The subject matter of this thesis is governance principles in global management concepts and the application of such principles by managers at a local level. The thesis includes a case study on a foreign-owned Swedish group of companies that has introduced the management concept of High Performance Culture in all of its consolidated group countries. Global management concepts usually originate from the United States and make use of neorational governance principles. High Performance Culture is a management concept that puts increased performance and individualisation in the foreground. In addition, the concept advocates co-determination and self-development. The governance principles further promote employee autonomy orientation and self-development in addition to a leader-centric approach. The case study results indicate a discrepancy in the requirements of the governance principles of the management concept, highlighting the various dimensions of cultural layers and values to which managers in the same organisation are subject. The same values had an effect in different ways on the managers’ interpretation and handling of the management concept. This interpretation and handling of the management concept tools led to an implementation that partially opposed what the French management team and management concept advocated. The managers choosing to oppose the governance principles of the management concept can be seen as an example of modern individualism, according to which people are increasingly questioning rigid and hierarchic authority while showing initiative and assessing one’s own personal work. Hence, the values of modern individualism can act as a counterforce to neorational governance principles. / <p>Akademisk avhandling för avläggande av doktorsexamen i Arbetsvetenskap, som med tillstånd av Fakultetsnämnden vid Fakulteten för humaniora och samhällsvetenskap, vid</p><p>Karlstads universitet framläggs till offentlig granskning fredagen den 25 oktober 2013 kl. 13.00, sal C203, Högskolan i Borås.</p>

The subject matter of this thesis is governance principles in global management concepts and the application of such principles by managers at a local level. The thesis includes a case study on a foreign-owned Swedish group of companies that has introduced the management concept of High Performance Culture in all of its consolidated group countries.  Global management concepts usually originate from the United States and make use of neo-rational governance principles. High Performance Culture is a management concept that puts increased performance and individualisation in the foreground. In addition, the concept advocates co-determination and self-development. The governance principles further promote employee autonomy orientation and self-development in addition to a leader-centric approach.  The case study results indicate a discrepancy in the requirements of the governance principles of the management concept, highlighting the various dimensions of cultural layers and values to which managers in the same organisation are subject. The same values had an effect in different ways on the managers’ interpretation and handling of the management concept.   This interpretation and handling of the management concept tools led to an implementation that partially opposed what the French management team and management concept advocated.    The managers choosing to oppose the governance principles of the management concept can be seen as an example of modern individualism, according to which people are increasingly questioning rigid and hierarchic authority while showing initiative and assessing one’s own personal work. Hence, the values of modern individualism can act as a counterforce to neo-rational governance principles. / Avhandlingen studerar styrningsprinciper i globala managementkoncept samt hur de översätts av chefer på lokal nivå. En fallstudie har genomförts i ett svenskt utlandsägt företag där managementkonceptet Högpresterande kultur har införts i koncernens samtliga länder. Högpresterande kultur är ett globalt nyrationellt managementkoncept med ökad prestation och individualisering i förgrunden. Men konceptet förordar även medbestämmande och självutveckling. Av resultatet framgår att i kraven från managementkonceptets styrningsprinciper uppstod en krock som synliggjorde olika dimensioner av kulturella lager med värderingar som cheferna omfattades av, i en och samma organisation. Organisatoriska identiteter på skilda nivåer och funktioner, med skillnader i värderingar, påverkade hur cheferna översatte och hanterade managementkonceptet. Även utlandsägandet var av betydelse för genomslaget. Cheferna tog till sig styrningsverktygen då de gav sken av medarbetarorienterade styrningsprinciper. En krock uppstod dock med ledarcentrering inbäddad i konceptets verktyg. Chefernas val att gå emot konceptets styrningsprinciper skulle kunna tolkas i enlighet med en modern individualism. Den säger att människor i allt högre utsträckning ifrågasätter rigida och hierarkiska auktoriteter, samt tar egna initiativ och gör egna bedömningar i arbetet. Den moderna individualismens värderingar skulle således kunna stå som en motkraft till nyrationalistiska styrningsprinciper.