IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/rvmgts/v13y2019i5d10.1007_s11846-018-0276-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Management control in multinational companies: a systematic literature review

Author

Listed:
  • Martina Sageder

    (Salzburg University of Applied Sciences
    Johannes Kepler University)

  • Birgit Feldbauer-Durstmüller

    (Johannes Kepler University)

Abstract

Executing management control across borders is crucial for multinational companies (MNCs). Various management control mechanisms serve to align foreign subsidiaries with corporate goals. Management control at MNCs has been subject of numerous studies in the past 25 years, thus highlighting the relevance of the topic. To provide a comprehensive overview of the research field, a systematic literature review including 79 articles from scientific journals has been conducted that outlines various control mechanisms and presents underlying theories as well as development over time. The design of management control and management accounting depends on internal factors at headquarters and the subsidiary as well as on external factors like culture or market requirements. The relationship of headquarters with subsidiaries and the integration into the host country context represent another influence on management control. This paper categorizes influencing factors, discusses interactions and limitations of control mechanisms and suggests implications for practice and research along with avenues for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Martina Sageder & Birgit Feldbauer-Durstmüller, 2019. "Management control in multinational companies: a systematic literature review," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 13(5), pages 875-918, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:rvmgts:v:13:y:2019:i:5:d:10.1007_s11846-018-0276-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11846-018-0276-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11846-018-0276-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11846-018-0276-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Williams, Christopher & van Triest, Sander, 2009. "The impact of corporate and national cultures on decentralization in multinational corporations," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 156-167, April.
    2. Kostova, Tatiana & Marano, Valentina & Tallman, Stephen, 2016. "Headquarters–subsidiary relationships in MNCs: Fifty years of evolving research," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 176-184.
    3. Sinikka Moilanen, 2007. "Knowledge Translation in Management Accounting and Control: A Case Study of a Multinational Firm in Transitional Economies," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(4), pages 757-789.
    4. Johannes Schaaper & Shuji Mizoguchi & Hiroyuki Nakamura & Seiki Yamashita, 2011. "Control of French and Japanese subsidiaries in China: implementing control mechanisms before and after the global economic crisis," Asia Pacific Business Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(4), pages 411-430, October.
    5. Lili-Anne Kihn, 2008. "The determinants of multiple forms of controls in foreign subsidiary manager evaluations," International Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Performance Evaluation, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 5(2), pages 157-182.
    6. Wim Van der Stede, 2003. "The effect of national culture on management control and incentive system design in multi-business firms: evidence of intracorporate isomorphism," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(2), pages 263-285.
    7. Trevor Hopper & Mathew Tsamenyi & Shahzad Uddin & Danture Wickramasinghe, 2009. "Management accounting in less developed countries: what is known and needs knowing," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 22(3), pages 469-514, March.
    8. Harzing, Anne-Wil, 2001. "Of bears, bumble-bees, and spiders: the role of expatriates in controlling foreign subsidiaries," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 366-379, January.
    9. Andreas Hoffjan & Rouven Trapp & Christoph Endenich & Thomas Boucoiran, 2012. "International budgeting—challenges for German-French companies," Metrika: International Journal for Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 5-25, September.
    10. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    11. David E. Avison & Julien Malaurent, 2007. "Impact of cultural differences : A case study of ERP introduction in China," Post-Print hal-02312719, HAL.
    12. Jon I Martinez & J Carlos Jarillo, 1991. "Coordination Demands of International Strategies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 22(3), pages 429-444, September.
    13. Harrison, Graeme L. & McKinnon, Jill L., 1999. "Cross-cultural research in management control systems design: a review of the current state," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 24(5-6), pages 483-506, July.
    14. Utz Schäffer & Matthias D. Mahlendorf & Jochen Rehring, 2014. "Does the Interactive Use of Headquarter Performance Measurement Systems in Foreign Subsidiaries Endanger the Potential to Profit from Local Relationships?," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 24(1), pages 21-38, March.
    15. Christoph Endenich & Michael Brandau & Andreas Hoffjan, 2011. "Two Decades of Research on Comparative Management Accounting – Achievements and Future Directions," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 21(4), pages 365-382, December.
    16. Richards, Malika, 2000. "Control exercised by U.S. multinationals over their overseas affiliates: does location make a difference?," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 6(2), pages 105-120.
    17. Yan Du & Marc Deloof & Ann Jorissen, 2013. "Headquarters−Subsidiary Interdependencies and the Design of Performance Evaluation and Reward Systems in Multinational Enterprises," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(2), pages 391-424, June.
    18. Du, Yan & Deloof, Marc & Jorissen, Ann, 2015. "The Roles of Subsidiary Boards in Multinational Enterprises," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 169-181.
    19. Y. Du & M. Deloof & A. Jorissen, 2013. "The impact of headquarters-subsidiary interdependencies on the design of performance evaluation and reward systems in multinational enterprises," Post-Print hal-00841920, HAL.
    20. Francesco Giacobbe & Zoltan Matolcsy & James Wakefield & Tom Smith, 2016. "An investigation of wholly-owned foreign subsidiary control through transaction cost economics theory," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 56(4), pages 1041-1070, December.
    21. Esra F Gencturk & Preet S Aulakh, 1995. "The Use of Process and Output Controls in Foreign Markets," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 26(4), pages 755-786, December.
    22. Susan C Borkowski, 1999. "International Managerial Performance Evaluation: A Five Country Comparison," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 30(3), pages 533-555, September.
    23. Johannes Schaaper & Shuji Mizoguchi & Hiroyuki Nakamura & S Yamashita, 2011. "Control of French and Japanese Subsidiaries in China : Implementing Control Mechanisms before and after the Global Economic Crisis," Post-Print hal-02432216, HAL.
    24. O’Connor, Neale G. & Vera-Muñoz, Sandra C. & Chan, Francis, 2011. "Competitive forces and the importance of management control systems in emerging-economy firms: The moderating effect of international market orientation," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 246-266.
    25. Ricarda Bouncken & Johanna Gast & Sascha Kraus & Marcel Bogers, 2015. "Coopetition: a systematic review, synthesis, and future research directions," Post-Print hal-02018068, HAL.
    26. Paik, Yongsun & Sohn, Junghoon Derick, 2004. "Expatriate managers and MNC's ability to control international subsidiaries: the case of Japanese MNCs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 61-71, February.
    27. Chenhall, Robert H., 2003. "Management control systems design within its organizational context: findings from contingency-based research and directions for the future," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 28(2-3), pages 127-168.
    28. Ricarda Bouncken & Johanna Gast & Sascha Kraus & Marcel Bogers, 2015. "Coopetition: a systematic review, synthesis, and future research directions," Post-Print hal-02945341, HAL.
    29. Martina Sageder & Christine Mitter & Birgit Feldbauer‐Durstmüller, 2018. "Image and reputation of family firms: a systematic literature review of the state of research," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 335-377, January.
    30. Daphne Yiu & Shige Makino, 2002. "The Choice Between Joint Venture and Wholly Owned Subsidiary: An Institutional Perspective," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(6), pages 667-683, December.
    31. Jaussaud, Jacques & Schaaper, Johannes, 2006. "Control mechanisms of their subsidiaries by multinational firms: A multidimensional perspective," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 23-45, March.
    32. Björkman, Anette & Piekkari, Rebecca, 2009. "Language and foreign subsidiary control: An empirical test," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 105-117, March.
    33. Lili-Anne Kihn, 2010. "An empirical investigation of the principal top management styles in the emphasis of multiple forms of controls," International Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Performance Evaluation, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 6(1), pages 108-127.
    34. Joao Neves & Antonio Bugalho, 2008. "Coordination and control in emerging international construction firms," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1), pages 3-13.
    35. Yu, Chwo-Ming Joseph & Wong, Huang-Che & Chiao, Yu-Ching, 2006. "Local linkages and their effects on headquarters' use of process controls," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 59(12), pages 1239-1247, November.
    36. Wilkinson, Timothy J. & Peng, George Z. & Brouthers, Lance Eliot & Beamish, Paul W., 2008. "The diminishing effect of cultural distance on subsidiary control," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 93-107, June.
    37. Lili-Anne Kihn, 2007. "Financial Consequences in Foreign Subsidiary Manager Performance Evaluations," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 531-554.
    38. Lovett, Steven Russell & Pérez-Nordtvedt, Liliana & Rasheed, Abdul A., 2009. "Parental control: A study of U.S. subsidiaries in Mexico," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 481-493, October.
    39. Andersson, Ulf & Forsgren, Mats, 1996. "Subsidiary embeddedness and control in the multinational corporation," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 5(5), pages 487-508, October.
    40. Al Chen, Y. S. & Romocki, Timothy & Zuckerman, Gilroy J., 1997. "Examination of U.S.-based Japanese subsidiaries: Evidence of the transfer of the Japanese strategic cost management," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 417-440.
    41. Bertrand Masquefa, 2008. "Top management adoption of a locally driven performance measurement and evaluation system: A social network perspective," Post-Print halshs-00282391, HAL.
    42. repec:bla:jomstd:v:37:y:2000:i:4:p:541-562 is not listed on IDEAS
    43. Zahirul Hoque & Maybelle Chia, 2012. "Competitive forces and the levers of control framework in a manufacturing setting," Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 9(2), pages 123-145, June.
    44. Richards, Malika & Hu, Michael Y., 2003. "US subsidiary control in Malaysia and Singapore," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 46(6), pages 71-76.
    45. Cools, Martine & Emmanuel, Clive & Jorissen, Ann, 2008. "Management control in the transfer pricing tax compliant multinational enterprise," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 603-628, August.
    46. Barbara Brenner & Björn Ambos, 2013. "A Question of Legitimacy? A Dynamic Perspective on Multinational Firm Control," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 773-795, June.
    47. Beard, Victoria & Al-Rai, Ziad, 1999. "Collection and Transmission of Accounting Information Across Cultural Borders: The Case of US MNEs in Jordan," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 133-150.
    48. Sheu, Chwen & Chae, Bongsug & Yang, C.-L.Chen-Lung, 2004. "National differences and ERP implementation: issues and challenges," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 361-371, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Nerantzidis, Michail & Tampakoudis, Ioannis & She, Chaoyuan, 2024. "Social media in accounting research: A review and future research agenda," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    2. Farah, Bassam & Chakravarty, Dwarka & Dau, Luis & Beamish, Paul W., 2022. "Multinational enterprise parent-subsidiary governance and survival," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(2).
    3. Šilenskytė, Aušrinė & Kohtamäki, Marko & Dhanaraj, Charles, 2022. "Strategy implementation in the transnational MNC: A critical realist investigation of European and Indian unit collaboration," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 276-289.
    4. Hong, Jacky & Leung, Tiffany & Snell, Robin Stanley, 2024. "Transitioning from CSR to CSV in a foreign subsidiary in China through temporal decoupling," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(1).
    5. Effnu Subiyanto & Roy Kurniawan, 2022. "Designing fair annual bonus formulations for workers: A case study of the state-owned enterprise cement holding in Indonesia," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Bauweraerts, Jonathan & Arzubiaga, Unai & Diaz-Moriana, Vanessa, 2022. "Unveiling the global focus-performance relationship in family firms: The role of the board of directors," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(4).
    7. Tobias Kreuter & Luiz Felipe Scavarda & Antonio Márcio Tavares Thomé & Bernd Hellingrath & Marcelo Xavier Seeling, 2022. "Empirical and theoretical perspectives in sales and operations planning," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 319-354, February.
    8. Adjerhore Isaiah & Habsah Binti Muda, 2023. "Cross-Cultural Communication, Diversity Management and Competitive Advantage Among Multi-National Corporations: Evidence in Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(7), pages 503-513, July.
    9. Putu Yudha Asteria Putri & Iwan Triyuwono & Bambang Hariadi & Lilik Purwanti, 2024. "Deconstruction of Management Control Systems and the Role of Culture in Traditional Banking Institutions," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 5, pages 25-41.
    10. Sunghoon Hong, 2022. "Tax treaties and foreign equity holding companies of multinational corporations," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 483-520, February.
    11. Jacobo Gomez-Conde & Ernesto Lopez-Valeiras & Fabricia Silva Rosa & Rogério João Lunkes, 2023. "The effect of management control systems in managing the unknown: Does the market appreciate the breadth of vision?," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(8), pages 2769-2795, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jonas Puck & Markus K. Hödl & Igor Filatotchev & Hans-Georg Wolff & Benjamin Bader, 2016. "Ownership mode, cultural distance, and the extent of parent firms’ strategic control over subsidiaries in the PRC," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 33(4), pages 1075-1105, December.
    2. Utz Schäffer & Matthias D. Mahlendorf & Jochen Rehring, 2014. "Does the Interactive Use of Headquarter Performance Measurement Systems in Foreign Subsidiaries Endanger the Potential to Profit from Local Relationships?," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 24(1), pages 21-38, March.
    3. Du, Yan & Deloof, Marc & Jorissen, Ann, 2015. "The Roles of Subsidiary Boards in Multinational Enterprises," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 169-181.
    4. Chun-Chien Lin & Yu-Ching Chiao & Tung-Lung Chang & Yu-Chen Chang, 2023. "The determinants of the use of process control mechanisms in FDI decisions in headquarters–subsidiary relationships," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    5. Teemu Malmi & David S. Bedford & Rolf Brühl & Johan Dergård & Sophie Hoozée & Otto Janschek & Jeanette Willert, 2022. "The use of management controls in different cultural regions: an empirical study of Anglo-Saxon, Germanic and Nordic practices," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 273-334, September.
    6. Farah, Bassam & Chakravarty, Dwarka & Dau, Luis & Beamish, Paul W., 2022. "Multinational enterprise parent-subsidiary governance and survival," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(2).
    7. Matolcsy, Zoltan & Wakefield, James, 2017. "Multinational headquarter control of wholly owned foreign subsidiaries," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(3), pages 275-293.
    8. Kawai, Norifumi & Strange, Roger, 2014. "Subsidiary autonomy and performance in Japanese multinationals in Europe," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 504-515.
    9. Sophie Hoozée & Falconer Mitchell, 2018. "Who Influences the Design of Management Accounting Systems? An Exploratory Study," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 28(3), pages 374-390, September.
    10. Tony Edwards & Olga Tregaskis & David Collings & Patrice Jalette & Lourdes Susaeta, 2013. "Control over Employment Practice in Multinationals: Subsidiary Functions, Corporate Structures, and National Systems," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 66(3), pages 670-695, May.
    11. Zeng, Rong & Grøgaard, Birgitte & Steel, Piers, 2018. "Complements or substitutes? A meta-analysis of the role of integration mechanisms for knowledge transfer in the MNE network," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(4), pages 415-432.
    12. Ossi Pesämaa, 2017. "Personnel- and action control in gazelle companies in Sweden," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 28(1), pages 107-132, February.
    13. Martin R.W. Hiebl & Zhen Li, 2020. "Non-family managers in family firms: review, integrative framework and future research agenda," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 763-807, August.
    14. Ambos, Björn & Kunisch, Sven & Leicht-Deobald, Ulrich & Schulte Steinberg, Adrian, 2019. "Unravelling agency relations inside the MNC: The roles of socialization, goal conflicts and second principals in headquarters-subsidiary relationships," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(2), pages 67-81.
    15. Brandau, Michael & Endenich, Christoph & Trapp, Rouven & Hoffjan, Andreas, 2013. "Institutional drivers of conformity – Evidence for management accounting from Brazil and Germany," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 466-479.
    16. Phillip C. Nell & Philip Kappen & Tomi Laamanen, 2017. "Reconceptualising Hierarchies: The Disaggregation and Dispersion of Headquarters in Multinational Corporations," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(8), pages 1121-1143, December.
    17. Jong Min Lee, 2022. "MNCs as dispersed structures of power: Performance and management implications of power distribution in the subsidiary portfolio," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(1), pages 126-155, February.
    18. Cornelius Hafner, 2021. "Diversification in family firms: a systematic review of product and international diversification strategies," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 529-572, April.
    19. Barbara Brenner & Björn Ambos, 2013. "A Question of Legitimacy? A Dynamic Perspective on Multinational Firm Control," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 773-795, June.
    20. Victor Oltra & Jaime Bonache & Chris Brewster, 2013. "A New Framework for Understanding Inequalities Between Expatriates and Host Country Nationals," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 115(2), pages 291-310, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Management control; Management accounting; Multinational company; MNC; Subsidiary control; Control system;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:rvmgts:v:13:y:2019:i:5:d:10.1007_s11846-018-0276-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.