Managerial interpretations and sectoral comparisons of performance management in the third sector

Abstract

The subject of performance management within the third sector is both a comparatively new area of research and also relevant to wider national debates over the role of charities in delivering services as part of the 'big society.' The austerity programme has affected funding of charities whilst local authorities and other governmental bodies have sought to get more from the third sector for the money they provide. As such it is interesting to see how third sector organisations are managing performance in order to meet these challenges. This research project will interview third sector employers who deliver services on behalf of, or in partnership with, public sector organisations. The third sector is predominantly comprised of registered charities and voluntary groups and the sector has an established track record of providing contracted services using paid staff. The aim of this research is to investigate the performance management culture of sector organisations and, via interviews with key personnel, establish what systems are in place and how managers perceive their effectiveness. The findings of this research should allow voluntary organisations to share best as well as drawing attention to common problems of performance management within the sector. By conducting a thorough examination of academic and business journals related to the areas of performance management, particularly where these concern delivering services for the public good, in addition to third sector specific articles a theoretical basis for this research will be established. Performance management within the third sector is a relatively new and underdeveloped area of research and so there is inherent value in actively comparing articles relating to the public sector, and their experiences of these issues, with original research. Specific literature relating to key theories, models and empirical research will also be examined and reviewed. This research offers an interpretivist view of the sector and will be reliant on the successful interviewing of respondents and coding of their recorded experiences. This presents a number of challenges in ensuring concrete experiences are correctly categorised to differentiate nuances and safeguard against the conflation of unique 'stories' into a broad brush approach. Additionally adjustments for selection bias, the subjectivity of experience, and sample size limitations will be considered.