Showing papers on "Performance management published in 2010"

The Development and Resulting Performance Impact of Positive Psychological Capital.

Abstract: Recently, theory and research have supported psychological capital (PsyCap) as an emerging core construct linked to positive outcomes at the individual and organizational level. However, to date, little attention has been given to PsyCap development through training interventions; nor have there been attempts to determine empirically if such PsyCap development has a causal impact on participants' performance. To fill these gaps we first conducted a pilot test of the PsyCap intervention (PCI) model with a randomized control group design. Next, we conducted a follow-up study with a cross section of practicing managers to determine if following the training guidelines of the PCI caused the participants' performance to improve. Results provide beginning empirical evidence that short training interventions such as PCI not only may be used to develop participants' psychological capital, but can also lead to an improvement in their on-the-job performance. The implications these findings have for human resource development and performance management conclude the article.

Performance Management in the Public Sector

Abstract: 1. Introduction 2. Defining the Concepts 3. The History of Performance Management 4. Performance Measurement 5. Incorporation of Performance Information 6. The use of Performance Information 7. Users 8. Non-use 9. The Effects of Using Performance Information 10. The Future of Performance Management

The Big Question for Performance Management: Why Do Managers Use Performance Information?

Abstract: This article proposes that understanding public employee use of performance information is perhaps the most pressing challenge for scholarship on performance management. Governments have devoted extraordinary effort in creating performance data, wagering that it will be used to improve governance, but there is much we do not know about the factors associated with the use of that information. This article examines the antecedents of selfreported performance information use from a survey of local government managers. The results show that public service motivation, leadership role, information availability, organizational culture, and administrative flexibility all affect performance information use.

Pay for Performance in the Public Sector—Benefits and (Hidden) Costs

Abstract: Current reforms in the public sector are characterized by the introduction of businesslike incentive structures, in particular the introduction of ‘‘pay for performance’’ schemes in public institutions. However, the public sector has some specific characteristics, which might restrict the naive adoption of pay for performance. Our article analyzes whether the impact of pay for performance on performance is bound to conditions, and if this is the case, under which conditions pay for performance has a positive or a negative effect on performance. We explore this contingency in a meta-analytic review of previous experimental studies on the effects of pay for performance on performance. We further show why pay for performance sometimes negatively affects personal efforts. With an experimental vignette study we demonstrate (a) that motivation is likely to be a key influence on the effect of performance-related pay on performance, and (b) that pay for performance is generally more costly as it appears because it almost always produces hidden costs of rewards. Our findings help to explain the modest success of pay for performance in the public sector. There is a long-standing belief that the public sector and nonprofits need to be more businesslike in their attitudes and operations (Dart 2004). As a consequence, current reforms in the public sector are characterized by the introduction of management practices and techniques originally developed for the business sector, for example, budgeting techniques, market analysis, and performance management (Lane 1997; Moynihan 2006). One of the most significant challenges is the introduction of businesslike incentive structures, in particular the introduction of ‘‘pay for performance’’ schemes in public institutions (Varone and Giauque 2001; Swiss 2005; Cardona 2006). Two-thirds of the member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and a number of developing countries have adopted performance-related pay practices, for example, Brazil, We would like to thank Pascale Strub, Thorsten Teichert, and the participants of Menschen und Institutionen (HUI) and International Society for New Institutional Economics (ISNIE) for their helpful remarks, as well as Eve Weiss and Harmonie Sauer for their help in finishing our article. Address correspondence to the author at

Supply chain performance measurement: a literature review

Abstract: This paper is intended to provide a critical literature review on supply chain performance measurement. The study aims at revealing the basic research methodologies/approaches followed, problem areas and requirements for the performance management of the new supply chain era. The review study covers articles coming from major journals related with the topic, including a taxonomy study and detailed investigation as to the methodologies, approaches and findings of these works. The methodology followed during the conduct of this research includes starting with a broad base of articles lying at the intersection of supply chain, information technology (IT), performance measurement and business process management topics and then screening the list to have a focus on supply chain performance measurement. Findings reveal that performance measurement in the new supply era is still an open area of research. Further need of research is identified regarding framework development, empirical cross-industry research and adoption of performance measurement systems for the requirements of the new era, to include the development of partnership, collaboration, agility, flexibility, information productivity and business excellence metrics. The contribution of this study lies in the taxonomy study, detailed description and treatment of methodologies followed and in shedding light on future research.

Performance measurement and management: a literature review and a research agenda

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the literature in the field of performance measurement and management (PMM) for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large companies and propose a research agenda for the future.Design/methodology/approach – This paper provides an update of Neely's work “The evolution of performance measurement research” The literature review has been carried out by using two different methodologies. Citation/co‐citation analysis has been used to explore “performance measurement” (PM) literature, while a chronological review of main frameworks/models developed both for large and small companies is presented in order to highlight “PMM” literature.Findings – The paper analyzes the literature on the field and carries out the most cited works and the common characteristics of them based on the key words used. The results of the literature review reveal a certain maturity of the literature related to large companies and a significant lack of PMM literature for SMEs. Finally t...

Rewiring: Cross-Business-Unit Collaborations in Multibusiness Organizations

Abstract: Cross-business-unit collaboration is central to large firms' value creation, yet empirical support for the prevailing view that a corporate process best fosters such collaboration has been unconvin...

Performing ‘Initial Assessment’: Identifying the Latent Conditions for Error at the Front-Door of Local Authority Children's Services

Abstract: This article draws attention to the faulty design elements at the front-door of children's local authority services, arguing that current attempts to increase safety, through the formalization of organizational procedures and their enactment by IT systems, may have had the contrary effect. We argue that the analysis of errors in organizational settings should focus on immanent systemic weaknesses, particularly the ‘latent conditions’ for error that generally increase the risk of failure. Reporting the findings from a two-year ESRC-funded ethnographic study, and examining the local adaptations of practice arising in the performance context of the ‘modernized’ front-door of children's services, we draw attention to the short-cuts that the current configuration of the initial assessment system appears to necessitate, given the immutable timescales and excessive audit requirements. New modes of governance can clearly play a central role in error management, but the design of an effective system needs to be based on the needs of users and on a thorough understanding of their working practices.

The Future of Strategic Planning in the Public Sector: Linking Strategic Management and Performance

Abstract: While it has become ubiquitous in the public sector over the past 25 years, strategic planning will need to play a more critical role in 2020 than it does at present if public managers are to anticipate and manage change adroitly and effectively address new issues that are likely to emerge with increasing rapidity. This article argues that making strategy more meaningful in the future will require transitioning from strategic planning to the broader process of strategic management, which involves managing an agency’s overall strategic agenda on an ongoing rather than an episodic basis, as well as ensuring that strategies are implemented effectively. Complementing this move to more holistic strategic management, we need to shift the emphasis of the performance movement from a principal concern with measurement to the more encompassing process of performance management over the coming decade in order to focus more proactively on achieving strategic goals and objectives. Finally, agencies will need to link their strategic management and ongoing performance management processes more closely in a reciprocating relationship in which strategizing is aimed largely at defining and strengthening overall performance while performance monitoring helps to inform strategy along the way. Guest editors’ note: In 1942, the University of Chicago Press published a book edited by Leonard D. White titled The Future of Government in the United States. Each chapter in the book presents predictions concerning the future of U.S. public administration. In this article, Theodore H. Poister examines John Vieg’s predictions on the future of government planning published in that book, comments on whether Vieg’s predictions were correct not, and then looks to the future to examine public administration in 2020.

The role of performance measurement and evaluation in building organizational capabilities and performance

Abstract: This study examines the processes through which the availability of broad-based strategically relevant performance information impacts on the performance outcomes of organizations. We explore the role of evaluation mechanisms in influencing managers’ use of broad-based performance measurement information for feedback and feed-forward control. We hypothesize that these resultant decision-making patterns impact the exploitation and identification of strategic capabilities within an organization and in turn organizational performance. Using a structural equation model, we find support for a model in which the degree of commonality between measures identified as decision-facilitating and decision-influencing is significantly associated with the use of decision-facilitating measures for both feedback and feed-forward control. In turn, the extent to which decision-facilitating measures are actually used by strategic business unit managers impacts on the strategic capabilities of the organization and subsequently its performance. Overall the results suggest that to encourage managers to use the multiple financial and non-financial performance indicators increasingly incorporated in contemporary performance measurement systems it is imperative that performance evaluation schemes are also designed to reflect these measures. To the extent performance evaluation schemes do not reflect such decision-facilitating measures it is less likely managers will use these indicators to effectively manage performance. The resultant performance implications for the organization arise from the impact of these decision effects on the exploitation of existing capabilities and the search for and identification of new strategic opportunities.

Incentives and their dynamics in public sector performance management systems

Abstract: We use the principal-agent model as a focal theoretical frame for synthesizing what we know, both theoretically and empirically, about the design and dynamics of the implementation of performance management systems in the public sector. In this context, we review the growing body of evidence about how performance measurement and incentive systems function in practice and how individuals and organizations respond and adapt to them over time, drawing primarily on examples from performance measurement systems in public education and social welfare programs. We also describe a dynamic framework for performance measurement systems that takes into account strategic behavior of individuals over time, learning about production functions and individual responses, accountability pressures, and the use of information about the relationship of measured performance to value added. Implications are discussed and recommendations derived for improving public sector performance measurement systems. © 2010 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.

Performance-driven task co-scheduling for MapReduce environments

Abstract: MapReduce is a data-driven programming model proposed by Google in 2004 which is especially well suited for distributed data analytics applications. We consider the management of MapReduce applications in an environment where multiple applications share the same physical resources. Such sharing is in line with recent trends in data center management which aim to consolidate workloads in order to achieve cost and energy savings. In a shared environment, it is necessary to predict and manage the performance of workloads given a set of performance goals defined for them. In this paper, we address this problem by introducing a new task scheduler for a MapReduce framework that allows performance-driven management of MapReduce tasks. The proposed task scheduler dynamically predicts the performance of concurrent MapReduce jobs and adjusts the resource allocation for the jobs. It allows applications to meet their performance objectives without over-provisioning of physical resources.

Inter‐organizational governance, learning and performance in supply chains

Abstract: Purpose – Inter‐firm knowledge sharing and learning constitute one of the main avenues to improve supply chains' performance in today's business environment. This paper aims to examine how effective different governance mechanisms are in promoting knowledge transfer, learning and performance in supply chains.Design/methodology/approach – Following on from the literature in inter‐organizational learning, transaction costs economics, business‐to‐business relational marketing, and supply chain management, a model is presented and tested using structural equations modeling. Data were collected from 219 Colombian apparel manufacturers.Findings – This paper finds that from more influential to less, social mechanisms of governance, hostages and behavioral control favor knowledge sharing, learning and performance in supply chains. Output control exerts a negative influence on learning in supply chains.Research limitations/implications – Governance has a key role in promoting transparency and learning in supply ch...

Developing environmental supply chain performance measures

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review extant literature and present a proposed research agenda to examine whether environmental, i.e. green performance measures, can be integrated within an existing supply chain performance framework, explore what a meaningful industry‐recognised environmental measure should look like, and understand the direct benefits of incorporating environmental measures within a supply chain performance framework.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on an extensive literature review in four key areas: performance management, supply chain performance management, environmental management and benchmarking.Findings – The literature suggests there is an opportunity to explore the relationship between the environment and logistics and that environmental supply chain performance measurement (SCPM) should enable organisations to more effectively benchmark their supply chain environmental performance. A framework incorporating these notions and a research agenda for em...

Capacity, Leadership, and Organizational Performance: Testing the Black Box Model of Public Management

Abstract: According to recent “black box” models of public management, managerial capacity is a critical component for achieving service delivery improvement. In particular, black box models assume that the impact of management systems is maximized through integration with effective leadership. This assumption is tested by analyzing the effects of managerial capacity and organizational leadership on the performance of English local governments, while controlling for a range of other variables, including organizational size, resources, external constraints, and past performance. Empirical results show that capacity possesses a positive statistical association with local government performance and that leadership can enhance the impact of effective management systems.

Learning to Reduce Risk in Child Protection

Abstract: This article argues for a systems approach to learning how to improve performance, conceptualising child protection services as complex, adaptive systems. This requires an acceptance of the complexity of the work, the essential role of professional judgement and the need for feedback loops in the system where lower-level workers are not afraid to communicate honestly about their experiences, both good and bad, and senior managers treat their feedback as a valuable source of learning. It is argued that current strategies to manage risk in child protection are, paradoxically, making it harder for professionals to learn how to protect children better. Three factors are identified as combining in such a way that they promote a culture in which professional practice is being excessively controlled and proceduralised: the person-centred approach to investigating child deaths, the blame culture and the performance management system. The way they reduce the opportunities for learning are explored.

Business-level strategy and performance: The moderating effects of environment and structure

Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to examine the moderating effects of external environment and organisational structure in the relationship between business‐level strategy and organisational performance.Design/methodology/approach – The focus of the study is on manufacturing firms in the UK belonging to the electrical and mechanical engineering sectors, and respondents were CEOs. Both objective and subjective measures were used to assess performance. Non‐response bias was assessed statistically and appropriate measures taken to minimise the impact of common method variance (CMV).Findings – The results indicate that environmental dynamism and hostility act as moderators in the relationship between business‐level strategy and relative competitive performance. In low‐hostility environments a cost‐leadership strategy and in high‐hostility environments a differentiation strategy lead to better performance compared with competitors. In highly dynamic environments a cost‐leadership strategy and in low dynamism environm...

Two field studies examining the association between positive psychological capital and employee performance

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between psychological capital (comprised of hope, optimism, efficacy and resilience) and employee performance through multiple studies and methods of data.Design/methodology/approach – The study included two samples in a large financial firm headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. The employees' level of psychological capital were measured with the psychological capital questionnaire. Via regression, this was related to individual level financial performance data from the firm and manager rated performance.Findings – As hypothesized, psychological capital was found to be related to employees' level of financial performance, referrals within the firm and manager rated performance. The findings are relevant to advancing previous studies on psychological capital and employee performance in that multiple sources and types of data were used to test hypotheses overcoming past concerns of common method and source variance and adding validity to th...

Rediscovering performance management: systems, learning and integration

Abstract: Purpose – This paper sets out to explore performance management as a discipline and propose an integrated performance management model.Design/methodology/approach – This conceptual paper aims to clarify what performance management is and how it emerged as a discipline by tracking its evolution at strategic, operational and individual levels. Structured as a review, it enables the rediscovery of performance management and the identification of several key dichotomies, brought together under an integrated performance management model.Findings – Three emerging approaches to performance management are presented as potential catalysts to accelerate the evolution of this discipline: systems thinking, learning and integration. An integrated performance management model is also proposed.Research limitations/implications – The paper draws on the consultancy and research experience of the author. The generated model is conceptual in essence and needs to be tested. Further research on the history of performance mana...

(How) Does the HR strategy support an innovation oriented business strategy? An investigation of institutional context and organizational practices in Indian firms

Abstract: This paper investigates how human resources are managed in firms of different ownership forms in India and the extent to which strategic human resource management (hereafter strategic HRM) techniques have been adopted to support an innovation-oriented business strategy. Based on a qualitative study of 54 Indian managers from different firms, this study highlights the Indian institutional context for strategic HRM. It reveals the extent to which the Western approach to and configuration of high-commitment/performance models of HR practices may differ from those found in Indian firms. This study also has a number of practical implications for HR professionals, HR practices, and organizations in the global context.

Effects of self-efficacy, affectivity and collective efficacy on nursing performance of hospital nurses.

Abstract: lee tw & ko yk (2010) Effects of self-efficacy, affectivity and collective efficacy on nursing performance of hospital nurses Journal of Advanced Nursing66(4), 839–848 Abstract Title Effects of self-efficacy, affectivity and collective efficacy on nursing performance of hospital nurses Aim This paper is a report of a study conducted to examine the influence of self-efficacy and affectivity (individual-level variables) and collective efficacy (group-level variable) on nursing performance among hospital nurses Background Previous studies of nursing performance, which have focused on individual factor outcomes, have shown limitations Due to the heavy focus on the analysis of single-level performances, the influence of organizational contextual factors on nursing performance has rarely been studied Hence, for a better understanding of nurses’ professional development and effective functioning in hospitals, there is a need to study the effects of organizational characteristics as well as individual characteristics on nursing performance Method A descriptive-correlational design was used with a convenience sample of 1996 nurses selected from 182 nursing units in 28 hospitals in six metropolitan cities and seven provinces in Korea Data were collected in 2006 using self-administered questionnaires, which were analysed with using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and multilevel analysis Results Individual-level variables, including job position, years of experience, employment status, self-efficacy and positive affectivity were positively related to nursing performance Collective efficacy and the number of in-service meetings within units were statistically significant group-level variables Group-level variables reduced the error variances in nursing performance Conclusion Understanding the effects of group-level variables on nursing performance improves performance management approaches in hospitals

What is Management in Supply Chain Management? – A Critical Review of Definitions, Frameworks and Terminology,

Abstract: In today’s competitive and global workplace, one of the strategies that successful companies use is having the ability to attract many qualified candidates, retain top talent, and maintain a highly motivated workforce. So what can an organization and managers do to attract, retain and motivate a talented workforce? Successful companies have various types of organizational reward programs that recognize and reinforce good employee performance. In this paper, the authors discuss that organizational rewards should strategically recognize good work habits and enhance the performance of each employee. This is a practice-based paper about performance management, reward systems, giving feedback, and recognition programs which should be strategically aligned with the organization’s values and objectives. The content is helpful for managers, human resource professionals and organizational leaders who are considering the implementation of various reward systems and pay programs.

Benchmarking for sustainability: an application to the sustainable construction industry

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a methodology and framework to assist construction firms and contractors in incorporating sustainability measures into their benchmarking efforts.Design/methodology/approach – A methodology that incorporates both strategic and activity‐based criteria for identifying areas for benchmarking is developed by modifying an existing methodology of enterprise performance management. The benchmarking framework makes use of aspects from well‐established management practices such as activity‐based management, balanced scorecard, and multi‐attribute decision models. It allows for the integration of sustainability measures into more conventional measures of construction practice.Findings – The paper finds that activity and strategic metrics can be integrated into a framework for benchmarking. Additionally, metrics specific to sustainability can be incorporated with more traditional measures to provide a holistic analysis of construction practices.Practical implications...

Performance Objectives Selection Model in Public-Private Partnership Projects Based on the Perspective of Stakeholders

Abstract: Over the years, public-private partnership (PPP) has been acknowledged by many as an innovative approach to the procurement of public projects. The desire for more efficient and effective PPP projects renders the performance management to be increasingly important, in which the influence of the stakeholders must be considered. To implement complete and effective performance management in PPP projects, 15 performance objective attributes are proposed based on the perspectives of different stakeholders. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate the relative significance of each attribute in four stakeholder groups. According to the survey results, the objective attributes are all important. Integrating all stakeholders’ benefits and selecting the appropriate qualitative level of performance objective in the process of decision making are two particularly important problems because of stakeholders’ different preferences. To resolve these problems, a fuzzy entropy method and a fuzzy TOPSI...

Continuous performance improvement system

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for continuous performance improvement. The system can include a web-based workspace module adapted to provide visibility of project documentation and to provide collaboration and version control for the project documentation, the web-based workspace further adapted to provide a corporate portal. The system can also include a project performance management module adapted to provide an assessment of current project performance against project-unique performance metrics. The system can further include a contract deliverable management module adapted to provide a report of project deliverables along with a delivery status of each project deliverable, and a financial reporting module adapted to provide financial reports representing project financial status. The system can also include an a customer satisfaction assurance module adapted to receive self assessment information and client feedback information related to performance on the project and to provide a report indicating customer satisfaction as represented by the self assessment information and the client feedback information.

Making Monitoring and Evaluation Systems Work: A Capacity Development Toolkit

Abstract: There are constant and growing pressures on governments and organizations around the world to be more responsive to demands from internal and external stakeholders for good governance, accountability and transparency, greater development effectiveness and delivery of tangible results. Governments, parliaments, citizens, the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society, international organizations, and donors are all among stakeholders interested in better performance. As demands for greater accountability and results have grown, there is an accompanying need for useful and useable results-based monitoring and evaluation systems to support the management of policies, programs, and projects. Governments and other organizations have many different kinds of tracking systems as part of their management toolkits: good human resource systems, financial systems, and accountability systems. They also need good feedback systems. A results-based monitoring and evaluation (ME it is a management tool to measure and evaluate outcomes, providing information for governance and decision making. Many management systems have been missing a feedback component to enable them to track the consequences of actions. Building an M&E system gives decision-makers an additional management tool by providing feedback on performance as a basis for future improvement.

Employee Engagement: Through Effective Performance Management – A Practical Guide for Managers

Abstract: Employee Engagement: Through Effective Performance Management – A Practical Guide for Managers by Edward M Mone and Manuel London, New York, Routledge, 2010, 247 + xxi pp, £1599, ISBN 978-1-8487

Exploratory innovation, exploitative innovation, and performance: Influence of business strategies and environment

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of a firm's innovation activities on performance, and focus on the internal fit and external fit of two types of innovation activities – exploratory innovation and exploitative innovationDesign/methodology/approach – The paper adopts the survey data of 397 enterprises in eastern, middle, and western China The business strategy attributes analysis based on strategic orientation of business enterprises (STROBE) scale was used to classify the business strategy types, and hierarchical regression analyses were employed to test the hypothesesFindings – The results show: both exploratory innovation and exploitative innovation have a positive effect on firm performance; the internal fit between exploratory innovation and exploitative innovation, whether it is fit as moderating or fit as matching, has no significant effect on firm performance; the fit between innovation activity and firm business strategy has significant effect on firm performance, th