Performance measurement choices in international joint ventures: What factors drive them?

How to evaluate performance of an organization and what factors influence the choices of performance measurements have remained unclear. The question is even more complicated for jointly managed organizations like international joint ventures (IJVs). This research investigates the determinant factors of performance measures used by Nordic firms in their IJVs. We tested our hypotheses with 89 IJVs established by Nordic firms. The results show that firms' motives, level of trust and cultural distance between foreign and local firms all have a strong influence on the choice of performance measures used. Furthermore, firms choose performance measures depending on the stage of the unit in the IJV life cycle. Interestingly target country experience influenced the choice of performance measurement, but previous IJV experience did not influence the measures used. The study offers several implications for managers to choose appropriate measures for their IJV performance evaluation as well as opportunities for further research.