Excellence models in the public sector. Relationships between enablers and results

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendry Raharjo ◽  
Roberta Guglielmetti Mugion ◽  
Henrik Eriksson ◽  
Ida Gremyr ◽  
Laura Di Pietro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Specific Model ◽  
Performance Excellence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Main Contributor ◽  
Public Sector Organizations ◽  
Cross Case Analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify possible correlations between the stated “enablers” and “results” in excellence models, and to explain how different variables contribute to the “enablers” and “results”. A cross-case study of two different excellence models, the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) in Italy and the Swedish Institute for Quality (SIQ) model for performance excellence, is proposed. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on the evaluation of assessment reports of public organizations across two countries, Italy and Sweden. Canonical correlation was used for data analysis. Two hypotheses were formulated: There is a correlation between “enablers” and “results” in the CAF model, and there is a correlation between “enablers” and “results” in the SIQ model. Findings – The results show that the hypotheses are supported. It turned out that the correlation is higher for the SIQ model than for the CAF model. For the CAF model, “strategy and planning” is the main contributor to the “enablers”, and for the SIQ model, “human resource development” is the main contributor. For the “results” set, similar criteria provide the strongest contributor for both models; these are “customer/citizen-oriented results” for the CAF and “customer satisfaction” for the SIQ. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the knowledge gained from a cross-case analysis of two different excellence models applied in public sector organizations, the CAF in Italy and the SIQ model for performance excellence in Sweden. The paper also contributes to an ongoing discussion of a need of excellence models being adapted specifically for the public sector; from this study, no support for such a sector-specific model is shown.

scholarly journals Closeness and distance: configurational practices for digital ambidexterity in the public sector

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Magnusson ◽  
Jwan Khisro ◽  
Max Björses ◽  
Aleksander Ivarsson
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Digital Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Configurational Approach ◽  
Public Sector Organizations ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Large Municipality

Purpose The purpose of this study is to increase the current understanding of how public sector organizations dynamically balance exploration and exploitation of digital initiatives, i.e. the enactment of digital ambidexterity. Design/methodology/approach This study uses Zimmermann, Raisch and Cardinal’s perspective of configurational practices for addressing the enactment of digital ambidexterity. The method comprises a qualitative, interpretative case study of a large municipality in Sweden, using both interviews and secondary data. Findings Through the perspective of configurational practices, the study identifies and describes a set of sub-practices that constitute the enactment of digital ambidexterity. This is then used for theorizing how configurational practices involve the balancing of closeness and distance. Research limitations/implications This study is limited by being a single, non-longitudinal case of a Swedish municipality that has implications for generalizability and transferability. Moreover, it opens up for new perspectives to the future study of the enactment of ambidexterity in the public sector. Practical implications Organizations striving for digital ambidexterity are recommended to use the configurational approach to assess and design their governance to build ambidextrous capabilities through a combination of closeness and distance. Social implications This study is aimed at strengthening public sectors abilities for continued relevance for its stakeholders over time. With increased need for digital innovation within the public sector, the findings and recommendations derived from the study lead to increased innovation capability, which in turn is expected to lead to increased relevance of services. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that addresses how ambidexterity is enacted within the public sector following the configurational approach. As such, it opens up for new perspectives on organizational ambidexterity.

Performance management in Canadian public organizations: findings of a multi-case study

2015 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Swee Chua Goh ◽  
Catherine Elliott ◽  
Greg Richards
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Corporate Strategy ◽  
Case Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Sector Organizations ◽  
The Cross ◽  
Cross Case Analysis ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Performance management (PM) is now clearly a well-established practice in public sector organizations. However, increasingly scholars have been questioning its efficacy in improving organizational performance. Research has shown that the presumed benefits remain questionable and that there are many barriers, challenges and problems in implementing PM. The purpose of this paper is to report and discuss the findings of a multi-case study that examines in more depth how five Canadian public sector organizations are implementing PM. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative multi-case study approach was used in this study. Structured interviews were carried out in each public sector organization and the interview data were analyzed using NVivo8. Individual case profiles were also written. A cross-case analysis was carried out using data from these five cases. Findings – The cross-case analysis of the data focussed on the major themes emerging from the data with respect to challenges and barriers, success factors, context and implications for practice for PM in public sector organizations. Three contextual factors are identified and discussed in explaining some of the findings. Conclusions are drawn for making PM more effective in achieving performance improvement in public sector organizations and future directions for research. Research limitations/implications – The research findings and implications for practice are based on five Canadian public sector organizations so may limit its generalizability to public sector organizations in other countries. Practical implications – Some practical implications are discussed with respect to implementing PM more successfully in public sector organizations. This included the better integration of PM to corporate strategy, leadership in developing a positive PM culture and employee buy-in and commitment to the process. Originality/value – This qualitative multi-case study of PM in Canadian public sector organizations has not previously been done. This approach allows for a more close-up look at PM in public sector organizations especially how it is implemented and the experiences of organizational members. The paper also presents new insights on context as an important variable in explaining the findings from the cross-case analysis and points to future new directions for research and in developing a contingency theory approach to PM.

Emotions during executive succession in a public board

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 766-776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Humera Manzoor ◽  
Nancy Johnson ◽  
Mehboob ur Rashid
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Change Process ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Board Members ◽  
Executive Succession ◽  
Ethnographic Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Organizations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address a significant gap in the literature as it explores challenging emotions in the context of forced executive succession in a public sector board by re(conceptualizing) executive succession as a change process. Design/methodology/approach This study is empirical in nature and uses a combination of an ethnographic case study and narratives to understand emotions in the context. Findings The authors show that the emotional complexities emerged when executive succession was enforced from outside due to multiple interpretations of the emergent situations. It further shows how shame, guilt and embarrassment were produced when actors realized that they had failed to deliver responsibility; issues of trust and betrayal emerged when actors were not taken into confidence whilst taking certain actions; and the way actors manipulated situations and managed unwanted emotions by finding excuses and shifting blame. Research limitations/implications Future research can explore the political nature of emotions and can take into account the emotions of other stakeholders, such as staff and general public during forced succession in public sector organizations. Originality/value The re(conceptualizing) of executive succession as an emotive change process is an important contribution, since the current literature concentrates mainly on the changes and subsequent emotions triggered by new executive in the public sector. Through the lens of emotions, multiple interpretations of the situated emotions are revealed that influences board members relationships and interactions. This will help to create a better understanding of what happens inside public boards when executive succession is enforced from outside.

Leveraging business intelligence systems to enhance management control and business process performance in the public sector

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Z. Elbashir ◽  
Steve G. Sutton ◽  
Vicky Arnold ◽  
Philip A. Collier
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Top Management ◽  
Process Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Organizations

Purpose Recent research and policy reports indicate public sector organizations struggle to leverage information technology-based performance measurement systems and fail to effectively evaluate performance beyond financial metrics. This study aims to focus on organizational factors that influence the assimilation of business intelligence (BI) systems into integrated management control systems and the corollary impact on improving business process performance within public sector organizations. Design/methodology/approach The complete Australian client list was acquired from a leading BI vendor; and the authors surveyed all public sector organizations, receiving 226 individual responses representing 160 public sector organizations in Australia. Using latent construct measurement, structural equation modeling (SEM)-partial least squares is used to test the theoretical model. Findings When top management promotes knowledge creation among the organization’s operational level employees and support their activities with strong BI infrastructure, the same knowledge and infrastructure capabilities that are critical to assimilation in private sector hold in the public sector. However, public sector organizations generally have difficulty retaining staff with expertise in new technologies and attracting new innovative staff that can leverage smart systems to effect major change in performance measurement. When top management effectively manages knowledge importation from external entities to counteract deficiencies, public sector organizations effectively assimilate BI knowledge into performance measurement yielding strong process performance. Research limitations/implications When top management promotes knowledge creation among the organization’s operational level employees and support their activities with strong BI infrastructure, the same knowledge and infrastructure capabilities critical to assimilation in the private sector hold in the public sector. However, public sector organizations generally have difficulty retaining staff with expertise in new technologies and attracting new innovative staff that can leverage smart systems to effect major change in performance measurement. The research extends the theory behind organizational absorptive capacity by highlighting how knowledge importation can be used as an external source facilitating internal knowledge creation. This collaborative knowledge creation leads to affective assimilation of BI technologies and associated performance gains. Practical implications The results provide guidance to public sector organizations that struggle to measure and validate service outcomes under New Public Management regulations and mandates. Originality/value The results reveal that consistent with the philosophies behind New Public Management strategies, private sector measures for increasing organizational absorptive capacity can be applied in the public sector. However, knowledge importation appears to be a major catalyst in the public sector where the resources to retain skilled professionals with an ability to leverage contemporary technologies into service performance are often very limited. Top management team knowledge and skills are critical to effectively leveraging these internal and external knowledge creation mechanisms.

scholarly journals Employee Engagement in the Public Sector: A Case Study of Western Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lamin Sanneh ◽  
Saud A.Taj
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The Gambia ◽  
Organizational Studies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Western Africa

Employee engagement and its relationship with organizational performance have recently gained immense attention amongst the scholars of organizational studies and human resource development. However, this relationship has widely been examined in the private sector organizations operating in the Western developed countries and its application in the African public sector still remains a major gap in the engagement literature. In order to address this gap, we investigate the different factors of employee engagement and their impact on organizational performance in the public sector of West Africa while taking the case of Gambia Ports Authority, one of the biggest public sector employers in Gambia. A case study approach was adopted with questionnaires designed and distributed to 327employees of the Gambia Ports Authority, one of the largest public sector employer in the Gambia. The survey included employees at different levels including senior managers, directors, and junior level staff. Findings suggest that various factors have significant impact on employee engagement with the exception of team and co-worker relation. Amongst other factors, leadership had the strongest influence employee engagement in African public sector. Overall, a positive relationship was found between employee engagement and organizational performance. Findings also indicate that employees who feel engaged and connected with the organization attempt to reciprocate and show greater enthusiasm towards work (work engagement) and to the organization (organizational engagement), which could lead to improved performance.

Lean Six Sigma for public sector organizations: is it a myth or reality?

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 1402-1411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiju Antony ◽  
Bryan Rodgers ◽  
Elizabeth A. Cudney
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Service Organizations ◽  
Improvement Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Organizations ◽  
Potential Applications

Purpose Lean Six Sigma (LSS) as a process excellence has been widely adopted in both manufacturing and service organizations; however, its application in the public sector has not been widely explored. Is LSS still a myth or reality in our public sector organizations? The purpose of this paper is to make an attempt to debate about the use of LSS and its potential applications in the public sector context. Design/methodology/approach The initial approach is to critically evaluate the role of LSS in various public sector contexts, followed by showcasing four case studies from four different public sector settings: higher education, police service, public hospital and local government. Findings LSS methodology can be embraced by all public sector organizations to create efficient and effective processes to provide enhanced customer experience and value at reduced operational costs. Research limitations/implications This paper seeks to contribute to and broaden the limited body of evidence of the applicability of LSS to public sector organizations and identifies areas for further research and review. Practical implications LSS will continue to grow across many public sector organizations in Europe and other parts of the world over the forthcoming years. However, what will eventually determine if LSS is viewed by public sector organizations as just a passing management fad or not largely depends on the leadership and success of its execution. If LSS is deployed in its true sense across the public sector organizations at a global level, the hard cash savings generated can reach several billions. Originality/value The paper yields an immense value to both research scholars and practitioners who are engaged in the introduction of LSS as a business process improvement strategy to achieve and sustain competitive advantage. Moreover, this paper makes an attempt to dispel the myth of LSS which have been quite prevalent in many public sector organizations around us today.

Corporate portfolio management in the public sector

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-340
Author(s):  
Saša Baškarada ◽  
Brian Hanlon
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Portfolio Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Business Units ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Public Sector Organizations ◽  
The Impact

PurposeAlthough corporate portfolio management (CPM) has been a popular tool for strategic management of multi-business portfolios in the private sector since the late 1960s, it has received limited attention in the public sector. Accordingly, empirical research on the use of CMP in government organizations is virtually non-existent. The purpose of this paper is to partially fill that gap in the literature by highlighting and discussing some of the key points that public sector organizations may need to consider when adopting CPM.Design/methodology/approachRather than deductively proposing and testing narrowly specified hypotheses, this study aims to answer a broad research question, namely: What are the key points that public sector organizations may need to consider when adopting CMP? Hence, the study adopts the qualitative interpretive research paradigm. The findings are based on empirical research conducted in a large Australian publicly funded research organization. Potential application of CPM was iteratively and incrementally explored with a reference group comprising 15 middle management representatives and several members of the senior leadership group over the course of one year.FindingsAssessment criteria traditionally used in CPM (e.g. growth potential and market share) are generally not applicable in public sector organizations. This paper suggests that government organizations should instead consider past performance and future potential of individual business units, which may be operationalized via capability (a function of human capital and associated resources/infrastructure) and delivery (a function of the demand for, and the impact of, relevant business units). The paper also highlights the importance of organization-wide consultation, evidence-based decision making, and contestability.Originality/valueFrom a practical perspective, the paper may assist public sector organizations with adapting and applying CPM. From a theoretical perspective, the paper highlights an important and relatively neglected research problem, and suggests several avenues for future research.

Empirical analysis of HPO framework in public sector organizations of Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalimullah Kalimullah ◽  
Mohd Anuar Arshad ◽  
Qaiser Khan ◽  
Shahid Khan
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Public Organizations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Managers ◽  
Continuous Improvement Process ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
Public Sector Organizations

Purpose Building on high-performance organizations (HPO) framework, the purpose of this paper is to hypothesize the direct impact of five factors of HPO framework on public organizations’ performance in Pakistan. This is first research to employ the partial least squares (PLS) method to provide empirical evidence of the predictive power of the framework in public organizations. Design/methodology/approach This is a cross-sectional study conducted in non-contrived settings thereby keeping researcher interference to a minimum. Data collection was carried out by distributing online questionnaires to 513 employees from three different service-based public organizations in Pakistan. PLS is used to examine the statistical and substantive significance of five factors by employing SmartPLS 3.2.6. Findings This study concludes that the HPO framework has predictive relevance for public organizations’ performance surveyed in this study. Furthermore, three out of the five factors of HPO framework, namely, management quality, workforce quality and long-term orientation have positive relationships, while openness and action orientation (OAO), and continuous improvement process and renewal have a negative relationship with the performance of public sector organizations (PSOs) surveyed in Pakistan. Research limitations/implications The study’s small sample size limits this research, and only quantitative methodology is applied. A significant limitation of this research is that this study relied on a subset of respondents of surveyed organizations and may not representative of the population. Therefore, result should be carefully interpreted as some degree of biasness may be present. Furthermore, findings of the study cannot be generalized to all PSOs of Pakistan. Practical implications The implication for public managers is that the HPO framework has predictive relevance and substantive significance. However, the ideal value of HPO framework will occur when leadership considers HPO factors and struggles persistently to improve performance. The useful implication is that public managers should focus on continuous improvement process and renewal and OAO to meet stakeholders’ satisfaction. Originality/value This study answer two questions, first “is there any significant relationship of five factors of HPO framework with public organizations’ Performance in Pakistan?” and second “what is the predictive relevance level of HPO framework in the Public organizations in Pakistan?” The answers to these research questions will fill the gaps in the literature by providing empirical evidence to the existing knowledge on improvement methods, especially the public sector (PS), and contributing insights on the real world working of the five factors of HPO framework in a PS.

scholarly journals Service outsourcing decisions – a process framework

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-194
Author(s):  
Suvituulia Taponen ◽  
Katri Kauppi
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Cost Analysis ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Market Analysis ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Service Outsourcing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Organizations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare service outsourcing decisions between public and private organizations and against a theoretical decision-making framework to both understand differences across the sectors and to provide an outsourcing framework more suitable specifically for outsourcing (and for the public sector). Design/methodology/approach Multiple case studies, i.e. a study of phenomena (here outsourcing process) at various sites is used as an approach. Findings Findings indicate that public sector organizations are trailing behind private sector organizations in how the decision-making process is conducted and resourced. The authors suggest regular evaluation of service functions internally as a starting point for the outsourcing service decision-making process. Additionally, the market analysis should be done prior to cost analysis and benchmarking as the availability of suppliers more qualified than the internal process defines the make or buy decision. Research limitations/implications The newly developed framework based on empirical evidence includes the following phases: regular evaluation of service functions, market analysis, cost analysis and benchmarking and evaluating relevant service activities. Applying the framework improves the efficient delivery of outsourced public services and brings public sector outsourcing closer to the professionalism currently present in the private sector. Originality/value Choosing between in-house and outsourced service delivery is a fundamental decision in both private and public sector organizations. Previous outsourcing research has mostly focused on the private sector, with limited focus on the public sector’s outsourcing processes, yet understanding of the service outsourcing process is important in ensuring organizational competitiveness and cost efficiency.

scholarly journals How to counter organisational inertia to enable knowledge management practices adoption in public sector organisations

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona Ashok ◽  
Mouza Saeed Mohammed Al Badi Al Dhaheri ◽  
Rohit Madan ◽  
Michael D. Dzandu
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Leadership Traits ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Case Comparison

Purpose Knowledge management (KM) is associated with higher performance and innovative culture; KM can help the public sector to be fiscally lean and meet diverse stakeholders’ needs. However, hierarchical structures, bureaucratic culture and rigid processes inhibit KM adoption and generate inertia. This study aims to explore the nature and causes of this inertia within the context of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) public sector. Design/methodology/approach Using an in-depth case study of a UAE public sector organisation, this study explores how organisational inertia can be countered to enable KM adoption. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with 17 top- and middle-level managers from operational, management and strategic levels. Interview data is triangulated with content analysis from multiple sources, including the UAE Government and case organisation documents. Findings The results show transformation leadership, external factors and organisational culture mediate the negative effect of inertia on KM practices adoption. We find that information technology plays a key role in enabling knowledge creation, access, adoption and sharing. Furthermore, we uncover a virtuous cycle between organisational culture and KM practices adoption in the public sector. In addition, we develop a new model (the relationship between KM practices, organisational inertia, organisational culture, transformational leadership traits and external factors) and four propositions for empirical testing by future researchers. We also present a cross-case comparison of our results with six private/quasi-private sector cases who have implemented KM practices. Research limitations/implications Qualitative data is collected from a single case study. Originality/value Inertia in a public section is a result of bureaucracy and authority bounded by the rules and regulations. Adopting a qualitative methodology and case study method, the research explores the phenomena of how inertia impacts KM adoption in public sector environments. Our findings reveal the underlying mechanisms of how internal and external organisational factors impact inertia. Internally, supportive organisational culture and transformational leadership traits positively effect KM adoption, which, in turn, has a positive effect on organisational culture to counter organisational inertia. Externally, a progressive national culture, strategy and policy can support a knowledge-based organisation that embraces change. This study develops a new model (interactions between internal and external factors impacting KM practices in the public sector), four propositions and a new two-stage process model for KM adoption in the public sector. We present a case-comparison of how the constructs interact in a public sector as compared to six private/quasi-private sector cases from the literature.

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