Anthony 1965, p. 17] defined MCS as "....the process by which managers ensure that resources are obtained and used effectively and efficiently in the accomplishment of organizational objectives."
This definition seems to have influenced much of the early MCS-strategy research to focus on formal ac-counting-based controls, such as budgeting, and monitoring and measuring performance.
Some more recent studies have adopted broader definitions of MCS that incorporate both formal and informal controls operating as a "package" [Abernethy and Chua, 1996; Bisbe and Otley, 2004].
It has been suggested that different combinations of controls may be equally effective, with formal and informal controls acting as complements in some circumstances and as substitutes in others [Fisher, 1995; Abernethy and Chua, 1996; Ferreira and Otley, 2009].