The position/force of a machine tool or robot end effecter having at least two degrees of freedom of movement is controlled. A first setting device sets the position command and/or posture command of the working tool on a machine. The instant position and/or posture of the working tool is detected. The force command and/or moment command for commanding the force and/or moment to be applied to the working tool is set, and the instant force and/or moment acting on the working tool is detected. A computing device determines from the position command and/or posture command and the instant position and/or posture, the position and/or posture offset in terms of the coordinate values of an operation coordinate system. A second computing device determines from the force command and/or moment command and the instant force and/or instant moment, force and/or moment offset in terms of the coordinate values of the operation coordinate system. Position/force computation for the control of the position of and the force on the working tool is computed from the position and/or posture offset and the force and/or moment offset in terms of the coordinate values of the operation coordinate system, thereby determining the amount of control to be effected on the working machine.