The Importance Of Performance Management In Public Sector Organisations In Comparison To Private Sector: An Analysis Of The NHS (2007)

Performance Management In Public Sector Organisations Dissertation – The key aim of this dissertation is to qualitatively examine the importance of performance measurement in the public sector. The measurement of performance of firms could mean the difference between success and failure. The study is be split into two different parts, one of which will be taking the form of a case study about a Primary Care Trust in the National Health Service in order to create answers for the author’s questions. The collection of several types of data allows the researcher to undertake a triangulatory approach and explore the differences of opinion.

The manipulation of secondary literature and government advisory papers will signify the theory and recommendations; this will be substantiated by the interview data to critically compare, the difference between theory and practice. The findings suggest similarities with previous authors and academics’ findings; the general opinion was that without measuring performance, a public organisation would disintegrate. Furthermore, performance measurement was found to be more important within the public sector than the private was. There was a major difference of opinion between reality and an academic perspective on whether financial matters were more important than non-financial.

The conclusions drawn from this dissertation suggest that there is ample evidence to assume that there is great importance of performance measurement within the public sector. However, the similarity of importance is of a different nature because the public sector has a completely distinct objective compared to the private sector.

The argument of non-financial measures taking precedence over financial measures needs further study, due to the variation of opinions. The private sector is concluded to be obliged to undertaking the measurement of performance, simply because of the overriding objective of the ‘profit measure/maximising shareholder wealth.


  • 13,000 words – 72 pages in length
  • Excellent use of literature
  • Excellent analysis of subject area
  • Expertly written throughout
  • Ideal for finance accounting students

1. Introduction
Purpose and aim of research
Motivation for research
Performance measurement in focus
What are performance measures?
Research questions
Structure of the report

2. Methods of Research
Research Framework and Approach
Multi-strategy research
Methods of research used
Primary
Semi-structured interviews
Validity of interviewee
Participant observation
Access
Case study
Conversation with Professor
Validity of opinion
Government Advisory Group – National Audit Office
Secondary
Analysis of qualitative data

3. Performance Measurements In A Wider Context
Performance measurement
Non-financial measures
Performance measurement in the private sector
Performance measurement in the public sector
The role of performance measurement in the public sector
Limited resources – the importance of performance measurement due to these
Similarities in techniques between public (NHS) and private sector
Public sector tensions

4. Data Gathered And Analysed
Few words from a Professor
Importance of performance measurement in the public sector
Similar Performance measurement techniques used in the public sector in comparison to the private sector Guidelines given by the National Audit Office
Papers from National Audit Office
Importance of performance measurement
Key features of performance measurement advised or highlighted
Non-financial measures taking precedence over financial measures Case study: An NHS Primary Care Trust Culture and purpose of the organisation
Performance measurement within a Primary Care Trust Techniques Similar techniques to the private sector Getting a balance between the three E’s

5. Conclusion And Evaluation
Question one
Importance
Similarities of importance, if any
The private sector
Summary
Limitations of research
National Health Service
Government surveys
Independent research partners
Interviews with private sector finance managers Weaknesses of the study

Bibliography

Appendices

Performance Management In Public Sector Organisations Dissertation
Performance Management In Public Sector Organisations Dissertation

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