Professional Performance and Bureaucratic Benchmarking Information

Melanie L. Schneider, Matthias D. Mahlendorf, Utz Schäffer

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Prior research documents positive effects of benchmarking information provision on performance and attributes this to social comparisons. However, the effects on professional recipients are unclear. Studies of professional control indicate that professional recipients often resist bureaucratic controls because of organizational-professional conflicts. We therefore analyze the association between bureaucratic benchmarking information provision and professional performance and suggest that the association is more positive if prior professional performance was low. We test our hypotheses based on archival, publicly disclosed, professional performance data for 191 German orthopedics departments, matched with survey data on bureaucratic benchmarking information given to chief orthopedists by the administration. We find a positive association between bureaucratic benchmarking information provision and professional performance but only if prior professional performance was low. Supplemental analyses support the robustness of our results. Findings indicate conditions under which bureaucratic benchmarking information may affect professional performance and advance research on professional control and social comparisons.
Original languageEnglish
Publication date2017
Number of pages42
Publication statusPublished - 2017
Event9th Conference on Performance Measurement and Management Control - Nice, France
Duration: 13 Sept 201715 Sept 2017
Conference number: 9

Conference

Conference9th Conference on Performance Measurement and Management Control
Number9
Country/TerritoryFrance
CityNice
Period13/09/201715/09/2017

Keywords

  • Professional control
  • Social comparisons
  • Professional performance
  • Bureaucratic benchmarking information

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