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PERSPECTIVES ON MANAGEMENT CONTROL IN A MULTIPLE AGENCY, COMMUNITY SERVICE
Author(s) -
Goddard Andrew
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
financial accountability and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.661
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1468-0408
pISSN - 0267-4424
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-0408.1992.tb00433.x
Subject(s) - agency (philosophy) , business , service (business) , public administration , control (management) , management control system , process management , political science , management , sociology , marketing , economics , social science
This paper reports on an interpretive study of organisational control in a developing, community based, psychogeriatric service. The service was characterised by its complexity comprising a diversity of interest groups and a multiplicity of agencies. There were distinct differences in performance as perceived by the various interest, or stakeholder, groups; resulting in multiple control systems. Performance as measured by the management control system was found to be, at best, only partial. It was, therefore, of limited use in controlling existing service provision and developing new services. A case is made for recognition of these complexities when designing organisational control systems in such environments.