Innovation Management Control: Bibliometric Analysis of Its Emergence and Evolution as a Research Field

Abstract

Innovation Management Control (IMC) supports innovation management with valuable information, thus improving innovation effectiveness and efficiency. Literature has shown that different elements of a management control system must be interdependent and that its design must form a coherent system of controls that spans the entire process under control. Accordingly, IMC covers the entire innovation process. However, IMC literature is spread over numerous journals from different disciplines, which may prevent the development of holistic IMC systems. We present a bibliometric analysis that provides insights into the development of IMC as a research field and examines the severity of knowledge dispersal. We build on a database covering 549 papers. The aim of the study is to reveal IMCs emergence and evolution as a research field, and future research directions. Our study shows that IMC combines several subfields and that dispersion is present in IMC, thus slowing knowledge transfer and hindering rapid progress.

In the field of tension between creativity and efficiency: a systematic literature review of management control systems for innovation activities

“…Through several studies, the fields of innovation management and management control have gradually converged (Schultz et al , 2013). The resulting research stream of innovation management control (IMC) explores “the process by which management gathers relevant information about innovation projects as well as plans, controls, and directs innovation projects” (Tkotz et al , 2018, p. 2).…”

The performance effects of management control instruments in different stages of new product development

“…Our results relativize Chai and Xin (2006), who stated that benchmarking ( 54) is widely accepted in the industry, insofar that this instrument is not applied as often as expected. This result is remarkable, as benchmarking and auditing were found to be important topics in the literature on MC in innovation (Tkotz et al, 2018) and are well described in the literature (Chiesa et al, 1996;Cooper et al, 2004aCooper et al, , 2004bCooper et al, , 2004c. Existing literature also acknowledges that besides costs and time quality is an important reference object for MC of innovation (Cho and Pucik, 2005;de Weerd-Nederhof et al, 1997).…”

“…To identify relevant MC instruments, we conducted a comprehensive literature review following a four-step approach (Tkotz et al, 2018). Firstly, we defined search terms that cover the field of MC by considering all elements of the innovation process and all innovation-oriented control elements.…”

“…MC of innovation activities includes all MC elements that are used throughout the entire innovation process (Tkotz et al, 2018). MC of NPD needs to resolve a conflict between creativity and efficiency (Akroyd and Maguire, 2011;Speklé et al, 2017;Feeney and Pierce, 2018;Curtis and Sweeney, 2017;Lill et al, 2020).…”

Managing innovation performance: Results from an industry‐spanning explorative study on R&D key measures

“…Central to performance in innovation management are research and development (R&D) departments, as these are at the heart of firms' innovation outputs, at least in high‐tech environments. A common challenge in this context is to measure the almost unmeasurable, namely the performance (Chiesa & Frattini, 2007; Tkotz, Munck, & Wald, 2018). Reluctance of the staff to cooperate, mostly because they fear permanent monitoring and self‐justification, often impedes these efforts (Brown & Svenson, 1998).…”