What gets measured gets…
On indicating, mobilizing and acting
Document identifier: oai:dalea.du.se:1830
Keyword: Measurement,
Organizations,
Performance measures,
Society,
SwedenPublication year: 2007Abstract: Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the relationship underlying the often used adage “what gets measured gets managed”.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper starts by reviewing the critique of the adage and then testing it by surveying 109 managers from 41 organizations. The paper includes the idea of mobilizing in the adage in order to highlight that there are other factors than indicating, which affect acting. In the positive test the paper uses the linear structural relations (LISREL) method to analyze the data.
Findings – The paper finds that that the relationship between indicating and acting is not significant and that the introduction of mobilizing gives a better model fit. As a result the reformulation of the adage is: “What gets mobilized gets managed, especially if it gets measured”.
Research limitations/implications – The paper shows that measuring is not per se a means to activate the organization. Rather, measurements support those issues that are already important in the organization. In practical terms, a reformulation could be: what gets talked about gets done, especially if there are numbers.
Practical implications – The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, it finds no significant relationship between indicating and acting; and second, it introduces mobilizing to explain the relationship between indicating and acting.
Originality/value – The paper scrutinizes the conventional wisdom encapsulated in the adage and by introducing mobilizing as an additional variable. The findings suggest that the adage needs to be reformulated.
Authors
Fan Yang-Wallentin
Other publications
>>
Bino Catasús
Other publications
>>
Sofi Ersson
Other publications
>>
Jan-Erik Gröjer
Other publications
>>
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header:
identifier: oai:dalea.du.se:1830
datestamp: 2021-04-15T13:01:45Z
setSpec: SwePub-du
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recordContentSource: du
recordCreationDate: 2006-03-01
identifier: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:du-1830
titleInfo:
@attributes:
lang: eng
title: What gets measured gets…
subTitle: On indicating mobilizing and acting
abstract: Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the relationship underlying the often used adage “what gets measured gets managed”. \nDesign/methodology/approach – The paper starts by reviewing the critique of the adage and then testing it by surveying 109 managers from 41 organizations. The paper includes the idea of mobilizing in the adage in order to highlight that there are other factors than indicating which affect acting. In the positive test the paper uses the linear structural relations (LISREL) method to analyze the data. \nFindings – The paper finds that that the relationship between indicating and acting is not significant and that the introduction of mobilizing gives a better model fit. As a result the reformulation of the adage is: “What gets mobilized gets managed especially if it gets measured”. \nResearch limitations/implications – The paper shows that measuring is not per se a means to activate the organization. Rather measurements support those issues that are already important in the organization. In practical terms a reformulation could be: what gets talked about gets done especially if there are numbers. \nPractical implications – The contribution of this paper is twofold. First it finds no significant relationship between indicating and acting; and second it introduces mobilizing to explain the relationship between indicating and acting. \nOriginality/value – The paper scrutinizes the conventional wisdom encapsulated in the adage and by introducing mobilizing as an additional variable. The findings suggest that the adage needs to be reformulated.
subject:
@attributes:
lang: eng
topic: Measurement
@attributes:
lang: eng
topic: Organizations
@attributes:
lang: eng
topic: Performance measures
@attributes:
lang: eng
topic: Society
@attributes:
lang: eng
topic: Sweden
language:
languageTerm: eng
genre:
publication/journal-article
ref
note:
Published
4
name:
@attributes:
type: personal
namePart:
Yang-Wallentin
Fan
role:
roleTerm: aut
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type: personal
namePart:
Catasús
Bino
role:
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type: personal
namePart:
Ersson
Sofi
role:
roleTerm: aut
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type: personal
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Gröjer
Jan-Erik
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roleTerm: aut
originInfo:
dateIssued: 2007
publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited
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type: host
titleInfo:
title: Accounting Auditing & Accountability Journal
identifier:
1368-0668
1758-4205
part:
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@attributes:
type: volume
number: 20
@attributes:
type: issue
number: 4
extent:
start: 505
end: 521
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form: print
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