Performance management in public universities. Overcoming bureaucracy

Purpose: Considering a micro performance perspective, the paper analyzes whether and to what extent the adoption of better performance management systems could improve the performance levels of a public university. Design/methodology/approach: With reference to a period of four years (2011-2014), the quality of performance management systems of n. 29 Italian universities (response rate: 48%) was examined and the possible effects on performance levels of these institutions were analyzed by means of statistical methodologies (multiple regression analysis). Outcome indicators were considered. Findings: The findings indicate the need to go further “measurement”, and to take care of performance “management”, especially in complex organizations as universities, where academicians identify themselves more with their professions than with the organization and where technicians and administrative employees might look at the performance-based reform with “bureaucratic eyes”. A fruitful cooperation between the professional soul and the bureaucratic one is paramount. Originality/value: Studies which analyse organizational factors that could affect the adoption and implementation of performance management systems are rare, and use in prevalence qualitative methods or refer to machine bureaucracies, not many to professional ones as public universities. Moreover, the performance management literature in a public university context deepens the topic of the selection of KPIs and the focus is mainly on macro performance or on management tools for gathering and analysing performance measures.