Titel: Enabling or coercive control? - A study that focuses on management control in family businesses and non family businesses Background & problem discussion: Previous research has shown that there is a disparity regarding the characteristics and management control in family businesses and non family businesses. Family businesses tend to use formal management control, be more professional and act in the short-term compared to family businesses. These characteristics are the starting point of this study in order to create understanding regarding how and if these characteristics affect the management control for the different ownership structures. Purpose: This study intend to describe and create understanding regarding how family businesses and non family businesses manage their firms as well as understand how the management control is perceived by the employees. Apart from this the study aim to develop knowledge regarding similarities and differences from an ownership perspective. Method: The methodology that has been used for this study is a case study were two companies have been interviewed. We used open questions in order to gather detailed descriptions about the management control i the companies. Conclusion: In conclusion we can confirm that there is a disparity in how the companies use management control. The reason why is because non family businesses use more formal tools to manage their firm as well as having a more centralised management control with less involvement of the employees compared to family businesses. Our study also shows that non family businesses have a less flexible and adjustable management control which is why their employees can perceive the management control as more coercive. Through our study we can also see that the ownership structure can affect how the companies manage their firms although it is hard to eliminate other factors as industry and the employees knowledge. Keywords: Coercive control, Enabling Control, Ownership structure, Family businesses, Non family businesses