What gets measured gets…

On indicating, mobilizing and acting

Document identifier: oai:dalea.du.se:1830
Keyword: Measurement, Organizations, Performance measures, Society, Sweden
Publication year: 2007
Abstract:

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

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Bino Catasús

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Sofi Ersson

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Jan-Erik Gröjer

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    header: 
        identifier: oai:dalea.du.se:1830
        datestamp: 2021-04-15T13:01:45Z
        setSpec: SwePub-du
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        mods: 
            @attributes: 
                version: 3.7
            recordInfo: 
                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
                    @attributes: 
                        type: personal
                    namePart: 
                        Catasús
                        Bino
                    role: 
                        roleTerm: aut
                    @attributes: 
                        type: personal
                    namePart: 
                        Ersson
                        Sofi
                    role: 
                        roleTerm: aut
                    @attributes: 
                        type: personal
                    namePart: 
                        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: 
                    detail: 
                            @attributes: 
                                type: volume
                            number: 20
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                                type: issue
                            number: 4
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                        end:  521
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