Influence as the key to consent? Swedish director generals’ perceptions of reporting requirements
International Journal of Public Sector Management
ISSN: 0951-3558
Article publication date: 15 March 2019
Issue publication date: 1 May 2019
Abstract
Purpose
Performance measurements have become a prominent part of government steering of public agencies. At the same time, they are increasingly criticized for creating heavy administrative burdens. The purpose of this paper is to argue that consent on part of the heads of agencies is vital for making performance measurement an efficient tool for not only control but also organizational learning.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reports a survey with a nearly total sample of Swedish Director Generals.
Findings
Findings suggest that Director Generals who feel that they are able to influence the goals and indicators of their agencies are significantly more willing to consent to the government’s reporting requirements.
Originality/value
The paper suggests that a more encompassing, interactive and participatory process might increase agency consent with reporting requirements.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was made possible by the Swedish Foundation for Humanities and Social Sciences and the Swedish Agency for Public Management. The authors would like to thank Bengt Jacobsson and the members of the ORFA (“Organizing for Auditing”) team for valuable comments and suggestions to earlier drafts.
Citation
de Fine Licht, J. and Pierre, J. (2019), "Influence as the key to consent? Swedish director generals’ perceptions of reporting requirements", International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 32 No. 4, pp. 388-402. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-08-2018-0193
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited