PurposeThe number of theoretical and empirical research on management control of innovation activities has significantly increased. Existing studies in this field are characterized by a wide dispersion and a multitude of different definitions. The purpose of this article is to provide a systematic review of the literature on management control of innovation activities and to synthesize the current body of knowledge.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a systematic review approach, this article reviews 79 articles on management control for innovation activities from 1959 to 2019 and inductively derives a multi-dimensional framework.FindingsThe review of existing studies advances the debate about the detrimental versus beneficial character of management control systems for innovation, showing that the repressing character of control is not inherent to control itself, but emanates from the design of the respective management control system.Research limitations/implicationsThe multi-dimensional framework connects and combines existing research and thus synthesizes the current state of knowledge in this field. Additionally, the framework can guide practitioners to systematically assess context factors and consequences of their management control systems design, and it shows avenues for future research.Originality/valueThe scientific and practical value of this paper is the convergence of the current body of knowledge consisting of various definitions and conceptualizations and the identification of avenues for future research.

As a reaction to the rapidly changing environment, organisations increasingly use agile project management (APM) methods to develop innovation. The associated process changes necessitate the adaption of organisational structures and control systems. This study draws on Simon’s Levers-of-Control framework (LOC) to explore the impact of different control levers on innovation project performance. Based on a survey of 316 project managers and product owners, the results suggest that the use of interactive project control systems and project-internal belief systems has a positive impact on the innovation outcome, regardless of the degree of agility of the project. Furthermore, we reveal that a strong project environment leads to increased use of control mechanisms on the project level and has a conducive impact on innovation project performance. The study is among the first to apply the LOC on the project level and integrate it into the agile context.

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