Ana Isabel Melo

Current State of Public Sector Performance Management in Seven Selected Countries

Purpose – This paper seeks to extend the analysis of performance management regimes by Bouckaert and Halligan to other countries in order to contribute to the developing theory of forms and challenges in public sector performance management.Design/methodology/approach – The state of performance management and the context in which it has evolved is assessed in seven different countries using dimensions drawn from Bouckaert and Halligans work along with elements from earlier work by Pollitt and Bouckaert. These are summarized in a table and comparisons made to generate additional insights into the factors that influence the shape and speed of public management evolution.Findings – The paper finds that the Bouckaert and Halligan framework for analyzing public sector performance management is useful, albeit with some modifications. Specifically, it finds that administrative culture is a key factor influencing the speed of reform and that the attitude of elites (politicians and civil servants, in most cases) ...

The Influence of Performance Management Systems on Key Actors in Universities

Abstract The aim of this article is to understand to what extent the introduction of performance management systems has affected the roles and influences of the key actors in the governance of universities, especially the role of academics, and whether or not the introduction of these systems has altered accountability regimes within universities. Results from a high performing English university show that, in spite of a substantial increase in the measurement of performance in most areas, there seems to be a lack of action, especially regarding individual performance. In relation to the key actors in the governance of the university, it is clear that they are now held more accountable, especially in a managerial way, mainly resulting from pressures coming both from the State and the market, and their roles have changed.

The Triple Helix Model as an Instrument of Local Response to the Economic Crisis

In an attempt to overcome the impact of the economic crisis that emerged in 2007–2008, the triple helix model (THM) is increasingly being used as an inspiration source for local development policy, even though many localities and regions have not been able to create and sustain the innovation dynamics and sub-dynamics described and prescribed by the model. In fact, in less-advanced contexts, an adaptation and simplification of the THM to the local conditions and practice is likely to occur. Based on semi-structured interviews and direct observation of the evolution of a THM-driven local development environment in a Portuguese small municipality, the authors claim that when the originally complex model is simplified, it seems to be able to mobilize local innovation agents, to legitimize policy efforts and to improve coherence between different policy strands affecting innovation. Even though deprived of its conceptual complexity, the simplified THM may be an effective framework for less-advanced economies to promote innovation and counteract the effects of the economic crisis.

Let the Devil Choose: Frustration or Anxiety in the Wake of Performance Measurement in Universities

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss changes and challenges in the management of universities by using two archetypes - the ivory tower and the mass university - as an intellectual device to illustrate the nature of changes from traditional to contemporary universities.

The million-dollar question: can internships boost employment?

Higher education institutions are increasingly concerned with the professional insertion of graduates in the labour market and with the design of institutional mechanisms to facilitate students’ transition from higher education to work, particularly given the context of scarcity of financial resources and the rise of graduate unemployment. This issue has been addressed, inter alia, through the creation of study programmes with internships. Despite the public discourse encouraging the use of such strategies, there is a general consensus regarding the absence of empirical studies on the professional value of these strategies. This article aims to assess two interrelated questions: the extent to which measures of graduate unemployment rate tend to decrease after the introduction of internships in Portuguese study programmes; and the extent to which this effect applies to the different institutions that comprise the Portuguese tertiary education landscape. It also seeks to contribute to the debate on the relevance of the structure and nature of internships, which are factors frequently neglected in the literature.

Performance Management Systems and their Influence on the Governance Structures of Portuguese Universities: A Case Study

The aim of this chapter is to understand how performance is being measured and managed in universities and the way Performance Management Systems (PMS) have affected the roles and influences of key actors in the governance of universities. Results from a high performing Portuguese university show the inexistence of a fully developed PMS. In fact, even though there has been a substantial increase in the measurement of performance in most areas, there seems to be a lack of action, especially regarding individual performance. In terms of governance, the analysis of the case study through a new governance framework shows that external pressures to implement PMS (mainly coming from the state and from European policies) are the most influential ones. Moreover, results show that there has been a centralization of authority and a change in the roles of key actors. The number of external members in the main governing bodies grew and academics’ bureaucratic work increased enormously. Nevertheless, academics are still the most powerful group in terms of decision-making. The governance reforms that took place in the Portuguese higher education system enable the implementation and functioning of PMS. But other factors should also be considered, namely the level of communication and the level of stakeholder involvement. These factors help to overcome resistances and to build trust, the most difficult piece of the performance management framework.