The balanced scorecard in China: Does it work?

Abstract The balanced scorecard (BSC) is a strategic management system that has been developed and applied in the West for 20 years. The BSC was introduced in China at the turn of the millennium and is widely used in profit and non-profit organizations, from headquarters to subsidiaries in the country. To our knowledge, research on the effectiveness of the BSC in emerging economies is rare, and there are very few studies dealing with the problems with the BSC in China. This article attempts to summarize the limitations of the BSC from Western literature, to determine the obstacles associated with the deployment of the BSC in China, and to provide recommendations for Western firms in terms of how to successfully implement the BSC in China.