The control design and performance in international joint ventures: a dynamic evolution perspective

This paper investigates the dynamic relationship between the control design and performance across eight international joint ventures (IJVs) operating in China. We find that the control design of an IJV tends to evolve along a continuum toward independence and better performance from a shared management type, through a dominant parent type, to an independent type. During the evolution process, IJV performance becomes a motivating force to stimulate the evolution of the control design. Implications for research and practice are discussed.