Implementation of performance management in an environment of conflicting management cultures

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (7) ◽  
pp. 1521-1539
Author(s):  
Joe Christopher
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
University Management ◽  
Hybrid Form ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Effective Governance ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Theory Practice Gap

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to examine how performance management (PM) is adopted in the public university sector and the problems it faces in an environment of conflicting management cultures.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on institutional logics as a theoretical framework and inductive qualitative interviews as a research approach.FindingsThe results reveal that the conflicting values instilled in key players aligned with the different cultures have resulted in PM assuming a hybrid form, rather than the corporate form. Three identified problematic factors further demonstrate that the level of hybridity varies across the sector. The paper alludes to a theory-practice gap as a result of the findings and the concept of negative hybridity and its risk to effective governance aligned with the corporate approach.Research limitations/implicationsThe results are limited to Australian public universities. In addition, interviews were conducted with a specific set of university management staff. A different perspective on the findings may have been generated with a different set of management or operational staff.Practical implicationsThe results provide policymakers and university management with information on the theory practice gap and the problematic factors contributing to it. It also informs policymakers to the risks associated with negative hybridity.Originality/valueThe results reveal the existence of a theory–practice gap because of a number of common problematic factors in the adoption of a corporate-oriented PM system in Australian public universities. The results highlight the need for further studies to establish the extent to which the current hybrid PM system deviates from the expected corporate-oriented PM system, and whether this poses a risk to effective governance aligned with the corporate approach.

How do government policies influence the governance paradigm of Australian public universities?

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-248
Author(s):  
Joe Christopher ◽  
Sarath Ukwatte ◽  
Prem Yapa
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Hybrid Control ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Government Policies ◽  
Control Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Government Governance ◽  
Theory Practice Gap

Purpose This study aims to examine how government policies have influenced the governance paradigm of Australian public universities from a historical perspective. In doing so, it addresses current uncertainty on government-governance connectivity. Design/methodology/approach The study draws on Foucault’s concept of governmentality and governance and uses a developed framework of three constituents of governance to explore government–governance connectivity through a critical discourse analysis. Findings The findings reveal that government policies have influenced the three constituents of governance differently since 1823, resulting in three distinct governance discourses. In the third governance discourse, the findings reveal a deviation from policy directions towards corporate managerialism, resulting in a hybrid governance control environment. This scenario has arisen due to internal stakeholders continuing to be oriented towards the previous management cultures. Other factors include structural and legalistic obstacles to the implementation of corporate managerialism, validity of the underlying theory informing the policy directions towards corporate managerialism and doubts on the achievability of the market based reforms associated with corporate managerialism. The totality of these factors suggests a theory practice gap to be confirmed through further empirical research. There are also policy implications for policymakers to recognize the hybrid control environment and ascertain the risk the hybrid control environment poses towards the expected outcomes of corporate managerialism. Research limitations/implications The findings are limited to a critical discourse analysis of data from specific policies and journal publications on higher education and a developed framework of constituents of governance. Originality/value The study is the first to examine government–governance connectivity in Australian public universities and also the first to introduce a three-constituent governance framework as a conduit to explore such studies. The findings contribute to the literature in identifying a theory-practice gap and offer opportunities for further research to confirm them.

scholarly journals Calculative regimes in the making: implementation and consequences in the context of Austrian public universities

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Habersam ◽  
Martin Piber ◽  
Matti Skoog
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Field Level

Purpose This study aims to answer the research question of how a calculative regime for public universities is implemented, how and under which conditions its symbolic use emerges and what kind of unintended consequences occur over time. Design/methodology/approach The empirical material presented in the paper derives methodically from a longitudinal qualitative research approach analyzing higher education systems (HES)-reforms in Austria. To better understand the consequences of the organizational changes in line with the new legal framework, 2 series of qualitative interviews in 2011/2012 and 2016/2017 on the field level and the organizational level were conducted. Findings Identifying two enabling consequences from the tactical behaviors of resistance and symbolic use, i.e. new processes of communication and horizontal network building, allows for theory-building with a focus on the dynamics how accounting begins, then next becomes an established infrastructure, is then destabilized and re-elaborated before it becomes, again, an infrastructure which is different from before. Research limitations/implications Although the findings are based on a national empirical context, they are linked to the international discourse on HES in transition and the role of calculative regimes including performance measurement and management attitudes and instruments. They are relevant for an international research community open-minded toward differentiated case studies in a longitudinal perspective on HES-reforms. Practical implications When reflecting on their own specific settings governing bodies and practitioners managing the transition of HES may find insights from longitudinal case studies inspiring. The dynamics initiated by new calculative regimes installed need a sensitive framework to handle dissent, resistance, tactical behaviors and changes in power relations between the field level and the organizational level. Originality/value This is a unique longitudinal case study of the Austrian HES and its public universities in transition.

Performance management in public universities: overcoming bureaucracy

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 736-753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nunzio Angiola ◽  
Piervito Bianchi ◽  
Letizia Damato
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Public University ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Performance Levels ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Management Systems ◽  
Adoption And Implementation

Purpose Considering a micro performance perspective, the purpose of this paper is to analyze whether and to what extent the adoption of better performance management systems could improve the performance levels of a public university. Design/methodology/approach With reference to a period of four years (2011-2014), the quality of performance management systems of 29 Italian universities (response rate: 48 percent) was examined and the possible effects on performance levels of these institutions were analyzed by means of statistical methodologies (multiple regression analysis). Outcome indicators were considered. Findings The findings indicate the need to go further “measurement,” and to take care of performance “management,” especially in complex organizations as universities, where academicians identify themselves more with their professions than with the organization and where technicians and administrative employees might look at the performance-based reform with “bureaucratic eyes.” A fruitful cooperation between the professional soul and the bureaucratic one is paramount. Originality/value Studies which analyze organizational factors that could affect the adoption and implementation of performance management systems are rare, and use in prevalence qualitative methods or refer to machine bureaucracies, not many to professional ones as public universities. Moreover, the performance management literature in a public university context deepens the topic of the selection of KPIs and the focus is mainly on macro performance or on management tools for gathering and analyzing performance measures.

Expectations of Generation Z

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Meaningful Work ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Generation Z ◽  
Key Variables

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate expectations of Generation Z in relation to the onboarding program. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts an interpretative research approach and data was gathered using interview and participant observation techniques. Fifteen group discussions lasting 40-50 minutes were carried out covering 136 participants. Findings The study identifies six key variables for effective onboarding: meaningful work, performance management, work-life balance, personal connect, the bigger picture at work and learning and development. Practical implications Organizations can use these findings to tailor onboarding programs to meet the expectations of Generations Z and reduce the likelihood of new hires leaving the company in the first few months. Originality/value This paper has an original approach by examining expectations of Generation Z during new hire orientation programs.

Evaluating implementation of strategic performance management practices in universities in Uganda

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 42-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadette Nambi Karuhanga
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Performance ◽  
Mission Strategy ◽  
Private And Public

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to propose a tool for evaluating implementation of strategic performance management (PM) by examining the strategic PM practices in public universities in Uganda. Design/methodology/approach – Literature was reviewed and the general features of PM practices were identified. These were captured in a survey instrument which was later administered to staff in selected universities in Uganda to determine the extent of strategic PM implementation. Principal component analysis was conducted to cluster similar variables together with an aim of identifying the focal areas for determining the extent of strategic PM practices implementation in a university. Findings – Strategic PM in public universities in Uganda exists and is aimed at achieving quality. Despite its existence, respondents generally disagreed that: an effective PM system exists in their respective universities, PM training is continuously provided to managers and staff and a formal process exists for units to provide feedback on the attainment of goals. Findings further revealed that implementation of PM practices in universities could be evaluated based on five foci, namely, alignment of organisational vision, mission, strategy and individual performance goals; staff involvement in PM implementation at unit level; existence of an improvement plan; existence of a performance evaluation plan; and staff awareness and understanding of PM. Research limitations/implications – The study focussed on only public universities in Uganda; hence, another study could be conducted considering all universities, both private and public. The list of items from literature may not be exhaustive hence additional PM practices that were not included in this tool should be identified from literature to enrich the evaluation tool. Practical implications – This study allowed the development of an empirical list of PM practices which could be used by universities and policy makers to evaluate implementation of strategic PM. Hence, the five foci could be adopted as an evaluation tool for universities with regard to strategic PM implementation. Using these five foci, university managers can identify the grey areas in their PM systems to which management attention could be focussed for improvement. Originality/value – Despite the increasing desire for effective PM implementation in most organisations the world over, there exists no empirical evidence of institutional PM implementation in public universities in Uganda. Besides, to the best of my knowledge, no study has been previously conducted with the aim of developing a tool for evaluating strategic (PM implementation in universities in Uganda.

scholarly journals Reflective practice as a determinant of performance outcomes in services

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 392-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minna Saunila ◽  
Juhani Ukko
Keyword(s):  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Reflective Practices ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Life Context

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the outcomes of reflective practices in services. The paper contributes to the current understanding of the relationship between reflective practice and outcomes by presenting a description of the internal (i.e. what kind of reflection is required to attain the desired outcomes) and external (i.e. under what kind of circumstances does reflection result in the desired outcomes) factors of reflective practices. Design/methodology/approach – The results of this investigation are based on a mixed-method research approach that utilises both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. Findings – According to the results, reflective practices are indeed connected to outcomes. Reflective practices foster better outcomes when they are more explicit and targeted through different organisational levels. The role of performance management and measurement is important in connecting the reflective practices with performance. Performance management must be considered as a communication and social system that allows the employees to discuss the learning and development process as a part of the results. Practical implications – As a practical contribution, the results of the research may help professionals begin to understand that leveraging reflective practices may aid an organisation in achieving its desired outcomes. Originality/value – Hitherto, studies that discuss the interphase of reflective practices and outcomes have mainly been theoretical considerations or surveys that lack an in-depth understanding of how the different methods operate in a real-life context. When focusing on the previous research, it is clear that in-depth empirical studies are needed to achieve a deeper understanding of the mechanisms and arrangements that connect reflective practice and outcomes. This research addresses this research gap by examining the outcomes of reflective practices in services.

Performance management practices, employee attitudes and managed performance

2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 507-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Kagaari ◽  
John C. Munene ◽  
Joseph Mpeera Ntayi
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Employee Attitudes ◽  
University Education ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to establish the relationship between performance management practices, employee attitudes and managed performance.Design/methodology/approachUsing a disproportionate stratified purposive approach, a sample of 900 employees was drawn from four public universities in Uganda.FindingsThe paper reveals that performance management practices and employee attitudes are crucial for achievement of managed performance in public universities.Research limitations/implicationsThis was a cross‐sectional study that inherently has common method biases. Such biases could be minimised with replication of the study using a longitudinal study approach that would also unearth all salient issues that could have remained untouched.Practical implicationsThe paper emphasises the need for public universities to institutionalise result‐oriented relationships and adapt in the external hyper changing environment.Originality/valueThe paper calls for a new approach to managing employees in public universities with increasing demand for university education and stakeholder interests in delivery of cost‐effective quality services.

On the relevance of self-service business intelligence to university management

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michela Arnaboldi ◽  
Andrea Robbiani ◽  
Paola Carlucci
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Business Intelligence ◽  
Dynamic Performance ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
University Management ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Accounting Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Service ◽  
Department Directors

Purpose Nearly 40 years since they first appeared, there is renewed interest in dashboards, engendered by the diffusion of business intelligence (BI) desktop software, such as Power BI, QlikView and Tableau, denoted collectively as “self-service” BI. Using these commodity software tools, the work to construct dashboards apparently becomes easier and more manageable and no longer requires the intervention of specialists. This paper aims to analyse the implementation of this kind of commodity dashboard in a university, exploring its role in performance management processes and investigating whether the dashboard affects the organisation (or not). Design/methodology/approach This paper focusses on an action research project developed by the authors, where the objective was to design and implement a dynamic performance measurement tool fitting the needs of department directors. The three authors were all involved in the project, respectively, as project manager, dashboard implementation manager and accounting manager of the studied organisation. Findings The results reveal a specific but complex change to the procedures and outcomes in the organisation studied, where the dashboard becomes a boundary infrastructure, thereby reviving technical and organisational problems that had been latent for years. Originality/value In this paper, the authors contribute to the debate on the digital age and the role of accounting with their exploration into the “revolution” of self-service BI tools. The democratisation and flexibility of these instruments put into discussion two core and somewhat controversial functions of accounting: data integration and personalised reporting.

scholarly journals The cultural non-participant: critical logics and discursive subject identities

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-64
Author(s):  
David Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Cultural Policy ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Data Generation ◽  
Cultural Participation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policy Problem ◽  
The Uk

Purpose The existence of so-called non-participants is a cultural policy problem in the UK and beyond. Yet, the very notion of a cultural non-participant seems nonsensical against the palpable evidence of lived experience. The purpose of this paper is to understand “who” a cultural non-participant is by first comprehending “what” the cultural non-participant is and why it exists. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on primary data generated in the form of 40 in-depth qualitative interviews, this paper employs a discursive methodology to explore the critical logics (Howarth, 2010) that underlie the problem representation (Bacchi, 2009) of cultural non-participation and in particular the discursive subject identity of the cultural non-participant. Findings Beginning with a discussion about how cultural non-participants are represented as socially deprived and hard to reach, the paper moves on to highlight how they are also presumed to lack knowledge and understanding about what they are rejecting. Their supposed flawed subjectivity is then contrasted with the desirable model of agency claimed by the cultural professionals who seek to change the cultural participation patterns of others. The paper concludes with a consideration of how the existence of the cultural non-participant subject identity limits the extent to which those labelled as such can meaningfully contribute to the field of cultural policy and obscures the extent to which such individuals are culturally disenfranchised. Research limitations/implications Because of the chosen research approach and the geographical limitations to the data generation, the research makes no claim to generalisability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the discursive logics identified at alternative discursive sites. Practical implications This paper proposes a change in the language used by cultural professionals accompanied by changes in practice that abandoning the identity of the cultural non-participant would demand. Originality/value This paper challenges a taken for granted assumption that cultural non-participants exist “in the real”.

Knowledge building about performance evaluation in lean production

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 798-820 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Eduardo Staedele ◽  
Sandra Rolim Ensslin ◽  
Fernando Antônio Forcellini
Keyword(s):  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Strategic Planning ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Measurement System ◽  
Lean Production ◽  
Performance Measurement System ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on the analysis of the characteristics and gaps of a literature fragment from the international scientific publications on performance evaluation in lean production, aiming to generate new knowledge and suggestions for future scientific research. Design/methodology/approach The authors have adopted “ProKnow-C” methodology, a qualitative research approach that is used for literature selection, identification, analysis and reflection on the established characteristics. Findings From a bibliographic portfolio of 67 research works, 91 per cent of the works have individual metrics and 84 per cent have sets of metrics. Evaluating the focus of the performance measurement system, 34 per cent of works measure performance, 43 per cent compare performance and only 18 per cent assist in strategic planning. Evaluating the phases of the PMS life cycle, 87 per cent attend to the design, and 66 per cent attend to the activities of data collection, allow diagnosis, evaluate performance and communicate results. However, only 3 per cent of the studies analysed the use of PMS after its implementation and no research evidenced the review of metrics and objectives based on strategic planning. Research limitations/implications The search formula to capture the bibliographic portfolio (BP) was limited to the following terms: performance measurement, performance evaluation, performance assess*, performance appraisal, management, indicator*, critical factors, best practices, lean production, lean manufacturing and lean system. The BP was determined based on the limitations set by the research authors: articles published in English and Portuguese languages, from 2000 to 2018, in the Engineering Village, Scopus, EBSCO, Web of Science, ProQuest and Science Direct databases, which were freely available on the internet. Lastly, conceptual knowledge was used to select the articles, so there is a chance that unintentional losses could happen. Practical implications As practical implications for practitioners, the authors have identified that a PMS from an organisation that aims to become “lean” needs to be defined and revised considering its strategy, adjusting its set of metrics and targets to the internal and external challenges. As practical implications for researchers, opportunities have been identified to develop longitudinal studies in PMS utilisation and review to understand how the measurement system must evolve over time through changes in the internal and external environments of organisations. Originality/value This research adds value because its results allow researchers and practitioners to visualise the boundaries of the knowledge from the BP, about performance management in lean production, and what their gaps are in relation to the reference model of performance evaluation. This research is original because it was not observed in the literature review, a research that used the ProKnow-C methodology for analysis of the alignment and gaps between lean production and performance evaluation.

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