The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Performance management in Universities: an ‘old’ institutional economics perspective

Performance management in Universities: an ‘old’ institutional economics perspective
Performance management in Universities: an ‘old’ institutional economics perspective
This paper reports on a research project that builds on previous work by Broad, Goddard & Von Alberti (2007) and Broad & Goddard (2010). The focus of this paper is to consider an ‘old’ institutional economics perspective in the evolution of performance management systems within the university sector. The research will compare the findings of the UK sector with research undertaken in Singapore to develop an international comparative context.

An Old Institutional Economics (OIE) perspective was linked with accounting research during the 1990’s (see Ahmed & Scapens, 2000) although its origins date back the turn of the 20th Century (Veblen, 1919). The OIE approach views the institution as an economic entity and seeks to understand the processes by which it operates and “provides a potentially useful basis for understanding the institutionalised character of organisational routines and rule-based behaviours, such as accounting” (Ahmed & Scapens, 2000 p.167)

Broad & Goddard (2010) argue that there is a particular managerial weltanshauung within the higher educational institutions they studied that embed the rules, routines, habits, and potentially the culture, of performance management. Such a weltanshauung, it is suggested, links with the OIE view that institutions are defined as “a way of thought or action of some prevalence or permanence, which is embedded in the habits of a group or the customs of a people” (Hamilton, 1932 p.84).

The focus on the notion of rules, routines and habits within the institution provides a unique lens by which to view an organisation to help understand the barriers/ enablers of how such a performance system is developed. Sorlin (2007) contends that such performance systems might not be developing in the most efficient manner due to pressure of funding donors and research has been called for in this area by Bignall & Modell (2000, p.301) to further understand the “core concepts of integration and balance in performance management design”.

This paper will therefore review the principles of Old Institutional Economics and its application to the accounting literature, particularly focussing on performance management within the university sector and further developments of this research project.
Broad, M.J.
81955ffa-a9d3-42cd-99c8-52e06cd67424
Broad, M.J.
81955ffa-a9d3-42cd-99c8-52e06cd67424

Broad, M.J. (2010) Performance management in Universities: an ‘old’ institutional economics perspective. MARG2010: Management Accounting Research Group Annual Conference, Birmingham, United Kingdom. 18 - 19 Nov 2010. 13 pp .

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

This paper reports on a research project that builds on previous work by Broad, Goddard & Von Alberti (2007) and Broad & Goddard (2010). The focus of this paper is to consider an ‘old’ institutional economics perspective in the evolution of performance management systems within the university sector. The research will compare the findings of the UK sector with research undertaken in Singapore to develop an international comparative context.

An Old Institutional Economics (OIE) perspective was linked with accounting research during the 1990’s (see Ahmed & Scapens, 2000) although its origins date back the turn of the 20th Century (Veblen, 1919). The OIE approach views the institution as an economic entity and seeks to understand the processes by which it operates and “provides a potentially useful basis for understanding the institutionalised character of organisational routines and rule-based behaviours, such as accounting” (Ahmed & Scapens, 2000 p.167)

Broad & Goddard (2010) argue that there is a particular managerial weltanshauung within the higher educational institutions they studied that embed the rules, routines, habits, and potentially the culture, of performance management. Such a weltanshauung, it is suggested, links with the OIE view that institutions are defined as “a way of thought or action of some prevalence or permanence, which is embedded in the habits of a group or the customs of a people” (Hamilton, 1932 p.84).

The focus on the notion of rules, routines and habits within the institution provides a unique lens by which to view an organisation to help understand the barriers/ enablers of how such a performance system is developed. Sorlin (2007) contends that such performance systems might not be developing in the most efficient manner due to pressure of funding donors and research has been called for in this area by Bignall & Modell (2000, p.301) to further understand the “core concepts of integration and balance in performance management design”.

This paper will therefore review the principles of Old Institutional Economics and its application to the accounting literature, particularly focussing on performance management within the university sector and further developments of this research project.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: November 2010
Venue - Dates: MARG2010: Management Accounting Research Group Annual Conference, Birmingham, United Kingdom, 2010-11-18 - 2010-11-19
Organisations: Southampton Business School

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 204995
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/204995
PURE UUID: 9e156240-906e-47c0-b2da-fd4fbe0ed076

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 06 Dec 2011 11:50
Last modified: 10 Dec 2021 19:54

Export record

Contributors

Author: M.J. Broad

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×