Navigating the Total Defence scaling-up journey through management control systems

This project aims to investigate how to navigate the total defence scaling-up journey through management control systems (MCS).

About the project

The role of MCS to manage tensions during the scaling up journey will be studied in two main ways: MCS within individual organizations connected to Total Defense (e.g., private companies, government agencies, municipalities), and MCS in inter-organizational relationships with, for instance, private companies and government agencies. The research project will contribute to a better understanding of how organizations connected to Total Defense can manage the tensions involved in the scaling up journey.

Scaling up is not the same as ‘normal’ growth, and we view scaling as a dynamic capability, involving the replicating, expanding and synchronizing of resources and practices to grow exponentially. This means that scaling up involves the management of tensions, especially between stability and change pertaining to people, organizational structure, and processes. Hence, research shows the need for an internal transformation during scaling. The research project will study the role of MCS in enabling such transformations.

Research team