Ambiguity in performance management systems of complex multi-stakeholder organisations

Abstract

This study undertakes an in-depth and rigorous exploration and explanation of the sources and implications of ambiguity in performance measurement systems and performance management practices (PMM) systems of complex multi-stakeholder organisations. In doing so, it contributes to the literature on performance measurement theories. The study is undertaken in the form of a fine-grained, inductive case study with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) of the National Health Service of England. Data are obtained from multiple exploratory interviews with CAMHS stakeholders. 2The study surfaces factors that create ambiguities in the PMM practices of complex multi-stakeholder organisations, which interact in complex ways, raising questions over the value of PMM systems and practices. The originality of the paper is threefold. First, it opens a new area of debate in relation to performance measurement in complex multi-stakeholder organisations. Second, the findings demonstrate the complex interrelationships between the sources and manifestations of ambiguity advance the knowledge of PMM systems and implications in such organisations. Third, the findings reveal that the nature of complex multi-stakeholder organisations suppresses open, participative and inclusive social controls.

Leaders, Conflict, and Team Coordination: A Relational Leadership Approach in Temporary Organizations

“…Five styles of the conflict-handling questionnaire designed by Northouse (2011) that fall within a scale of assertiveness and cooperativeness was adopted to evaluate team members' conflict-handling behaviour. The styles include cooperative, avoiding, accommodating, compromising and competitive.…”

“…Relational leaders could foster desirable characteristics in teams, such as open communication (Chiniara and Bentein 2018), conflict resolution, and high levels of cohesion. They encourage formal and informal communication paths simultaneously among group members (Northouse 2011;Mikkelson, York, and Arritola 2015;Mayfield and Mayfield 2016), which is necessary for teams that include people with different cultural backgrounds and working in TOs. As a result, relational leadership has the potential to strengthen interpersonal relationships among members (Geoghegan and Dulewicz 2008;Mayfield and Mayfield 2016), particularly in conflict situations.…”

Performance measurement systems in the health and care sector: Are targets and monitoring additional demands or resources for employees?

“…Within workplaces, performance measurement systems aim to identify what should be measured and support the organisational controls, and therefore involve “setting goals, developing a set of performance measures, collecting, analysing, reporting, interpreting, reviewing, and acting on performance data” (Smith and Bititci, 2017, p. 1209). From an organisational control perspective, a performance measurement system resembles a technical control system that focuses on planning, performance measures, targets and performance monitoring (Smith and Bititci, 2017; Garengo and Betto, 2022; Ojiako et al., 2022). Therefore, regardless of the definition, as summarised in Table 1, targets and monitoring practices are at the core of performance measurement systems (Franco et al ., 2007; Melnyk et al ., 2014).…”

“…Within the British health system, a culture of top-down targets, inefficient cascading of objectives, and overall mixed outcomes have been reported (e.g. McCann et al., 2015; Ojiako et al., 2022). In summary, targets can be counterproductive, but they can also support and improve performance.…”

“…In a sector where most employees are in direct contact with customers, employee wellbeing and attitudes can affect patients' satisfaction and operational performance. However, a case-study of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in England (Ojiako et al., 2022) highlighted the pros and cons of ambiguity in performance measurement systems. Accordingly, unclear targets are both a source of confusion and an enabler of creative and proactive solutions.…”