Benchmarking and Learning in Public Healthcare: Properties and Effects

Abstract

This research investigates the effects of learning-oriented benchmarking in public healthcare settings. Benchmarking is a widely adopted yet little explored accounting practice that is part of the paradigm of New Public Management. Extant studies are directed towards mandated coercive benchmarking applications. The present study analyses voluntary benchmarking in a public setting that is oriented towards learning. The study contributes by showing how benchmarking can be mobilised for learning and offers evidence of the effects of such benchmarking for performance outcomes. It concludes that benchmarking can enable learning in public settings but that this requires actors to invest in ensuring that benchmark data are directed towards improvement.

The counter-performativity of calculative practices: Mobilising rankings of intellectual capital

“…Anonymity is what the firms wanted in order to participate. This is contrary to what literatures on benchmarking say about the usefulness of ranking, which is that it is conditional on the active comparison with identifiable others who differ in the ranking (Booth et al, 2005;Buckmaster & Mouritsen, 2017;Laine & Vinnari, 2014). Learning happens not vis-avis oneself but vis-a-vis others.…”

Network learning and trust: A case study of a benchmarking network

“…(2002) found that benchmarking in the private and public sectors differs, because benchmarking in the private sector is voluntary, whereas benchmarking in the public sector tends to be compulsory and implemented from the top down in an attempt to increase accountability and improve efficiency. However, for exceptions, see Buckmaster and Mouritsen (2017) as well as Laine and Vinnari (2014). Furthermore, the use of benchmarking in the private sector differs from the public sector in that the results are mostly kept confidential for competitive reasons and are often facilitated by a trusted third party.…”