Jacky Holloway

Best practice benchmarking in the UK

Reflects on a three‐year project examining the evolving nature of “best practice” benchmarking in UK‐based organisations. The findings describe the current state of benchmarking and some of its advantages across a wide variety of public and private sector organisations. Also investigates the disincentives to benchmarking activity experienced by practising benchmarkers, as well as the factors which inhibit the initial take‐up of this technique. In addition, the notion that a maturity curve exists for organisations engaged in benchmarking is explored.

A vehicle for change?: A case study of performance improvement in the “new” public sector

This paper critiques the notion that a single approach to performance improvement can alone be responsible for significant organisational transformation. We draw on phenomenological case study evidence, placed in the context of an ongoing series of studies of the nature and prevalence of best practice benchmarking in the UK, including large‐scale questionnaire surveys and longitudinal case studies of the rich experiences of a number of practitioners and organisations. We argue that complex approaches to performance improvement such as benchmarking, however technically powerful they may be, are only as effective as the people who apply them and their compatibility with the organisational context in which they are used. The contribution of such methods is often difficult to separate from other variables. In addition to internal organisational characteristics, external contextual factors play an important part both in establishing a need to use such approaches, and encouraging commitment to their use. Some of the clearest examples of the distortion of the potential impact of new management practices by the wider policy context can be found in public services such as the National Health Service, from which examples are drawn in this paper.

What have we learned? Themes from the literature on best-practice benchmarking

The aim of this paper is to review the important themes in the literature on benchmarking, and to assess the contribution to knowledge provided thus far. Four themes from the literature are highlighted: studies of the nature of benchmarking practice; criticisms of benchmarking; evaluating the effectiveness of benchmarking; and the notion of best practice. The authors argue that, while the literature does include a few critical analyzes of the practice and impacts of benchmarking, it is dominated by relatively descriptive, and even prescriptive, accounts of the realities of benchmarking. The longer-term (qualitative and quantitative) effects and perspectives of diverse stakeholders on benchmarking are largely neglected. This selective focus has implications for the contribution of benchmarking research to practice, for example, in terms of the role of internal organizational capabilities in analyzing the performance of processes and managing communications and change. The authors advocate areas of future research to improve theoretical understanding of benchmarking and thoroughly evaluate its impact within the context of performance management.

Investigating the impact of performance measurement

Managers are continually under pressure to measure the performance of their organisations, but there is little empirical evidence about the impact of such measurement on performance - it is simply assumed that performance measurement will make a positive difference. Explanations of the costs and benefits of performance measurement are constrained by the lack of clear theoretical foundations to many measurement tools and techniques, and an apparent preference for description and prescription in much of the literature. This paper proposes investigations into neglected aspects of organisational performance measurement, reflecting the experiences and concerns of managers and illustrating the potential for theoretical developments to have an impact on practice.

Performance management from multiple perspectives: taking stock

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to summarise key conclusions from a multidisciplinary review of the state of the art of research into organisational performance management, in particular how research can aid and involve practitioners. Design/methodology/approach - This Special Issue incorporates papers that address current performance management challenges for managers and academics from a relatively small selection of academic disciplines. This particular paper locates the others in a wider context of a cross-disciplinary study, identifying shared strengths to be found within the academic community. Findings - In spite of a number of barriers to knowledge transfer, and tensions and gaps within the performance management research portfolio (described in the paper), much progress has been made that will advance further through active involvement with practitioners and across discipline boundaries. Specific suggestions for enhancing the effectiveness of performance management practice are included. Practical implications - Research has already provided useful knowledge for practitioners, with the potential for greater value provided that performance management researchers are open to more collaboration in order to tackle the complex questions facing practitioners and theoreticians alike. Originality/value - The paper provides an overview of the conclusions reached in a substantial and original multidisciplinary review, providing readers with the flavour of that publication.

What really goes on in the name of benchmarking

The field of performance measurement has evolved rapidly in the last few years with the development of new measurement frameworks and methodologies, such as the balanced scorecard, the performance prism, economic value added, economic profit, activity based costing and self-assessment techniques. This multidisciplinary, international book draws together the key themes to provide an up-to-date summary of the leading ideas in business performance measurement, theory and practice. It includes viewpoints from a range of fields including accounting, operations management, marketing, strategy and organisational behaviour. The book will appeal to graduate students, managers and researchers interested in performance measurement, whatever their discipline.

Best practice benchmarking: delivering the goods?

Provides an overview of results achieved so far into research into the processes of benchmarking by the Open University, and reports on a survey showing levels of benchmarking activity and its distribution amongst different industry sectors; presents their reasons for carrying out benchmarking, and summarizes the perceived benefits. Relates benchmarking to other quality management practices, and suggests there is a need to place more emphasis on the processes people are undertaking during a benchmarking exercise.

Beyond comparisons the role for the operational researcher in benchmarking

This paper explores the possible roles for the operational researcher in best practice benchmarking. It describes the range of activities which are carried out in the name of benchmarking, locates this approach in the broader context of performance improvement, and notes some critical concerns including the need to adopt a contingency approach to performance improvement. The paper concludes by encouraging operational researchers to contribute their professional skills to enhance the effectiveness of benchmarking.

Charting change - the use of systems concepts in distance learning based management education across Europe

The Open University (OU) Systems Group have been presenting distance learning based management courses, which include a large element of systems ideas and concepts, for more than twenty years in the undergraduate programme. Since 1983 the Open University Business School (OUBS) has introduced and developed many of these ideas in their three levels of management development courses — the Professional Certificate in Management for new or aspiring managers, the Professional Diploma for middle managers, and the MBA aimed at senior managers.

Conclusions and reflections

In this closing chapter we take stock of the trends revealed in the discipline and sector-based analyses, and revisit the case for more explicitly interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary performance management research and practice.