Parting from a pragmatic constructivist epistemological paradigm, and based on a qualitative methodology, this abductive research explores the strategic management control of inter-organisational relationships (IORs) in civil aerospace. Based on both participating observation and specific case studies, this research aims at demonstrating that the success of inter-organisational relationships in civil aerospace lies in control tools and strategies based on key levers, which we identified thanks to an extensive analysis of existing literature and on-field observations; the orchestration of a dynamic organisational architecture for the control devices and mechanisms, which fosters a sound interpenetration of all actors involved; and the efficient treatment of the informal and subjective dimensions, inherent to inter-organisational relationships. In that sense then, the proposed research offers the theoretical foundations of an inter-organisational mode of governance which fosters said interpenetration and defines the control tools and mechanisms which should be considered for such agreements, by general management in particular.
