Abstract:

Strategic management in research and development (R&D) organisations aims to align technical, operational and institutional areas, justifying the use of management tools for medium and long-term contexts. The management of research centres, whether public or private, can benefit from the use of management control instruments that monitor performance. In this context, this study aims to propose a Balanced Scorecard (BSC), complemented by a strategic map, for a Centre for the Valorisation and Transfer of Water Technology that is part of the Portuguese technological interface centres. The challenge is to understand how this management tool can improve management control in the particular context of a specific research centre. The case study method was the appropriate methodological option, framed within a qualitative investigation. Data was collected through three semi-structured interviews with the CEO and two intermediate managers. The data was processed using content analysis. The results identified fourteen strategic objectives and the corresponding indicators, organised by the four BSC perspectives and presented in terms of cause-effect relationships. Identifying alternative proposals for management control in new specific contexts can help strengthen strategic planning in research centres by aligning the different organisational areas. These contributions are practical for the research centre under study and contribute to the academic discussion.