What is a function of management that ensures activities conform to plans?

Controlling is a crucial function of management that involves monitoring activities to ensure they align with established plans. It serves as a feedback mechanism that allows managers to assess whether organizational goals and objectives are being met. This process involves setting performance standards based on the organization's strategic objectives, measuring actual performance against these standards, and taking corrective action when necessary.

Through controlling, managers can identify deviations from the planned course of action, evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of current operations, and make informed decisions to realign resources or strategies as needed. This aspect of management is about maintaining the organization’s trajectory towards its goals and ensuring that all functional areas are working harmoniously within the overall strategy.

In the context of management functions, while directing involves guiding and overseeing the team's efforts and leading emphasizes motivating and inspiring people, controlling stands uniquely focused on the comparison of actual results against planned outcomes, thereby ensuring adherence to the original plans set forth. Planning, on the other hand, is about setting those goals and outlining the steps to achieve them in the first place.