Control is the power to command organizations, systems and resources. This has a negative connotation when it is used towards people as you influence, direct or lead people as opposed to controlling. This being said, control can be exercised over societies, political frameworks, bureaucracies, organizations and teams that people belong too. Likewise, control can be exercised over processes, vehicles and machines. Accountability is tied to control whereby those with the power to control something are accountable for failures. The following are illustrative examples of controls.
Approval Processes
Audits
Authentication
Authority
Authorization
Automation
Awards & Recognition
Business Processes
Checklists
Commands
Communications
Compensation
Dashboards
Data Analytics
Disciplinary Processes
Incentives & Rewards
Information Security
Laws
Leadership / Management Direction
Measurements
Monitoring
Operations Processes
Organizational Structure (e.g. hierarchies)
Overrides & Sidelining
Penalties
Performance Management Processes
Physical Security
Policies
Regulations
Reporting & Metrics
Requirements
Roles & Responsibilities
Rules
Security Clearance & Permissions
Segregation of Duties
Specifications
Standards
User Interfaces
Validations
Whistleblowers
In the context of a society, control is typically rooted in coercive power such as military and police forces that back a political and legal system.Segregation of duties is the process of carefully crafting roles and permissions so that no one person has power over a process or procedure.Checks and balances is similar to segregation of duties but applies to the top political positions in a nation.
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Internal Controls
This is the complete list of articles we have written about internal controls.
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