The oxymoron of control in an era of globalization: vulnerabilities of a mega-myth

In response to developments around as well as within organisations, managers are faced with a control-commitment dilemma. A new rationality of governance has emerged besides the well-known rationality of bureaucratic control. This new set of governance strategies, which is presented under different labels such as commitment-based management or trust-based governance, is directed at access to and leverage of intangible resources like employee commitment, tacit knowledge and learning behaviours. In this special issue, six studies are presented that address the subject of how top management teams deal with this control-commitment dilemma and the intended or unintended consequences of choices made. © 2004, Emerald Group Publishing Limited