Control and Performance in IS Projects: A Meta-Analysis of Hierarchical and Market-based Control Relationships

Literature on IS project control distinguishes between hierarchical and market-based control relationships. Prior studies typically investigate one of these two forms of control relationships in isolation. Hence, little is known about the differences between hierarchical and market-based control relationships. Responding to this gap, we analyze how the effects of control modes on IS project performance differ in hierarchical compared with market-based control relationships. Specifically, we conduct a metaanalysis to compare the effects of control modes on IS project performance reported in research on hierarchical and market-based control relationships. The results suggest that the effects of behavior and self-control on performance differ between these two forms of control relationships. Based on our results, we derive implications for complementary and substitutive effects between control modes, and for interrelations among hierarchical and market-based control relationships.

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