Posted: March 4th, 2021

Mr. Somersby

In what ways does Mr. Somersby control the operation of the sections of his division?
The law division is tasked with ensuring that the company’s interests are protected in all transactions that the company engages in both new and existing investments. To ensure this, it is upon Mr. Somersby to ensure that all the legal issues affecting the investments are addressed before the company commits itself to such investments. As the head of the division, he must ensure that his subordinates understand and adhere to protecting the interests of the company and this he can ensure by employing the following controls;
As the head of the division, it falls upon him to choose his team of workers, their training and the kind of work that they will handle. This can be seen in the training offered to the assessors in the individual loans section and the lawyers in the corporate section.

To ensure timely delivery of assigned tasks, setting a standard for the employees ensures that they work harder in completing their tasks. To ease work of some sections, dividing them into several smaller sections ensures that they are in a better position to handle their workload in relation to the challenges they may face in their area of operation (pp15.
As it falls upon his division to advise other divisions on legal matters concerning investment thus he can control the kind of transactions that his sections seek and enter into by vetting new applications before they are passed on to the other divisions. To ensure that the workers in the division are working optimally, he can control the workload on the workers by engaging the services of external counsel when more expertise is needed or giving overtime to help clear backlogs (pp154, 156).
Engaging staff in regular conferences and requiring reports helps him identify current engagements and the challenges that are being encountered such that he can be able to determine appropriate intervention in time (pp155).
In what ways does top management control the operation of the law division?
The law division’s role as an advisor of management gives it an almost autonomous like way of operation. But management practices the following controls;
In order to asses the work of each division, management requires reporting on the division’s budget before the beginning of each year. This in itself ensures that section heads are in a position to identify opportunities and plan appropriately for their sections in harmony with the others sections for smooth operations. Holding quarterly meetings with the heads of sections in itself helps in identifying deviations in operations and in seeking clarification from the concerned heads of section (pp153).
Company policy influences the ability to hire and fire workers due to the costs associated with such actions. Thus only incase of gross misconduct or due to utter need of increasing or reducing staff, the division can’t on its own alter its staff numbers (pp154).
By having the freedom to engage outside counsel when needed, management empowers the law division to maximize on its workforce and gain from interacting with other law firms (pp154)
Having Mr. Somersby report directly to top management ensures that they get firsthand reports on the operations of this division and in a timely manner. This also allows the law division to comment on the effects of management decisions on its practice (pp151).

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