Adaptive management control systems in operations: the reconfiguration of control mechanisms on the shop floor

Purpose This paper investigates the complexity and dynamics of assembly line managers' management control systems. It examines which mechanisms comprise these systems and how their relevance and configuration change as managers tackle different productivity-related control problems on the shop floor. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts an abductive single case study approach, drawing on interview, observational and archival data from a global automotive supplier. Building on complexity theory and management control research, it analyses line managers' control problems on a U-shaped assembly line. Findings The study identifies three recurrent workforce-related control problems (workforce assignment, managing process interruptions and motivating the team) and shows how five types of management control mechanisms (administrative, cultural, cybernetic, planning and reward) combine into distinct configurations around each control problem. These configurations shift as managers' attention moves between control problems, representing dynamics that can be interpreted through the lens of a complex adaptive system. Practical implications By demonstrating how line managers combine and reconfigure control mechanisms across recurring control problems, this study offers actionable insights for line manager training and for senior managers seeking to support shop floor productivity. Originality/value This study interprets management control systems in operations as complex adaptive systems and introduces the notion of control problem dynamics, showing how shop floor productivity management emerges through the co-evolution of control mechanisms and the control problems they address.