Performance Implications of Managing Corporate Programs - A Control Perspective

Multi-business corporations increasingly apply corporate programs to achieve their objectives and create value. With this project we intend to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of corporate programs. We intend to extend strategic renewal research by taking a corporate management perspective, analyzing the optimal ways of steering the execution process of corporate programs and the (direct and indirect) links between certain program-related steering activities and performance.
In particular, our research will encompass the following elements: First, as we believe that various forms of corporate programs ask for different management approaches, we start by developing a typology of corporate programs.
Second, based on an extensive literature analysis and some initial interviews with corporate managers, we have already identified six control mechanisms as the most important process activities determining the performance of corporate programs. We now intend to theoretically derive the optimal control configurations for each program type and formulate explicit hypotheses stating a positive relationship between the fit of program type with control configuration and the performance of the program.
Third, in a subsequent step, we want to examine the relationship between control configuration(s) and program performance in more detail. In particular, we want to investigate whether the assumed direct link is (partially) mediated by process variables derived from existing strategy process and renewal research.