The Management Control Association is involved in organising several events each year:
MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING RESEARCH GROUP (MARG)
conference in association with the MANAGEMENT CONTROL ASSOCIATION
6 – 7th November 2025
1st call for papers MARG 2025 issued 100325
We invite extended abstract or full paper submissions on these broad areas. We especially wish to encourage participants to present on one of these themes, with a keynote speaker or panel member chairing a parallel session on each theme:
• Human and Artificial Intelligence in Management Control Systems(may include topics such as the psychology of risk management, the use of AI-generated information in management decision making)
• Management Accounting Tools and Techniques (may include traditional or more contemporary methods in use in organisations)
• Public Sector Accountability (may include public sector performance management, accountability to citizens, stakeholder engagement in public sector investment decisions)
• Sustainability and Governance (may include measuring performance against SDG-based targets, benchmarking sustainability performance, and how governance structures use sustainability information)
Plenary speakers & panel members:
Professors Filippo Boccali & Franco Visani, University of Bologna
Professor Utz Schaeffer, WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management
Professor Kemi Yekini & Dr Janet Mack, Aston University
Extended Abstract /Full paper submission by 15 September 2025
Submissions open in May 2025. Please submit to https://www.conftool.com/marg2025
Review notification by 30th September. Presenter registration is on 15th October. Final ppt files 31st October
European symposium at ESSCA School of Management, Lyon Campus, France
18-19 September 2025
MCA Symposium Sept 2025 Call for Papers (V2)
As usual, papers will be presented with discussants as plenary sessions only. Around 8-10 papers will be selected for presentation on the afternoon of the 18th or the morning of the 19th of September. Please submit a paper/abstract as follows:
19th May 2025: extended abstract (not more than 800 words) or full papers should be submitted to Bruno.COHANIER@essca.fr
The abstract file name should follow the format: abstracttheauthorssurname.doc (or pdf) and the full paper the format: fullpapertheauthorssurname.doc (or pdf). Decisions will be sent out by 2nd June.
Submissions will open 1st May 2025.
30th June 2025: deadline for full papers, to be forwarded to the discussants before they depart for the summer period. To offer to be a discussant, email Bruno with any specific interests by the same date.
Further details on the program, dinner, sponsorship, location, hotels etc. will be available at a later date.
Scientific Committee:
Pr. Elaine HARRIS (University of Roehampton Business School, London)
Pr. Bruno COHANIER (ESSCA School of Management, Lyon Campus, France)
Dr. Reinald MINNAAR (Nyenrode Business University, The Netherlands)
Pr. Juan Manuel RAMÓN JERÓNIMO (Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
ONLINE MCA WORKSHOP – 14th of February 2025
We invite papers or extended abstracts for presentation at the online MCA workshop on the 14th of February 2025, facilitated by Loughborough University. The format of the MCA workshop includes research presentations with discussant feedback.
We welcome empirical and theoretical contributions focusing on any topics within the management accounting and control field. Qualitative works developing critical insights into control processes and recognising the organisational, personal and social contexts of control are especially encouraged.
For submissions, please send your draft paper/extended abstract to Dr Anna Raffoni (MCA Council Member): a.raffoni@lboro.ac.uk by 27th of January 2025.
Also, please let us know if you wish to register as a participant only or as a discussant only at least 10 days before the event.
As this is a FREE event and it will take place online – the program and login information will be forwarded to all participants in early February 2025.
The Management Control Association (MCA)
is a network of researchers who are interested in the broad area of control in organisations.
The ethos of the MCA is to develop critical insights into control processes and encourage research that recognises the organisational, personal and social contexts of control.
The MCA is a registered charity whose aim is to encourage and sponsor research and scholarship. A Council is responsible for MCA affairs, and it has a particular interest in developing new academics.
The activities of the MCA revolve around the aim of encouraging research.
Each year we are involved in organising various events in Europe and the UK. Anyone is welcome to attend either to give a paper or to discuss the work presented (membership is a condition). The papers might be ‘finished’ work or work in progress. Sometimes people bring their research ideas to seek help in developing a tighter focus. Both new and established researchers make presentations. The aim is to have diversity and to provide a rigorous yet supportive environment.
Every three years the MCA holds an international conference to bring together researchers in Management Control from around the world. The last conference was at the University of Durham UK in June (2023). Previous conferences have been held at the University of Roehampton, UK in June (2019), University of Antwerp, Belgium in September (2016), Nyenrode University in the Netherlands (2013), University of Greenwich, London (2010), ESPC- EAP Paris (2007), Herriot-Watt, Edinburgh (2004), Royal Holloway University of London (2001), the University of Reading (1998) London (1995, 1989) and at HEC Jouy-en-Josas, France in 1992 (with the help of Professor Michel Lebas).
The MCA provides seedcorn funding for its members for research projects, subject to funds being available. Amounts of funding are small ( up to £3,000) and the MCA Council makes decisions on a case by case basis.
Members of the MCA have edited/contributed in scholarly publications, including the books below:
Jack, L 2019, Accounting and Social Theory: An Introduction. Kyoyookkwahaksa Publishing.Accounting and Social Theory: An introduction – 1st Edition – Lisa Ja (routledge.com)
Harris, E. ed., 2017. The Routledge companion to performance management and control. Routledge.The Routledge Companion to Performance Management and Control – 1st Ed
Management Control and Uncertainty, David Otley & Kim Soin (eds), Palgrave Macmillan (2014), ISBN 978-1-137-39210-7 (Management Control and Uncertainty | SpringerLink)
Management Control: Theories, Issues and Practices, eds A.J. Berry, J. Broadbent and D. Otley
Critical Perspectives in Management Control, eds W.F. Chua, E.A. Lowe and A. Puxty
New Perspectives in Management Control, eds J. Machin and E.A. Lowe
Review Paper
Berry, A. J., Coad, A.F., Harris, E.P., Otley, D.T., and Stringer, C. (2009) ‘Emerging Themes in Management Control: A review of recent literature’ British Accounting Review, 41(1), 2-20. the journal is at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/bar and is available full text at www.sciencedirect.com.
Membership Scheme
Attendance at conferences and workshops are open to all but we do have a membership scheme. This will ensure that you are on the lists and receive details of the workshops. It also allows you to present at any of our events. It also supports our seedcorn research-funding scheme for junior researchers.
Please support the MCA by joining – our annual membership is a recommended donation of just £10! (payable in other currencies – see How to Join tab above).
The funds help to pay the costs of the four workshop meetings, website and professional fees, and the out of pocket expenses of the organising Council. Often the host institution is kind enough to sponsor the lunch and accommodation for us.