Invitation to PhD defense

On Wednesday 30 November 2011 Dag Øivind Madsen will hold a trial lecture on a prescribed topic, and defend his thesis for the PhD degree at NHH.

23.11.2011 - Red.

Prescribed topic for the trial lecture:

The use of the BSC in Scandinavian organizations as "strategies-in-praxis"

Time of the trial lecture:

11.15 in Karl Borch's Auditorium, NHH

Title of the thesis:

The impact of the balanced scorecard in the Scandinavian countries: A comparative study of three national management fashion markets

Time and place for the defense:

13.15 in Karl Borch's Auditorium, NHH

Members of the evaluation committee:
Professor Katarina Kaarbøe, NHH, chairperson

Professor Mario Benassi, University of Milan
Professor Jos Benders, Tilburg University

Supervising committee:

Professor Arent Greve, NHH, principal supervisor
Professor Olov Olson, University of Gothenburg

Sari Stenfors, PhD, Radical Inclusion Inc.

Abstract:

The thesis studies the impact of the management concept Balanced Scorecard in the three Scandinavian countries. The impact of the concept in a given national market refers to (a) the extent to which it is prevalent (i.e. diffused) and (b) the extent to which it is enduring (i.e. institutionalized). The purpose of the thesis is to understand what factors shape the impact of the Balanced Scorecard in different national markets.

The thesis uses data gathered via multiple methods, such as interviews and internet searches. These data are used to identify and track the central actors involved in the establishment of the national field around the concept.

Theoretically the thesis is positioned within management fashion theory. The thesis contributes to this literature in at least two ways: First, it answers the many calls to not only study the supply-side, but also study the demand-side of the management fashion market. Second, most of the management fashion research has been carried out in a single setting. The comparative perspective allows for the identification of similarities and differences in the impact of the concept.

The main findings can be grouped in three categories. First, the cross-case analysis shows that the Balanced Scorecard can be considered an "enduring management fashion" in Scandinavia having been around for at least 15 years. The second finding is related to the relationship between the actors on the supply-side and the demand-side. For example, the data show that the conference and seminar scene is a meeting place where different actors foster relationships and ties. The third finding is that the concept is interpreted differently by different actor types. This shows that the concept means different things to different groups of actors. These findings unmask local variation in the interpretations of a widely diffused and institutionalized concept.

The main theoretical conclusions from the study can be summarized as follows: The study underlines the importance of institutional actors such as consultants in driving the diffusion and institutionalization of fashionable concepts. Second, the thesis shows importance of taking into account the complex and multifaceted nature of management fashion markets. Finally, the study shows that it is useful to view impact as consisting of two dimensions, namely diffusion and institutionalization. These processes can lead to many different outcomes, which could differ significantly from what is seen in this study.

The trial lecture and thesis defense will be open to the public. Copies of the thesis will be available from: [email protected]