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The Balanced Scorecard: Fashion or Virus?

Author

Listed:
  • Dag Øivind Madsen

    (School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences, Buskerud and Vestfold University College, Bredalsveien 14, 3511 Hønefoss, Norway)

  • Kåre Slåtten

    (School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences, Buskerud and Vestfold University College, Bredalsveien 14, 3511 Hønefoss, Norway)

Abstract

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is a one of the most popular and contagious management ideas of our time. In previous research the diffusion and institutionalization of the BSC has been viewed through different theoretical lenses, most notably the management fashion perspective. Recently the virus perspective has been introduced as an alternative theory of how management ideas spread, but so far no study has applied this theory in the context of the BSC. In this paper we show that the fashion and virus perspectives provide complementary insights into the diffusion and institutionalization of the BSC. The fashion perspective is particularly well suited for explaining the infectiousness of the BSC and the ways in which organizations are exposed to the BSC idea. The virus theory can better explain how the BSC idea is implemented as a practice in organizations, and the different trajectories that the BSC idea may take in different contexts. A combination of these two perspectives provides a fuller picture of the diffusion and institutionalization of the BSC.

Suggested Citation

  • Dag Øivind Madsen & Kåre Slåtten, 2015. "The Balanced Scorecard: Fashion or Virus?," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 5(2), pages 1-35, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:5:y:2015:i:2:p:90-124:d:50790
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dag Øivind Madsen & Kåre Slåtten, 2015. "Social media and management fashions," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2(1), pages 1122256-112, December.
    2. Svitlana Firsova, 2017. "Examining Institutional Content Of The Balanced Scorecard: Logics And Translations In Ukrainian Business Environment," Organizations and Markets in Emerging Economies, Faculty of Economics, Vilnius University, vol. 8(2).
    3. Dag Øivind Madsen & Tonny Stenheim, 2016. "Big Data viewed through the lens of management fashion theory," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 1165072-116, December.
    4. Gregory Wegmann & Johei Oshita, 2018. "A comparison between Japanese and French cost management-Contingency and institutional perspectives," Post-Print halshs-01961763, HAL.
    5. Dag Øivind Madsen & Blerim Azizi & Albert Rushiti & Tonny Stenheim, 2019. "The Diffusion and Implementation of the Balanced Scorecard in the Norwegian Municipality Sector: A Descriptive Analysis," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-31, May.
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    7. Dag Øivind Madsen, 2016. "SWOT Analysis: A Management Fashion Perspective," Post-Print hal-01306102, HAL.
    8. Dag Øivind Madsen & Daniel Johanson, 2016. "Examining customer relationship management from a management fashion perspective," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 1161285-116, December.

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