How Management Control Practices Enable Strategic Alignment during the Product Development Process

Abstract Purpose This paper examines how the management control practices of organization members enable the alignment of product development projects with potentially conflicting corporate strategies during the product development process. Methodology/approach Using an ethnomethodology informed research approach, we carry out a case study of an innovative New Zealand food company. Case study data included an internal company document, interviews with organization members, and an external market analysis document. Findings Our case study company had both sales growth and profit growth corporate strategies which have been argued to cause tensions. We found that four management control practices enabled the alignment of product development projects to these strategies. The first management control practice was having the NPD and marketing functions responsible for different corporate strategies. Other management control practices included the involvement of organization members from across multiple functions, the activities they carried out, and the measures used to evaluate project performance during the product development process. Research limitations/implications These findings add new insights to the management accounting literature by showing how a combination of management control practices can be used by organization members to align projects with potentially conflicting corporate strategies during the product development process. Practical implications While the alignment of product development projects to corporate strategy is not easy this study shows how it can be enabled through a number of management control practices. Originality/value We contribute to the management accounting research in this area by extending our understanding of the management control practices used during the product development process.