- Management Control Systems (2003, 2017, 2023); by Kenneth Merchant, Wim Van der Stede; Amazon
Reference from LSE, included in 21st Century Economics - Economic Ideas You Should Read and Remember
quotes
In a nutshell, Merchant’s and Van der Stede’s idea is brilliantly clear-cut. First, management control problems regarding a firm’s given strategy are identified: Is the desired employee behavior also the most likely one? If not, any reason for behavioral deviations is then decomposed into three roots:
Employees may not understand what is expected of them (lack of direction),
They may not want to act upon these expectations (lack of motivation), and/or
They may not have the necessary resources or capabilities, or the task in itself is insoluble (personal limitations).
Source: 21st Century Economics