Performance management: Not just taming unruly servants
We normally think of performance management techniques as mechanisms for countering the natural tendency of bureaucrats to pursue their own interests and waste public money. In the current issue of Governance, Donald P. Moynihan, Sanjay K. Pandey and Bradley E. Wright offer an brighter view. Drawing on data from eight public and non-profit organizations, they find that the power of performance management techniques actually depends on the “pro-social, altruistic behavior” of public servants. “When employees believe that their work is making difference in the lives of citizens,” they conclude, “they become more likely to use performance tools.” Read the article.
