Directing & Controlling

• Concept of direction- principles and

techniques of direction

• Concept and process of control in

organisation, Tools of control

• Types of control- Feedback, Feed forward,

Concurrent
Functions of Management
 Directing
• DIRECTING is said to be a process in which the
managers instruct, guide and oversee the
performance of the workers to achieve
predetermined goals.

• There are four primary elements of directing 

– supervising, motivating, leadership,
and communication.
 Leadership
• Leadership is a process which managers use to
guide, direct, and influence the work of their
subordinates in the desired direction. It is also
the ability of the manager to induce the
employees to work confidently and with
vigour.
 Leadership
• 1. Autocratic or Authoritarian leadership
• An autocratic leader centralizes power and decision-
making in himself. He gives orders, assigns tasks and
duties without consulting the employees. The leader
takes full authority and assumes full responsibility.
• Autocratic leadership is negative, based on threats and
punishment. Subordinates act as he directs. He neither
cares for their opinions nor permits them to influence
the decision. He believes that because of his authority
he alone can decide what is best in a given situation.
 Leadership
• 2. Democratic or Participative leadership
• Participative or democratic leaders
decentralize authority. It is characterized by
consultation with the subordinates and their
participation in the formulation of plans and
policies. He encourages participation in
decision-making.
 Leadership
• 3. The Laissez-faire or Free-rein leadership
• Free-rein leaders avoid power and
responsibility. The laissez-faire or non-
interfering type of leader passes on the
responsibility for decision-making to his
subordinates and takes a minimum of initiative
in administration. He gives no direction and
allows the group to establish its own goals and
work out its own problems.
 Motivation
• The content theories deal with “what” motivates
people, whereas the process theories deal
with, “How” motivation occurs. Thus, theories of
motivation can be broadly classified as:
Maslows
Herzberg’s Theory of Motivation
McClelland Theory of Motivation
McGregor's X & Y Theory
 Communication
• It is a process of creating and sharing ideas,
information, views, facts, feelings, etc. among
the people to reach a common understanding.
Communication is the key to the
Directing function of management.
Communications Process
• Communications is a continuous process which
mainly involves three elements viz. sender,
message, and receiver.
• 1. Sender
• The sender or the communicator generates the message and conveys it to the
receiver. He is the source and the one who starts the communication
• 2. Message
• It is the idea, information, view, fact, feeling, etc. that is generated by the sender
and is then intended to be communicated further.
• 3. Encoding
• The message generated by the sender is encoded symbolically such as in the
form of words, pictures, gestures, etc. before it is being conveyed.
• 4. Media
• It is the manner in which the encoded message is transmitted. The message may
be transmitted orally or in writing. The medium of communication includes
telephone, internet, post, fax, e-mail, etc. The choice of medium is decided by
the sender.
• 5. Decoding
• It is the process of converting the symbols encoded by the sender. After decoding the
message is received by the receiver.
• 6. Receiver
• He is the person who is last in the chain and for whom the message was sent by the
sender. Once the receiver receives the message and understands it in proper perspective
and acts according to the message, only then the purpose of communication is successful.
• 7. Feedback
• Once the receiver confirms to the sender that he has received the message and
understood it, the process of communication is complete.
• 8. Noise
• It refers to any obstruction that is caused by the sender, message or receiver during
the process of communication. For example, bad telephone connection, faulty encoding,
faulty decoding, inattentive receiver, poor understanding of message due to prejudice or
inappropriate gestures, etc.
 Importance of Communication
• 1. The Basis of Co-ordination- The manager explains to the employees the organizational
goals, modes of their achievement and also the interpersonal relationships amongst them.
This provides coordination between various employees and also departments. Thus,
communications act as a basis for coordination in the organization.
• 2. Fluent Working- A manager coordinates the human and physical elements of an
organization to run it smoothly and efficiently. This coordination is not possible without
proper communication.
• 3. The Basis of Decision Making- Proper communication provides information to the
manager that is useful for decision making. No decisions could be taken in the absence of
information. Thus, communication is the basis for taking the right decisions.
• 4. Increases Managerial Efficiency- The manager conveys the targets and issues instructions
and allocates jobs to the subordinates. All of these aspects involve communication. Thus,
communication is essential for the quick and effective performance of the managers and the
entire organization.
• 5. Increases Cooperation and Organizational Peace- The two-way communication process
promotes co-operation and mutual understanding amongst the workers and also between
them and the management. This leads to less friction and thus leads to industrial peace in
the factory and efficient operations.
• 6. Boosts Morale of the Employees- Good communication helps the workers to adjust to the
physical and social aspect of work. It also improves good human relations in the industry. An
efficient system of communication enables the management to motivate, influence and
satisfy the subordinates which in turn boosts their morale and keeps them motivated.
 Types of Communication
• 1. Formal Communication
• Formal communications are the one which flows through the official
channels designed in the organizational chart. It may take place
between a superior and a subordinate, a subordinate and a superior
or among the same cadre employees or managers. These
communications can be oral or in writing and are generally recorded
and filed in the office.
• 2. Informal Communication
• Any communication that takes place without following the
formal channels of communication is said to
be informal communication. The Informal communication is
often referred to as the ‘grapevine’ as it spreads throughout the
organization and in all directions without any regard to the levels
of authority.
 Barriers to Communication
1. Semantic Barriers- These are concerned with the problems and obstructions in the process of encoding
and decoding of a message into words or impressions. Normally, such barriers result due to use of wrong
words, faulty translations, different interpretations, etc.
For example, a manager has to communicate with workers who have no knowledge of the English
language and on the other side, he is not well conversant with the Hindi language. Here, language is a
barrier to communication as the manager may not be able to communicate properly with the workers.
2. Psychological Barriers- Emotional or psychological factors also act as barriers to communication. The
state of mind of both sender and receiver of communication reflects in effective communication. A
worried person cannot communicate properly and an angry recipient cannot understand the message
properly.
Thus, at the time of communication, both the sender and the receiver need to be psychologically sound.
Also, they should trust each other. If they do not believe each other, they cannot understand each other’s
message in its original sense.
3. Organizational Barriers- The factors related to organizational structure, rules and regulations authority
relationships, etc. may sometimes act as barriers to effective communication. In an organization with a
highly centralized pattern, people may not be encouraged to have free communication. Also, rigid rules
and regulations and cumbersome procedures may also become a hurdle to communication.
4. Personal Barriers- The personal factors of both sender and receiver may act as a barrier to effective
communication. If a superior thinks that a particular communication may adversely affect his authority,
he may suppress such communication. Also, if the superiors do not have confidence in the competency of
their subordinates, they may not ask for their advice. The subordinates may not be willing to offer useful
suggestions in the absence of any reward or appreciation for a good suggestion.