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This thesis is submitted for the Cranfield DBA program. It examines and explores the
utilization of Performance Measurement Systems (PMS) in public organizations with a
special focus on the culture of developing countries. The research was inspired by the
apparent potential of measurement for reform and the limited research on the
implementation of performance measurement systems in the public sector. The paper
started by conducting a thorough and critical examination of a vast body of literature
using a systematic approach in order to identify the key determinants of successful
utilization of PMS in public organizations. The review revealed that utilization of
performance measurement in the public sector is a work in progress. It showed that, in
spite of the growing interest on the field of performance measurement to improve public
services, the empirical work remains small and disintegrated, focused only on single
issues, and lacks a holistic perspective. The literature indicates that little is known about
the needed conditions for an effective utilization of measurement within the public
context in general and more so in non-western countries. The thesis, then, report the
result of an empirical research based on in-depth interviews and focus group meetings
with senior public managers from multiple public organizations in the Republic of
Yemen. The empirical project sought to examine the Yemeni public sector
organizations’ familiarity with performance measurement and explore the actual and
potential role of measurement to support reform and improve performance in the public
sector. Findings indicate that consecutive reforms in the Yemeni public sector did not
seem to emphasize the need to establish a performance-based culture. It shows that the
Yemeni public sector features a traditional administration that is away from a resultbased
management, bound to roles and process, and less flexible to change.
This study, accordingly, highlights the significant importance of the context and
subsequent processes and arrangements that promote or impede the development and
use of performance measurement in public organizations in non-western countries. It
shows that a one-size-fits-all policy should be avoided by policy makers who should be
mindful of possible dissimilarities between public entities and the significance and
relevance of the context. The study indicates that failure and success of utilization of
PMS in the public sector is influenced by various elements that need to be considered
prior and after the adoption of measurement. A new theoretical model has been
developed based on findings in order to extend the existing literature in this area. The
model provides an extensive description about the main factors affecting adoption and
implementation of PMS and promotes understanding about the needed conditions for
successful utilization in the public sector. It addressed the need for translating abstract
concepts such as adoption and implementation into clearly defined theoretical
constructs in order to avoid confusion and create a common vocabulary for researchers. |
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