NÄR GLOBAL STYRNING MÖTERLOKALA KONTEXTER : En fallstudie av Hennes & Mauritz (H&M)

Sammanfattning

The purpose of this study is to examine how organizational control differs across differentcultural contexts in MO, using H&M as a case company. The study is based on the idea thatMO need to balance shared global guidelines with local needs and cultural conditions. Thisbecomes particularly relevant in the relationship between headquarters and local units, whereresponsibility, decision-making authority and local autonomy need to be organized in a waythat both creates consistency and enables adaptation.The study is based on a qualitative research design in which semi-structured interviews andacademic literature are used to analyze how control, responsibility allocation and leadership areperceived and practiced. The focus is on how global control, local autonomy, culturaldifferences and organizational processes affect everyday work within H&M’s operations.The findings show that H&M’s organizational control is characterized by a clear centralstructure, where global guidelines, digital systems and shared working methods contribute tostability and consistency within the organization. At the same time, the findings indicate thatthese guidelines cannot always be applied in the same way across all local contexts. Factorssuch as customer flow, work pace, tourism, the store’s geographical location and the culturalconditions of the market influence how control is implemented in practice. The study alsoshows that Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom differ in terms of the degree oflocal autonomy and how central decisions are interpreted and carried out.The conclusion is that effective organizational control in an MO requires a balance betweencentral coordination and local flexibility. Headquarters’ guidelines create a shared direction andcontrol, while the experience and market knowledge of local units are essential for makingcontrol work in everyday practice.