Performance management in a networked organization: the OECD

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Denita Cepiku

PurposeThe article aims at improving the authors’ understanding on how international organizations function by shedding light on management reforms at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The article shows the characteristics of the performance management system implemented at the OECD, the main obstacles encountered, adaptations addressing the low measurability of policy advice activities and other issues.Design/methodology/approachWhile multilateral collaboration could be an effective way to contrast several wicked problems, the global actors face multiple legitimacy and financial challenges. This makes understanding the way they function of outmost importance. Unfortunately, public management and administration research, while steadily grown around the reform efforts of national governments, has neglected the global level. The article addresses this literature gap through the in-depth analysis of a case study aimed at exploring the unfamiliar international organizations context. It relies on two literature streams: performance management and network management. The collaborative nature of international organizations makes the latter particularly useful.FindingsAmong the various public administration types, international organizations providing policy advise display several features that make performance measurement more difficult. The OECD case study analysis offers several insights into other international institutions struggling with managerial reforms in an effort to address legitimacy and financial issues. It shows that implementing a performance management system is possible and necessary to sustain the support of member countries and ensure a well-functioning multilateral system.Research limitations/implicationsThe single case study offers only limited and analytical generalizability of the findings.Practical implicationsResearch on international organizations could help to unveil implementation obstacles or undesired effects of management reforms in other coping and networked organizations.Originality/valueThe article investigates the OECD, which is one of the less studied among the many global multilateral institutions. Other original features include the adoption of a public management approach to the study international organizations and the focus on network performance, a recent topic in the network management literature.

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 7-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Canonico ◽  
Ernesto De Nito ◽  
Vincenza Esposito ◽  
Marcello Martinez ◽  
Lorenzo Mercurio ◽  
...  

Purpose – This paper aims to consider how and to what extent it is possible to interpret a performance management system (PMS) as a typical control mechanism or in a more innovative way as a learning tool. PMSs are typically used for planning and coordination purposes. However, they may also be used as an opportunity to foster learning inside the organization. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical analysis was carried out during January-May 2014. A single case study was developed, in the first phase, through document analysis and semi-structured interviews with three top managers, to investigate the purpose and rationale of the design of the PMS. The investigation then continued with non-participant observation. Findings – The picture shows the dominance of “command and control” thinking, based on a cybernetic control system connected to targets and linking the achievement of these targets to individual performance. Practical implications – This paper helps to contextualize reflections on PMSs and potential learning outcomes in knowledge organizations, with specific reference to the airport industry. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the extant debate on the relationship between PMSs and learning. Traditionally, the literature has focused only on particular aspects of PMSs. Other authors, relying on a contingent approach, have instead put forward the need of a more comprehensive and integrated frameworks encompassing organic conception of PMSs, as well as of the interdependencies among their components. In the case study under scrutiny in this paper, adaptive or single-loop learning is taking place, in which adaptive changes occur but do not lead to any major changes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-510
Author(s):  
Alberto Sardi ◽  
Enrico Sorano ◽  
Alberto Ferraris ◽  
Patrizia Garengo

Purpose The literature highlights the relevance of performance measurement and management system in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to face the current competitive environment. However, a number of studies investigate how performance measurement and management system is effective for evolving and how contingency factors could influence this change. Newer experiences are sporadic and rarely investigated by researchers and practitioners. The purpose of this study is to identify the feasible evolutionary path of performance measurement and management system in leading SMEs to respond to current business challenges. Furthermore, it aims to contribute to the understanding of the role of key contingency factors influencing this evolution. Design/methodology/approach A longitudinal case study, based on retrospective and real-time investigations, is performed to investigate the primary evolutions of the performance measurement and management system and its key determinants. Findings The findings highlight two evolution paths, increasing the maturity of performance measurement. The first path highlights a strong command and control of performance management; the second path shows a democratic and participative of performance management. Moreover, management information system, organizational culture and management style are highlighted as key contingency factors in the change of performance management. Originality/value The authors contribute to knowledge in performance measurement field, showing how the efforts for developing performance measurement and management system in a leading SME could determine two different evolutionary paths. Furthermore, the paper describes the increasing role of organizational culture, management style and management information system in performance management evolution, as well as the relevance of online chats and social media in performance management activities.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alpana Agarwal

PurposeAn effective performance management must track level of employee engagement, ensure employee feedback on all aspects and ensure that the people act on that information. Also, it must ensure accessibility of essential conditions to perform. Considering the challenges associated with existing performance management system, present study attempts to discover factual expectations from the employees. The paper also establishes required conditions for fulfilling such expectations.Design/methodology/approachPresent study attempts to discover factual expectations from the employees using the Balance Scorecard approach (BSC). Furthermore, using Quality Function Deployment (QFD), relation between employers' expectation and requirements necessary to fulfill such expectations has also been determined.FindingsThe suggested model has been developed as House Of Performance Management (HOPM) outlining potential leveraging points for enhancing the performance, based on which immediate actionable measures for effective and efficient performance management can also been advocated. The HOQ suggested in this paper can be source of reference while developing performance management system for an organization. Besides, it can help the Human Resource team to discover strategic opportunities and set targets.Originality/valueEffective goal setting, pooled with a method to track progress and identify obstacles, contribute to attainment of bottom to top line results. However, designing and implementing such performance management system has been associated with many challenges like lack of top management support, perception of the process as time-consuming, failure to communicate clear and specific goals and expectations, lack of consistency, etc. (Managing employee performance, 2019). Hence most organizations have been increasingly looking for effective ways of assessing employee performance that can promote stakeholders' satisfaction, employee engagement and continuous improvement.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Huber

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain how an organization’s performance measurement system can influence the appropriateness of an organization’s responses to threats. Design/methodology/approach – Inductive and deductive reasoning, drawing on major theories and on empirical findings in the management literature. Findings – An organization’s performance measurement system can influence the effectiveness of the organization’s detections of threats and the appropriateness of the organization’s responses to threats and, in these ways, contribute to the organization’s robustness and sustainability. Practical implications – Formation of an appropriate performance management system can prove critical to both detection of and responses to organizational threats. As such, an organizational performance management system can contribute to organizational robustness and sustainability. Originality/value – The idea, that an organization’s performance measurement system can influence the effectiveness of the organization’s detections of threats and the appropriateness of the organization’s responses to threats, is not articulated in the management literature. Thus, the research reported here is original and would seem to have value to the research community, the organization design community (as an organization’s control systems are an important component of its architecture), and the management community.


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