Process Performance Management and Financial Control of Key Performance Indicators as Shown in an Explorative Study of National and International Companies

Process-oriented performance management in international business is a highly debated topic. One question repeatedly raised both in theory and practice is whether process-oriented performance management in national and international firms has to be structured (Tsai and Hung, 2009; Bourne et al., 2003). Moreover, it can be questioned whether the results of key performance indicators measured through financial control in national and international companies are really the same. In order to answer this question, an explorative study (using questionnaires) was conducted by Pforzheim University in the fourth quarter of 2014, in which 26 industrial partners participated. The article, therefore, focuses on the results of the survey which shows what key performance indicators are used (or not used at all) both in national and international companies. The main contribution of this article is the fact that, it shows how the management of key performance indicators in national and international business looks like in reality.