Access the full text.
Sign up today, get DeepDyve free for 14 days.
Purpose – The aim of this study is to investigate whether performance management practices affect performance in public sector organizations. Design/methodology/approach – Theoretically, the research project is based on economic as well as behavioral theories. The study distinguishes amongst quantitative performance (efficiency, quantities produced) and qualitative performance (accuracy, quality, innovation and employee morale) and uses survey data from 93 public sector organizations in the Netherlands. Findings – The research shows that the definition of clear and measurable goals is positively associated with quantity performance as well as quality performance. In addition, the use of incentives is positively associated with quantity performance yet not related to quality performance. Finally, the effects of performance management practices in public sector organizations are affected by institutional factors. The results suggest that the behavioral effects of performance management practices are as important as the economic effects in public sector organizations. Research limitations/implications – All limitations of survey research apply. The survey is based on public sector organizations in The Netherlands; findings may not be transferable to other countries. Practical implications – The joint introduction of performance management practices may provide an opportunity to increase quantity performance yet may have no impact on quality performance. Originality/value – The paper responds to previous calls in the literature to use quantitative research methods to generalize findings from previous case studies. Also, the paper empirically tests the impact of performance management practices on performance, an area that has attracted scarce research attention.
Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal – Emerald Publishing
Published: Mar 28, 2008
Keywords: Performance management; Public sector organizations; Control systems; Behaviour; The Netherlands
Read and print from thousands of top scholarly journals.
Already have an account? Log in
Bookmark this article. You can see your Bookmarks on your DeepDyve Library.
To save an article, log in first, or sign up for a DeepDyve account if you don’t already have one.
Copy and paste the desired citation format or use the link below to download a file formatted for EndNote
Access the full text.
Sign up today, get DeepDyve free for 14 days.
All DeepDyve websites use cookies to improve your online experience. They were placed on your computer when you launched this website. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.