The study, which is believed to be the first randomized control trial into workplace flexibility, saw participants divided into two groups. The first were taught various practices that aimed to increase their control over their work. So employees were trained to focus more on outcomes than face time.
Definition of Control Theory. In sociology, control theory is the view that people refrain from deviant behavior because diverse factors control their impulses to break social norms.
In its classical sense, it referred to the capacity of a social group to regulate itself. The concept supplied a basis for inte-gration of theory and research until the 1930s. While the traditional usage of social control has persisted, the term has been redefined to mean either socialization or social repression.