PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN PUBLIC SECTOR UNDER NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT REGIME: AN AUSTRALIAN CASE

Abstract

Performance management system in public sector has undergone significant changes in new public management regime. Countries adopting new public management have brought changes in styles and modalities of performance management in public sector with the sole purpose of ensuring service quality to the satisfaction of service recipients. This research has adopted a qualitative research methodology under epistemological and ontological paradigm of social inquiry to study the performance management system of a government owned department in Australian Capital Territory. Giddens' Structuration theory has been applied as theoretical framework to develop a thick description of social reality. An in-depth case study method has been used as a predominant research methodology supplemented by observation, interview and review of archival records. The study reveals that new public management ideology has been successful in ensuring performance of the department from multi-facet dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]