Adaptation of the Balanced Scorecard: Case Study in a Fuel Distribution Company

Abstract

This study aims to analyze and explain the adaptation of the balanced scorecard (BSC), through the theoretical model by Ansari, Fiss and Zajac (2010), in a fuel distribution company (nicknamed Oil Company), which is characterized in this article as a late adopter. By doing so, we place the adaptation process at the heart of our research on the diffusion of management accounting practices. The results showed that the BSC adopted in the Oil Company is compatible with other technologies observed in the organization. Regarding the cultural aspect, there was low adaptation of the practice to the organizational culture; however, no political misfits were observed. Due to this low cultural fit between the BSC and the Oil Company, in the latter the BSC has high fidelity and low extension in relation to the model observed in the extant literature. The article builds on the theoretical and empirical evidence that a specific adaptation pattern depends on the fit between the technical, cultural, and political characteristics of the practice implemented and the characteristics of the company. This is a distinctive aspect of our study, as it seeks to explain variations in the organizational practices by analyzing their consistency with the needs, objectives, and structure of the adopting company, especially considering the cultural and political aspects involved in the adaptation process.