Showing papers on "Performance management published in 1998"

Public Management and Administration: An Introduction

Abstract: An Era of Change The Traditional Model of Public Administration Public Management The Role of Government Public Enterprise Public Policy and Policy Analysis Strategic Management Personnel and Performance Management Financial Management E-government Managing External Constituencies Public Management in Developing Countries Accountability Conclusion: A New Paradigm?

The relationship between strategic priorities, management techniques and management accounting: an empirical investigation using a systems approach

Abstract: The study examines how combinations of management techniques and management accounting practices enhance the performance of organizations, under particular strategic priorities. Companies were identified as emphasizing product differentiation, low price strategies or a combination of both. Management techniques included in the study were improving existing processes; quality systems; manufacturing systems innovations; integrating systems; team-based structures and human resource management policies. Management accounting practices important in assisting managers implement management techniques were traditional management accounting techniques; activity-based techniques; balanced performance measures; employee-based measures; benchmarking and strategic planning. A systems approach, using cluster analysis, was used to examine hypothesized associations between performance and a range of management techniques and management accounting practices, under various strategic orientations. This provided a method to examine the way in which the entire range of variables combined to affect performance.

The performance paradox

Abstract: Executive Overview Many management teams may know what they should do to improve their performance dramatically—not five or ten percent but twenty-five, fifty or one hundred percent. However, like many individuals who know they should stop smoking, see a physician, start exercising, or begin dieting, the management team ignores, avoids, delays or simply acts contrary to what they already know they should do. Unfortunately, this contradiction appears to be more prevalent and common than anyone would care to admit.

Performance Management : The New Realities

Abstract: Introduction Part 1 Foundations of Performance Management Part 2 Performance Management in Action Part 3 Applications of Performance Management Part 4 Performance Management Processes Part 5 Developing and Maintaining Performance Management Part 6 Conclusions Appendices A The questionnaire B The attitude survey C Performance management documentation D Suppliers of 360-feedback consultancy and software

Performance appraisal : state of the art in practice

Abstract: Foreword - Manual London. Preface. The Authors. THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL ENVIRONMENT. 1. Effective Performance Management: A Focus on Precison, Customers, and Situational Constraints. 2. Current Legal Issues in Performance Appraisal. 3. International Performance Measuement and Management. 4. Performance Appraisal in a Quality Context: A New Look at an Old Problem. 5. Games Raters Play: Politics, Strategies and Impression Management in Performance Appraisal. METHODS OF APRAISING PERFORMANCE. 6. Creating Performance Management Systems That Promote Perceptions of Fairness. 7. Performance Appraisal in Team Settings. 8. Using Multisource Feedback for Employee Development and Personnel Decisions. 9. The Advantage and Pitfalls of Self-Assessment in Organizations. 10. Evaluating Executive Performance. 11. Training Raters to Increase the Accuracy of Appraisals and the Usefulness of Feedback. LINKING APPRAISALS TO THE LARGER HUMAN PERFORMANCE SYSTEM. 12. Linking Appraisals to Individual Development and Training. 13. Performance-Based Pay Plans. 14. Lessons Learrned: Research Implications for Performance Appraisal and Management Practices. Name Index. Subject Index.

Human Resource Management: A Strategic Introduction

Abstract: 1. SHRM: A New Way of Managing? 2. Linking Organisational and Human Resource Strategies. 3. SHRM in a Global Context. 4. Performance Management Strategies. 5. Training & Development Styrategies. 6. International Human Resource Management. 7. Organizational Structuring and Restructuring. 8. Beyond Organisational Structure: The end of classical forms? 9. Employment Relations. 10. Learning Organizations. 11. Promoting Learning in Organizations. 12. Managing the Process of Training & Development Strategies. 13. Change Management Strategies and Assumptions. 14. Change Management Choices and Outcomes. 15. The Role of Culture in Organisational Performance. 16. The Possibilities of Culture Change. 17. Some Key Difficulties. 18. The Redefining of People and Organisations?

Using multiple suppliers to mitigate the risk of IT outsourcing at ICI and Wessex Water

Abstract: The paper presents the findings from empirical research on IT outsourcing in two British companies: ICI Plc and Wessex Water. Both organizations have pursued a selective sourcing approach using multiple suppliers in an attempt to minimize risks and maximize benefits. Whilst the majority of existing literature on selective sourcing concentrates on the 'mega-contracts', this research explores some of the issues and concerns of companies with small to medium sized outsourcing contracts. The findings suggest that selective and competitive sourcing may offer the client company value-added benefits, although it is important to develop strengths in the areas of contract management and negotiation and competitive benchmarking and performance management.

A conceptual framework for the analysis of health care organizations' performance.

Abstract: Organizational performance remains an elusive concept despite its importance to health care organizations' (HCOs') management and analysis. This paper uses Parsons' social system action theory to develop a comprehensive theoretically grounded framework by which to overcome the current fragmented approach to HCO performance management. The Parsonian perspective focuses on four fundamental functions that an HCO needs to ensure its survival. Organizational performance is determined by the dynamic equilibrium resulting from the continual interaction of, and interchange among, these four functions. The alignment interchanges allow the creation of bridges between traditional models of organizational performance that are usually used as independent and competing models. The attraction of the Parsonian model lies in its capacity to: (1) embody the various dominant models of organizational performance; (2) present a strong integrative framework in which the complementarity of various HCO performance perspectives are well integrated while their specificity is still well preserved; and (3) enrich the performance concept by making visible several dimensions of HCO performance that are usually neglected. A secondary objective of this paper is to lay the foundation for an integrative process of arbitration among competing indicators and perspectives which is absolutely necessary to make operational the Parsonian model of HCO performance. In this matter, we make reference to the theory of communicative action elaborated by Habermas. It offers, we think, a challenging and refreshing perspective on how to manage HCO performance evaluation processes.

What a performance: performance related pay in the public services

Abstract: Linking pay to performance is something employers increasingly seek to achieve. This was once seen as an objective which could only be met in the private sector. That is no longer true. In the 1990s the British public services have experienced a revolution which has attracted the interest and concern of public service managers and unions around the world. The days when government officials marched in step up incremental pay scales are gone. Virtually all civil servants are now subject to new forms of performance management, or performance pay. This approach now extends to many other areas of the public services. But are these new systems of financial reward as effective as their creators had hoped? This is one of the questions which prompted the substantial programme of research carried out by David Marsden and Stephen French under the auspices of the Industrial Relations programme of the Centre for Economic Performance (with financial assistance from the Anglo-German Foundation). It is the most extensive study of its kind, looking at performance pay systems in the Inland Revenue and the Employment Service; within the NHS; and in the teaching profession.

Promoting health care quality: what role performance indicators?

Abstract: "Quality" is the big issue which is currently fashionable in healthcare circles in several industrialised countries. In the United Kingdom the government's White paper on the National Health Service (NHS) and subsequent documents stress that "the new NHS will have quality at its heart"1 and that "high quality care should be a right for every patient".2 In the United States, a Presidential Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry has recently called for a national effort to improve and sustain the quality of health care.3 Healthcare purchasers have been demanding, adopting, or developing measures of healthcare performance, and in the United States several national organisations-such as the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the Foundation for Accountability (FACCT) and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organisations (JACHO), have been developing quality metrics. There has been an explosion in the development of performance indicators of variable provenance and quality, some of which are on the JACHO's national library of healthcare indicators. Developing, collecting, analysing, and feeding back performance data from healthcare organisations is now big business. In the United Kingdom similar developments are occurring but at a much slower rate reflecting differences in the organisation and financing of health care, the relative lack of routine data, poorly developed information systems, and cultural factors. The recent proposal by the Department of Health in England to establish a framework for assessing performance (measuring aspects of health improvement, fair access, effective delivery of appropriate care, efficiency, the patient experience, and health outcomes) as opposed to simply counting "beans" and relying on the largely discredited "efficiency index"4 is a welcome and bold step.5 There is a danger, however, that these efforts will not result in the anticipated gains in quality because of potential conceptual and technical weaknesses in the performance management agenda. This paper discusses some of the issues raised by the use of performance indicators in managing healthcare services. The tone is cautionary in the context of the rapid investment in and relatively unevaluated adoption of performance indicators as one of the key elements of quality improvement strategies, whether the approach used is one or more of regulation, competition, continuous quality improvement, or financial incentives.

Managers' reactions to procedurally just performance management systems

Abstract: This research examined managers' reactions to the implementation of a procedurally just performance management system in two samples. Findings indicated that managers who perceived unfairness in th...

Performance Appraisal: Maintaining System Effectiveness

Abstract: Although most organizations have some form of appraising individual performance, few have well-thought-out systems for ensuring that the appraisal systems they use are continuing to yield the best ...

What a performance Performance related pay in the Public Services

Abstract: Linking pay to performance is something employers increasingly seek to achieve. This was once seen as an objective which could only be met in the private sector. That is no longer true. In the 1990s the British public services have experienced a revolution which has attracted the interest and concern of public service managers and unions around the world. The days when government officials marched in step up incremental pay scales are gone. Virtually all civil servants are now subject to new forms of performance management, or performance pay. This approach now extends to many other areas of the public services. But are these new systems of financial reward as effective as their creators had hoped? This is one of the questions which prompted the substantial programme of research carried out by David Marsden and Stephen French under the auspices of the Industrial Relations programme of the Centre for Economic Performance (with financial assistance from the Anglo-German Foundation). It is the most extensive study of its kind, looking at performance pay systems in the Inland Revenue and the Employment Service; within the NHS; and in the teaching profession.

Expatriate performance management: The case of Nokia Telecommunications

Abstract: Today's world-class companies such as Nokia employ effective employee performance management (PM) practices. They have realized that seeking sustaining competitive advantage from the effective management of human resources is of utmost importance. Until today, however, there has existed little understanding about how these companies manage the performance of their critical personnel group, the expatriate employees. A key finding of the case study of Nokia Telecommunications is that the performance of different types of expatriates in varying situations is, and should be, managed dissimilarly. Reflecting this finding, it is suggested that companies should develop alternative PM tools. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Leadership styles and management practices of russian entrepreneurs: Implications for transferability of western HRD interventions

Abstract: This study explores the degree of readiness among Russian entrepreneurs to adopt Western HRD interventions. Structured interviews were conducted with 256 owners and CEOs of private Russian companies created after 1986 as independent start-ups or as spinoffs from state-owned firms. Manufacturing, retail, wholesale trade, and service sectors were represented. Entrepreneurs from the eight largest Russian cities were selected to represent the major economic regions. The study examined leadership styles, management decision-making processes, and the degree of involvement in management and HRD interventions. Among other results, it found that work design and performance management interventions were used more often than employee training and development or interventions aimed at changing the organizational culture.

Performance management and control system for a distributed communications network

Abstract: A distributed communications network management and control system is disclosed, which includes a real time control system composed of a plurality of control agents. The control agents receive real time performance information associated with the distributed communications network from a plurality of performance agents, analyze the real time performance information, and in due time, output control commands that control the performance of the distributed communications network based on the real time performance data received.

Measuring Organizational Performance in Strategic Human Resource Management: Problems and Prospects

Abstract: A major challenge for Strategic Human Resource Management research in the next decade will be to establish a clear, coherent and consistent construct for organizational performance. This paper describes the variety of measures used in current empirical research linking human resource management and organizational performance. Implications for future research are discussed amidst the challenges of construct definition, divergent stakeholder criteria and the temporal dynamics of performance. The concept of performance information markets that addresses these challenges is proposed as a framework for the application of multi-dimensional weighted performance measurement systems.

Performance appraisal in the changing world of work: Implications for the meaning and measurement of work performance.

Abstract: We critically evaluate performance appraisal research by highlighting how research has traditionally focussed upon the measurement, rather than the meaning of work performance. We propose that maximizing performance appraisal effectiveness requires that we carefully examine the meaning of performance. Next, we consider current trends in appraisal research which have closely followed recent changes in the structure and process of work. The implications of this research for increasing our understanding of the meaning of work performance is considered.In the past decade, we have witnessed a number of profound changes in the workplace which, collectively, have tremendous implications for how individual work performance is assessed. Specifically, with the continuing trends of downsizing, mergers, and decentralization, new performance appraisal practices and research topics have emerged (e.g., 360-degree feedback; electronic performance monitoring).In this paper, we critically examine the "state of the art" in performance appraisal research. Our central thesis is that some of the most current research on the evaluation of individual level performance continues to emphasize ways of measuring performance without sufficiently concentrating upon the meaning of performance. We will argue that our continuing failure to grapple with the "criterion problem" -- the problem of properly defining what is meant by performance -- creates a boundary condition on the utility of this research for the practice of performance appraisal (cf. Austin & Villanova, 1992). In short, we believe that attempting to define performance is a critical precondition for effective performance measurement. Although this might seem obvious and straightforward, we shall soon see that this precondition is often relegated to secondary status or ignored altogether.Over the past three decades, performance appraisal has been one of the most heavily researched topic areas in the fields of Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology and Human Resource Management (Pearce & Porter, 1986). The interest in performance appraisal is understandable inasmuch as organizations appraise employee performance for a variety of purposes. For example, performance appraisals are used for personnel decisions (e.g., promotions, pay increases, identifying employees for remedial training, etc.), employee feedback and development, and personnel research (e.g., selection test validation studies).Historically, performance appraisal research has treated performance measurement as a "psychometric problem", whereby the goal has been to improve the psychometric quality of performance ratings. Given that both important personnel decisions and employee feedback are often based upon performance rating data, this focus makes a great deal of sense. Ever since Thorndike's (1920) seminal paper on halo error, we have been preoccupied with rating errors and ways of eliminating them through the development of optimal rating formats and rarer training programs (Murphy & Cleveland, 1991).Unfortunately, however, relatively lost in our quest to achieve optimal rating systems has been a concomitant search for the meaning of performance. A number of scholars have repeatedly raised the concern that we have not paid sufficient attention to the meaning of performance (e.g., Austin & Villanova, 1992; Smith, 1976; Wallace, 1965). However, there have been some recent attempts to map out theories of work performance (e.g., Borman & Motowidlo, 1993; Campbell, McCloy, Oppler, & Sager, 1993). These theories attempt to provide performance dimensions (e.g., demonstrating effort, helping and cooperating with others) thought to generalize across jobs. Although ambitious, these theories are necessarily limited in that they cannot possibly capture the entire criterion domains for all jobs. Moreover, they do not provide details concerning levels of performance within dimensions -- the performance standards that underlie each dimension. …

Performance measurement and strategic change

Abstract: Performance measurement systems not only provide the data necessary for managers to control business activity, they also influence the behavior and decisions of managers. This being the case, a restrictive set of financial performance measures may adversely impact on an organization’s long‐term viability, so organizations should develop a broad range of performance measures. Berliner and Brimson state that “performance measurement is a key factor in ensuring the successful implementation of a company’s strategy”. Thus when organizations implement new strategies they should ensure that the appropriate set of performance measures are in place. In this paper we look at two case studies conducted in a medium‐sized manufacturing firm and a large manufacturing firm, and evaluate the managers’ perceptions of the strategy/performance measurement relationship, and the responsiveness of performance measures to changes in strategy.

Prioritized agent-based hierarchy structure for handling performance metrics data in a telecommunication management system

Abstract: A telecommunications performance management system for processing, analyzing and abstracting performance data from a traffic machine (3) in real time using a hierarchial structure of a performance agents (10) connected to a user interface (11) to ensure optimum network design and performance Each agent (10) transmits performance data to a supra agent (10) and operates according to a subscription signal and associated delivery deadline received from the supra agent (10)

Tools for innovators : creative strategies for managing public sector organizations

Abstract: 1. Understanding and Applying Innovation Strategies in the Public Sector. Part One: Public Sector Innovation Tools. 2. Strategic Planning. 3. Reengineering. 4. Total Quality Management. 5. Benchmarking and Performance Management. 6. Team Management. 7. Privatization. Part Two: Learning from Public Sector Cases. 8. Management Innovation in the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. 9. Innovation in Collaboration with Business and Nonprofits: The Indianapolis Private Industry Council. 10. America Works: A Private Company Carrying Out a Public Service.

The development of Australia's evaluation system

Abstract: The paper reviews the Australian approach to ensure that evaluations of its programs are conducted, an approach that entails a combination of formal requirements for evaluation, plus the strong advocacy by a powerful central department, i.e., the Ministry of Finance, enabling the evaluation to be linked to budget decision-making, and to the on-going management of government programs. The key factors identified include: the creation of an explicit, governmental evaluation strategy; commitment by a powerful central department, to champion evaluation development; sustained commitment to, and support of the evaluation strategy over a decade; and, implementation of related public sector management reforms, which have given substantial autonomy to line managers, and emphasize bottom-line results. The report provides an overview on the genesis of public sector reforms, to a growing focus on evaluation, since 1983, when the evolution of the ECD strategy led, from the establishment of a principles-based evaluation strategy, into a performance management framework, in 1997. Since 1990, the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has contributed to the evaluation strategy, through audits of evaluation processes within departments, and agencies, pursuing its vigorous task within both line departments, and the Ministry of Finance.

Measuring performance in the nhs

Abstract: Last Wednesday the government launched its consultation paper on assessing performance,1 the latest element of its strategy to reform the NHS.2 It proposes moving from a narrow focus on activity and financial targets to a wider view of what the NHS is seeking to achieve and suggests a framework for achieving it. The intention to concentrate on issues that concern patients and health professionals, rather than meaningless measures such as the efficiency index,3 is welcome. But the paper is strangely silent on how to make these new measures work. The paper proposes six areas where performance should be assessed: improving the health of the general population; fair access to services; effective delivery of appropriate care; efficiency; patient-carer experience; and the outcome of NHS care. Comparative information will be published, and targets for improvement in each of these areas will be an integral part of performance management in the NHS. Although the consultation document does not mention it, …

The Case Manager's Survival Guide: Winning Strategies for Clinical Practice

Abstract: 1. Introduction to Case Management 2. Financial Reimbursement Systems 3. Case Management Models 4. Role of the Nurse Case Manager 5. Utilization Management 6. Transitional Planning 7. Disease Management 8. Skills for Successful Case Management 9. Nurse Case Manager's Documentation 10. Hiring Case Managers: Role of the Candidate and the Interviewer 11. Curricula and Certification in Nurse Case Management 12. Developing Case Management Plans 13. Quality Patient Care 14. Measuring the Effectiveness of a Case Management Model 15. Linking JCAHO to Case Management 16. Legal Issues in Case Management 17. Application of Legal Concepts to Case Management Practice 18. Ethical Issues in Case Management 19. Internet Resources and Case Management APPENDICES A. Community Nurse Case Management Problem List and Plan of Care B. Community Nurse Case Management Intervention Flow Sheet and Problem Rating Scale for Outcomes C. Community-Based Wound Care Pathway and Flow Sheet D. Home Care Plan for Congestive Heart Failure and Hypertension E. Sub-Acute Care E-1 Clinical Guideline for Short-Term Sub-Acute Admissions E-2 Referral Assessment Form E-3 Sub-Acute Data Collection Tool F. Long-Term Care Resident Assessment Instrument Case Study and Care Plans G. Pre-Printed Order Sets H. Documentation Guides for Physicians I. Case Manager - Inpatient J. Case Manager - Admitting Office K. Case Manager - Emergency Department L. Case Manager - Community M. Physician Advisor N. Guide for a Case Manager's Competency-Based Performance Appraisal O. Performance Management Form - Case Coordinator Glossary Index

Transformation in Action: Budgeting for Health Service Delivery

Abstract: Imperative for change The evolution of budgeting in South Africa A framework for policy intervention Performance management Organisational & management guidelines Costings & options appraisal Medium-term expenditure & delivery framework Financial management of the budget Implementation.

Strategies for improving individual performance and job satisfaction at meadowvale health

Abstract: This paper addresses the individual level of analysis in organisational behaviour. It links elements of motivation and ability, which determine individual performance, to the HR practices of performance management and reward and recognition systems. This linkage is done in the context of a case study within a health care organisation. The paper also describes the change management considerations that are involved, since new practices are best implemented with due attention to the relevant change issues. The new strategies for enhancing individual performance are also linked to the organisation’s strategic objectives, in keeping with the principles of strategic HRM. The two main points are that a focus on training to improve individual ability, and an emphasis on developing intrinsic motivation, should lead to performance improvement in the health care organisation. INTRODUCTION A number of factors impact on individual performance and job satisfaction. These are the personality, values, attitudes, perceptions, ability and motivation of each individual employee. These factors are not interdependent in their effect on employee performance and satisfaction. Proposed strategies involving performance appraisal, reward and recognition systems are suggested and analysed in order to improve performance within Meadowvale Health. The focus is on optimising individual performance and job satisfaction which, when appropriately implemented, will translate into improved organisational performance. The implementation of the strategies is crucial to their success. Consequently, issues involved in the change management process are reviewed and areas of concern addressed.

Clinical Leadership in Nursing

Abstract: Unit I: Foundations of Contemporary Nursing Leadership. A Health Care System in Transition. Health Care Delivery System. Nursing Care Delivery System. Managed Care and Nursing Care Management. Fiscal Considerations in Clinical Management. Information Management in a Changing Nursing Environment. Unit II: Critical Concepts in Contemporary Nursing Leadership. Motivation. Leadership. Time Management. Supervision and Delegation. Communication and Conflict Management. Group Dynamics and Cultural Diversity. Planned Change. Unit III: Integrating Systems in Contemporary Nursing Leadership. Legal Considerations in a Changing Environment. Ethical Considerations in Clinical Supervision and Management. Total Quality Management. Evaluation/Performance Management Issues in Nursing.