Benchmarking and Interorganizational Learning in Local Government

Ammons, David N.; Roenigk, Dale J.

doi:10.1093/jopart/muu014

Cited by 65 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Building on the insights of organizational sociologists, proponents of the ‘new institutionalism’, however, argue that the primary objective of organizational decision‐making in the public (and private) sector is not necessarily better substantive performance, but greater legitimacy in order to meet the expectations of key stakeholders in the environment (Scott ). Critically, new institutional theory suggests that the pursuit of legitimacy is likely to encourage a tendency toward conformity across benchmarking organizations in the general operations and management practices that they adopt (Ammons and Roenigk ). According to Di Maggio and Powell (), the process by which this occurs can be characterized as institutional isomorphism, and is driven by coercive, mimetic and normative pressures towards homogeneity in organizations confronting similar circumstances.…”

Section: Institutional Influences On Local Government Contractingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Institutional, Ideological and Political Influences on Local Government Contracting: Evidence From England

Alonso

Andrews

Hodgkinson

2015

Public Administration

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Theories of contracting out offer contrasting perspectives on the noneconomic determinants of local government contracting. Some suggest ideological motives predominate, with contracting decisions reflecting the ideology of ruling parties. Others emphasise political motives, with governments responding to local preferences. In this paper, we draw on ideas about isomorphic pressures within organizational fields to examine whether institutional influences might also affect contracting behaviour. Using a spatial auto-regressive probit model, we evaluate whether mimetic pressures as well as ideological and political motives shape the decision to contract out service provision in English local governments. In addition, we analyse whether those factors also determine whether contracting local governments decide to contract with a commercial firm or a not-for-profit provider. The statistical results suggest that the decision to contract out is spatially dependent, and hence reflective of institutional forces. By contrast, political motives and market size considerations shape with whom local governments contract.

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Section: Institutional Influences On Local Government Contractingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Institutional, Ideological and Political Influences on Local Government Contracting: Evidence From England

Alonso

Andrews

Hodgkinson

2015

Public Administration

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“…101 Benchmarking was developed in the private sector, but has increasingly been used in public services. 102 In local government, benchmarking has been seen as a means of fostering a private sector mentality and an example of NPM approaches to governance. 103 In theory, the absence of competition should make benchmarking in the public sector attractive.…”

Section: Benchmarkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Managerial Ombudsman

Gill¹,

Mullen²,

Vivian

2020

Modern Law Review

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This article identifies a major development in the role and practice of the ombudsman. It argues that the New Public Management practices that have transformed public administration in the last 30 years have led to a more managerial approach to the ombudsman's work. The article's argument is developed through analysis of an empirical case study of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, which illustrates how the aims and techniques of managerialism have been deployed in the ombudsman context. The article evaluates the significance of these developments for the ombudsman institution and for the wider justice system. It examines the risks and opportunities inherent in this turn to managerialism and whether it represents a departure from the ombudsman's mission or a necessary adaptation to a changed world of public administration. In identifying the rise of the ‘managerial ombudsman’, the article provides a new framework for conceptualising developments in the modern ombudsman institution.

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“…As a management tool, benchmarking rests on the assumption that organisations can learn from one another and that best practice can be learned and applied in another organisation to improve its results (Ammons and Roenigk, 2015). From this perspective, it is often suggested that regulatory benchmarking can foster cooperation and learning from best practise as the information provided by the model "enables the firms to learn from successful technologies, routines and organisational forms" (Agrell andBogetoft, 2005, p. 1351).…”

Section: Benchmarking: Management or Regulatory Instrument?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is, however, as noted by Ammons and Roenigk (2015), doubt in the literature whether "much analysis and learning actually occur" (Ammons and Roenigk, 2015, p. 309) from benchmarking. It is well known that any performance measurement, including benchmarking, implies incentives to manipulate data and that benchmarking can have a number of unintended consequences (e.g.…”

Section: Benchmarking: Management or Regulatory Instrument?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Collaborative benchmarking in the Danish district-heating sector

Bukh

Dietrichson

2016

International Journal of Public Sector Management

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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is threefold: to investigate why and how companies in voluntary networks engage in performance benchmarking; how requirements for a standardised chart of accounts are handled; and what the role of regulatory pressure is. Design/methodology/approach -The paper is based on a longitudinal case study of an established group of six district-heating companies. The data sources are semi-structured interviews, observations and documents. Findings -Both the forthcoming re-regulation of the district-heating sector and aims to improve efficiency were motivating the collaboration among the firms. An interpretation of common accounting rules can be negotiated in a collaborative network. The benchmarking model was embedded in routines internally in firms to facilitate learning and knowledge exchange, but it was also used to legitimise current operations.

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Benchmarking and Interorganizational Learning in Local Government

Cited by 65 publications

References 42 publications

Institutional, Ideological and Political Influences on Local Government Contracting: Evidence From England

Institutional, Ideological and Political Influences on Local Government Contracting: Evidence From England

The Managerial Ombudsman

Collaborative benchmarking in the Danish district-heating sector

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