is clearly a prerequisite for controlling. It is utterly foolish to think that controlling could be accomplished without planning. Without planning there is no predetermined understanding of the desired performance. Planning seeks consistent, integrated and articulated programmes while controlling seeks to compel events to conform to plans. …” “Relationship between Planning and Controlling … It is often said that planning is looking ahead while controlling is looking back. However, the statement is only partially correct. Plans are prepared for future and are based on forecasts about future conditions. Therefore, planning involves looking ahead and is called a forward-looking function. 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. …” |