The Management Control Association (MCA)

is a network of researchers who are interested in the broad area of control in organisations. The ethos of the MCA is to develop critical insights into control processes and encourage research that recognises the organisational, personal and social contexts of control.

The MCA is a registered charity whose aim is to encourage and sponsor research and scholarship. A Council is responsible for MCA affairs, and it has a particular interest in developing new academics.

The activities of the MCA revolve around the aim of encouraging research.

Each year we organise 4 workshops held at different locations in the UK and France. Anyone is welcome to attend either to give a paper or to discuss the work presented. The papers might be 'finished' work or work in progress. Sometimes people bring their research ideas to seek help in developing a tighter focus. Both new and established researchers make presentations. The aim is to have diversity and to provide a rigorous yet supportive environment.

Every three years the MCA holds an international conference to bring together researchers in Management Control from around the world. The next one of these will be in the UK in September 2010. Previous conferences have been held at ESPC- EAP Paris (2007), Herriot-Watt, Edinburgh (2004), Royal Holloway University of London (2001), the University of Reading (1998) London (1995, 1989) and at HEC Jouy-en-Josas, France in 1992 (with the help of Professor Michel Lebas).

The MCA provides seedcorn funding for its members for research projects, subject to funds being available. Amounts of funding are small and the MCA Council makes decisions on a case by case basis. The broad policy of the Council is that it will fund fieldwork expenses of various types, but not hard equipment, books, conference attendance or maintenance. Those who receive funds are asked to acknowledge the support of the MCA in the work they produce and to give a presentation to one of the workshop meetings.

Members of the MCA have contributed to three books published by Macmillan:

New Perspectives in Management Control, eds J. Machin and E.A. Lowe

Critical Perspectives in Management Control, eds W.F. Chua, E.A. Lowe and A. Puxty

Management Control: Theories, Issues and Practices, eds A.J. Berry, J. Broadbent and D. Otley

Royalties from the books have been used to provide funds for the Association.

New Paper

Berry, A. J., Coad, A.F., Harris, E.P., Otley, D.T., and Stringer, C. (2009) ‘Emerging Themes in Management Control: A review of recent literature’ British Accounting Review, 41(1), 2-20.  the journal is at http:/www.elsevier.com/locate/bar and is available full text at www.sciencedirect.com.

Membership Scheme

Whilst the conferences and workshops are open to all we do have a membership scheme. This will ensure that you are on the lists and receive details of the workshops. It also gives access to the seedcorn research-funding scheme. The annual membership is £10.

The funds help to pay the costs of the four workshop meetings, website and professional fees, the out of pocket expenses of the organising Council and seedcorn research funding. Often the host institution is kind enough to sponsor the lunch and accommodation for us.