Performance in Public Organizations: Clarifying the Conceptual Space

Lotte Bøgh Andersen, Andreas Boesen, Lene Holm Pedersen

Abstract

Performance in public organizations is a key concept that requires clarification. Based on a conceptual review of research published in 10 public administration journals, this article proposes six distinctions to describe the systematic differences in performance criteria: From which stakeholder's perspective is performance being assessed? Are the criteria formal or informal? Are the criteria subjective? Which process focus and product focus do they have, if any? What is the unit of analysis? Based on these distinctions, the performance criteria of existing studies used in an empirical review of management and performance are classified. The results illustrate how a systematization of the conceptual space of performance in public organizations can help researchers select what to study and what to leave out with greater accuracy while also bringing greater clarity to public debates about performance.
OriginalsprogDansk
TidsskriftPublic Administration Review
Vol/bind76
Udgave nummer6
Sider (fra-til)852-862
Antal sider11
ISSN0033-3352
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 1 nov. 2016

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