Measurable and Continuous Performance Improvement: The Development of a Performance Measurement, Management, and Improvement System

Abstract

Performance management systems are widely employed in organizations, yet there are high rates of dissatisfaction among users as well as significant criticism of the quality and utility of related academic research. Poor measurement of performance indicators and, consequently, poor alignment to performance management interventions may limit the effectiveness of efforts to strategically assess and manage human performance. Following an overview of pertinent literature in human resource disciplines as well as human performance technology, we draw on relevant theories to develop a Performance Measurement, Management, and Improvement System that aligns performance measurement with strategic, tactical, and operational goals and generates meaningful data to drive performance interventions and decisions. We outline a research agenda with recommendations for research across levels and contexts of human performance as well as within different cultural settings and globally distributed organizations. Finally, we propose that empirical validation employ analytic network processing, a technique for modeling complex processes.