Innovation is an essential growth lever for organizations. Like any strategic element, it must be managed to ensure the right decision is made at the right time. When we talk about management, we naturally also consider management control. However, using management tools can be a danger to developing creativity – an essential element of innovation.

This book examines the interdependencies between management control and creativity. By comparing two organizational contexts, we highlight the vital role of organizations as generators of creativity. We also underline the acceptance of an imbalance between the elements in tension, which can lead to the questioning and fostering of innovation; and the role of senior management as mediators between organizations and local actors.

Sophie Bollinger is Associate Professor in Management Science at the University of Strasbourg, France. She conducts her research at BETA (Bureau d’économie théorique et appliquée), where she studies the management of innovation processes.