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.
Unlike most criminology theories that purport to explain why people offend, control theory offers the justification for why people obey rules. Control theory provides an explanation for how behavior conforms to that which is generally expected in society. Some control theories emphasize the developmental processes during childhood by which internal constraints develop.