Aligning multinational control systems

a superior strategy implemented ineffectively is much less likely to be suc cessful. As a result, the control component of strategy represents one of t he central activities of senior management. The added complexity inherent i n managing a multinational corporation has meant that managers must define differential control systems for multiple foreign subsidiaries. Previous wo rks have looked at factors such as strategy or environment that can alter t he corporation control needs, However, prior theoretical, empirical and pra ctitioner efforts have not assessed the linkage between different strategic controls ans contexts over time. This article identifies the different dev elopmental and strategic stages of foreign subsidiaries, analyses how their control needs change over time, and recommends control systems appropriate for each stage. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights res erved.