Creativity and forms of managerial control in innovation processes: tools, viewpoints and practices

Innovation processes are inherently uncertain. They account for a high proportion of risks taken by companies and cause tensions. The purpose of this paper is to consider whether some management tools facilitate the smooth implementation of an innovation process. Does the relevance of these tools depend on the size of the company, its activity sector, the type of innovation expected or the viewpoint of the manager in charge?

The author answers these questions using a quantitative questionnaire survey of 169 companies. This survey allows the author to describe the tools and practices of management control of innovation processes and to highlight the specific needs of different sets of companies.

The collected data show a convergence of tools and practices used, which the literature on managerial control and creativity helps us to understand.

The paper also contributes to reconciling management control and innovation activities. In particular, it investigates how the use of management tools varies depending on managers’ viewpoints. A distinction is made between formal, information system-based tools and more informal, human relationship-based tools.