Performance Management: The Real Research Challenge

摘要

"Performance management, managing for results, or managing for outcomes ... is now one of the most widely adopted management practices," Richard M. Walker, Chan Su Jung, and George A. Boyne note in their article, "Marching to Different Drummers? The Performance Effects of Alignment between Political and Managerial Perceptions of Performance Management." This should hardly be surprising. Performance management, the use of goals and measurement as management tools, makes intuitive sense. Who can argue with the logic of setting goals, especially goals that are clearly linked to improving desired outcomes? Goals, succinctly communicated by managers, signal what, how much, and how soon to the people in an organization (including the boss, subordinates, and other offices), delivery partners (e.g., contractors, grantees, and other government agencies), author-izers (e.g., legislators), and others. Goals aligned with priorities and available resources effectively focus the use of organizational resources, including energy and intelligence.