Finally, we address how practitioners should interpret
our findings, as recommended by Merchant (1984).
Practitioners are concerned about how practice-defined
variables can add to their companies’ performance. Therefore,
from practitioners’ point of view, researchers should
be better at researching practice-defined variables (in our
case, Lean) and their performance effects. Our statistical
findings suggest that managers should optimize their
Lean organization by focusing on balance between control
forms and by increasing the right use of them. Therefore,
if a manager is in a position to decide whether
to increase a low-level control form or increase a highlevel
control form, he should pick the former. Thereby,
ceteris paribus, the manager would increase financial performance
by making the control forms more balanced and
not by just bringing about a higher average level of control
forms. This complements the perspective of Otley and
Berry (1980), who state that accountants should not only
measure cost and profit, but should also use other variables
in consequence prognosis. As such, the Lean measurements
in our study (Lean audits) may be part of these other
variables.