What is control over a business entity?

This questions concerns who has control over operations or authority to act on behalf of the business. Each business entity type has a default control structure and level of authority vested in individuals in those roles. In many cases the owners and managers of the business are the same people. 

This relationship becomes convoluted when there are owners who act as managers of the business and others who do not. The issue of overlapping ownership and control becomes increasingly important in closely-held business entities. 

Third parties dealing with a business entity want to be certain about the level of authority of the individual with whom they are dealing. 

Further, the business entity is concerned about its agents undertaking transactions that obligate the entity, such as taking out loans or entering into purchaser or sales contracts.

• Note: Recall from the chapter discussing agency law, the level of authority of individuals acting on behalf of a business entity affects the potential liability of the business for the acts of those agents. Business owners may undertake procedures to outline the role and authority of each member of the business. This is normally done within the business organizational documents. The title attributable to any owner affects the level of control and authority that she has. Failure to follow procedures to document the authority and control within the business can result in a default level of control or authority in a member of the business that is undesirable to the other owners. Further, a lack of formalized organizational structure can cause internal disputes that affect the operational efficiency of the business.
• Example: Owners of an LLC are known as members. I am a member of an LLC. If I am a member-manager of the LLC, I have the authority to carry on all operations and act on behalf of the LLC. If I am a not a manager of a member-managed LLC, I do not have the authority to act on behalf of the business.

Related Topics

• Business Entities (Intro)
• Why is studying business entities important?
• Considerations When Forming a Business Entity
• Holistic (Detailed) Overview of Setting Up a Business Entity
• What are Business Entities?
• What is a Closely-held vs Publicly-held Business?
• What are the main types of business entity?
  
• What are the primary characteristics of business entities?
• What is Creation of a business entity?
• Where to Form a Business
• Incorporating in Delaware
• Forming an LLC in Nevada or Wyoming
• Creating a Company Offshore
• Promoter
• Promoter Liability
• De Jure Corporation
• Ultra Vires
• Brassplate Company
• What is Maintenance of a business entity?
• What is Continuity of a business entity?
• Business Continuity Planning
• Buy Sell Agreements
• Shotgun Clause
• Winding Up
• Dissolving a Foreign Qualification
• What is the Ownership structure of a business entity?
• Joint Stock Company
• Parent Company
• Subsidiary Company
• Wholly-Owned Subsidiary
• Operating Subsidiary
  
• Holding Company
  
• State-Owned Enterprise
• Mutual Company
• Conglomerate
• What is Control of a business entity?
• What is Personal liability of owners of a business entity?
• Entity Theory
• Piercing the Corporate Veil
• What is Compensation of business owners?
• What is Taxation of a business entity?
• What is Sales & Use tax?
• What are payroll and self-employment taxes?
• What are the major characteristics of a Sole proprietorship?
• Uniform Partnership Act
• Uniform Limited Partnership Act
• Partnership Agreement
• At-Will Partnerships
• Responsibilities of Partners to the Partnership
• Silent Partner
• Funding the Partnership
• How are Partners Compensated
• Splitting Equity in an Industrial Partnership
• Terminating the Partnership
• Types of Partnerships
• What are the main characteristics of a General partnership?
• Tort Liability of General Partner
• What are the main characteristics of a Joint venture?
• What are the main characteristics of a Limited partnership?
• Family Limited Partnership
• Master Limited Partnership
• What are the main characteristics of a Limited liability partnership?
• What are the main characteristics of a Limited liability company?
• Forming an LLC
• Articles of Organization
• Operating Agreement or LLC Agreement
• Why You Need an LLC Agreement
• LLC Compensation of Members
• LLC Taxation
• Converting to an LLC
• What are the main characteristics of a Corporation
• Articles of Incorporation 
• What to include in the Articles of Incorporation
• Corporate Bylaws
• Exiting the Corporation
• Dissenter's Rights
• What are the requirements to be an S Corporation?
• Non-Profit Organization
• NonProfit Business Entities
• Private Foundation
• A Detailed Explanation of the Sole Proprietorship
• Taxation of Sole Proprietorship
• A Detailed Explanation of the General Partnership
• 50/50 Partnerships: Never a Good Idea
• Publicly-Traded Partnerships
• A Detailed Explanation of the Limited Liability Company
• A Detailed Explanation of the Corporation
• Keepwell Agreement (Letter of Comfort)
• Personal Service Corporation Definition
• A Detailed Explanation of the Non-Profit Entity
• Public Limited Company (UK)