Search

Purpose: To explore human resource (HR) practitioner perspectives of the effectiveness, challenges, and aspirations of the performance management (PM) system to inform future directions for PM design and success. Design/methodology/approach: Interviews with 53 HR practitioners from a cross-section of organisations operating in the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. Findings: Practitioner's discussed the criticality of effective conversations across all elements of the PM system. Using an interpretive approach, and through a lens of social exchange theory (SET), we used their voice to develop a conversations-based PM model. This model centres on effective performance conversations through the design and implementation of the PM system. It includes four enablers and five environmental elements. The enablers (aligned goals, frequent feedback, skills development, and formality) depend on skilled interactions and conversations, and the organisational environmental elements (design, development function, buy-in, culture, and linkage to other systems) are enhanced when effective conversations take place. Practical implications: Practitioners can use the conversations model to help shape the way they design and implement PM systems, that place emphasis on upskilling participants to engage in both formal and informal honest conversations to build competency in the enablers and assess organisational readiness in terms of the environmental elements. Originality/value: By listening to the under-utilised voice of the HR practitioner, and through a lens of SET, we developed a PM model which emphasises reciprocity and relationship building as key tenets of the PM system. While past research recognises the importance of effective conversations for PM implementation, it has largely silent been about the role of conversations in system design. Our model centres these conversations, presenting enablers and environmental elements to facilitate their core position within effective PM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have applied various benchmarking approaches to measure the performance of organisations that are responsible for maintaining the pavements under their jurisdiction. However, there is a paucity of research investigating the influence of uncontrollable 'environmental' factors, such as climate and subgrade type, on the efficiency of these organisations. Quantifying and evaluating the influence of such factors has been a difficult proposition, with previous attempts being qualitative and subjective. This study introduces a set of quantitative and objective indicators that reflect the relative difficulties faced by road agencies in New Zealand, in terms of climate and subgrade type, and proceeds to aggregate these environmental factors on an agency by agency basis. It then demonstrates the influence of these uncontrollable variables on the performance of the agencies through comparison to a baseline benchmarking model, using a non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis approach. The resulting efficiency differences, due to the external operating environment, underlines the significance of including these variables when benchmarking to enable a fair comparison of pavement management efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine new public management (NPM) reform in New Zealand Universities (NZUs) and the process by which government policy changes generated service performance reporting (SPR), and how the SPR practices were institutionalised. It seeks to explain the underlying institutional forces of the reform process, how universities were subjected to accountability pressures through government-imposed managerial techniques and how universities responded to them. Design/methodology/approach: The authors draw on the theoretical lens of neo-institutional theory and the concept of NPM to interpret the setting of SPR. Data comprise annual reports and other documents produced by the NZUs. Findings: The findings show that the development of the SPR was driven by NPM ideals and rationales of greater transparency and accountability. The institutional pressures bestowed extra power to the government by demanding greater accounting reporting of university performance. It also shows the ensemble of institutions, organisations and management practices that were deployed to reorganise performance reporting practices. Research limitations/implications: The study adds to the neo-institutional theory work that universities are experiencing extraordinary institutional pressure to become a market-type commodity in New Zealand and internationally. The findings have implications for government, universities, policymakers and public sector professionals who work in public sector reform. Originality/value: Through the institutional theoretical lens, the study offers new insights into our understanding of NPM-driven regulation and institutionalisation of managerial techniques. The insights inform policy and practice surrounding design, implementation and the potential effect of future policy changes with reference to the performance of NZUs and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While lean thinking has been used in healthcare for almost two decades, its efficacy has been debated extensively by researchers and practitioners alike. This ongoing debate is largely due to the varied results of its implementation; and resistance to change is considered to be the primary reason behind this variation. This study adopts an institutional logics perspective to analyze the nature of this resistance by drawing attention to how clinical staff make judgements about the appropriateness, acceptability and legitimacy of lean thinking. To conceptualize resistance, a systematic literature review based on 33 published studies depicting lean implementations was conducted, which helped to develop a nuanced understanding of resistance and its causes. Subsequently, 47 semi-structured interviews were undertaken with Quality Improvement managers regarding their experience with implementing lean thinking in 15 New Zealand District Health Boards. These interviews were used to identify and evaluate strategies used to minimize resistance within the implementation of lean initiatives in healthcare organizations. The findings of this research suggest that typically there are three strategies adopted by quality improvement managers—(1) communication strategies to create a better narrative for lean implementation; (2) cooperation strategies, which encourage the adherents of lean and medical logics to work together on shared problems, creating opportunities for them to learn about other logics; and (3) performance management strategies with the help of incentives and commitment devices to create a supportive environment for lean implementation. Together, these strategies work to improve the availability, accessibility, and activation of lean thinking logic in healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Measurement practices have long been considered vital for informing the management of performance in organisations. Their application to local governments is a more recent, yet multi-decade phenomenon facilitated by New Public Management trends. This paper aims to review the landscape of publications that discuss performance measurement (PM) practices in Australian and New Zealand local government contexts and identify implications for future research. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic review methodology was used to identify a shortlist of publications. Next, a rating-based researcher appraisal process was applied. Multiple iterations of search and appraisal were conducted to form the basis for inductive thematic analysis and synthesis. Findings: Analysing 65 PM publications, two interrelated themes, namely, discourses of performance as efficiency, accountability or strategic growth and change were identified, which influence the adoption of local PM tools and frameworks. As demands for strategic growth and more complex service delivery increase, strategic and localised adaptation of PMs may be required to integrate learning and communicative competencies with technical and operational capabilities. Research limitations/implications: The systematic review methodology has been applied to address some of the limitations of publication and reporting biases in literature. This research provides a starting point for future investigations and broadening of discourse in local government contexts. Originality/value: This paper represents the first systematic review of 1995–2020 publications on performance management practices used by local governments in Australia and New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With growing governmental involvement in sport, there has been a corresponding demand on national sport organizations (NSOs) to operate within performance measurement systems. In this study, we analyze data from New Zealand to determine NSO officials’ perceptions of (a) their reporting relationship with the central agency (Sport and Recreation New Zealand), and (b) the system of performance contracts (or “investment schedules”). Following Norman (2002), we found differing perceptions regarding the legitimacy of performance systems and three tensions emerged. First, the clarity of focus enabled by performance measurement was tempered by the perception of an ever-changing political environment. Second, NSO officials acted strategically and opportunistically at times, marshalling arguments around performance measures to “capture” their principal. Third, neither trust nor distrust in the system necessarily translated into compliance; some NSOs sought independence from the system. This research speaks to the legitimacy of performance systems, a significant but tenuous element to their sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the impact of managing working capital on financial performance in New Zealand over the period of 2005 to 2017. Our empirical analysis provides evidence of a nonlinear relationship between working-capital management and financial performance. In addition, our finding seems to suggest that a cost leadership strategy firm is more efficient at managing working capital than a differentiation strategy firm. Specifically, our findings imply that managers of the firms with a cost-leadership strategy created more value by reducing net-trade cycle by 40 days. Our research has implications for managing trade receivables and inventories given their importance for firms' survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the empirical relationship between working capital management (WCM) and firm performance (FP) for Australasian publicly listed firms. Australia and New Zealand are attractive investment destinations due to their business friendly environments. The past two decades have seen increased academic attention in studies linking WCM and FP across various parts of globe. The empirical relationship between WCM-FP has not been sufficiently examined in regards to Australian and New Zealand firms. This study measures the role of WCM during the 2008 global financial crisis in both Australia and New Zealand firms. This study uses System General Method of Moments to address the endogeneity problem in order to reduce the possibility of biased results. The results show that WCM has a significant relationship with FP. More specifically, the Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC) and the Inventory Conversion Period (ICP) exhibit negative relationships with FP indicating that a reduction in the CCC and the ICP help to improve FP in Australasian firms. However, in the case of the Average Collection Period (ACP) and the Average Payment Period (APP), the results vary between both countries. In Australia, the ACP has no significant relationship, whereas APP has a positive relationship. This is contrary in the case of New Zealand firms. Another important finding is that firms in both markets were relatively efficient collecting their receivables during the 2008 global financial crisis period. These findings provide new empirical evidence that WCM matters for improving FP in Australasian firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New Zealand Government's Performance Improvement Framework (PIF) is aimed at public sector organisational improvement. The PIF exemplifies how the characteristics of new public management (NPM) challenge the evolution of performance systems attempting to go beyond performance management. The paper provides an empirical example of the operation of the PIF, using a theoretical frame derived from the literature. The analysis suggests that the PIF design does not yet mitigate the effects of gaming, synecdoche, and reputation‐protecting behaviour. The common graded ratings continue to hold the attention of those to whom the PIF is important, acting as a proxy for the whole performance of the organisation. This is a case study of how, despite promising adaptations, performance improvement efforts remain hampered by NPM limitations. New Zealand Government's Performance Improvement Framework is aimed at public sector organisational improvement. This is a case study of how, despite adaptations, performance improvement efforts remain hampered by NPM limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gaming is a potentially dysfunctional consequence of performance measurement and management systems in the health sector and more generally. In 2009, the New Zealand government initiated a Shorter Stays in Emergency Department (SSED) target in which 95% of patients would be admitted, discharged or transferred from an emergency department (ED) within 6 hours. The implementation of similar targets in England led to well-documented practices of gaming. Our research into ED target implementation sought to answer how and why gaming varies over time and between organisations. Methods: We developed a mixed-methods approach. Four organisation case study sites were selected. ED lengths of stay (ED LOS) were collected over a 6-year period (2007-2012) from all sites and indicators of target gaming were developed. Two rounds of surveys with managers and clinicians were conducted. Interviews (n = 68) were conducted with clinicians and managers in EDs and the wider hospital in two phases across all sites. The interview data was used to develop explanations of the patterns of variation across time and across sites detected in the ED LOS data. Results: Our research established that gaming behaviour -- in the form of 'clock-stopping' and decanting patients to short-stay units (SSUs) or observation beds to avoid target breaches -- was common across all 4 case study sites. The opportunity to game was due to the absence of independent verification of ED LOS data. Gaming increased significantly over time (2009-2012) as the means to game became more available, usually through the addition or expansion of short-stay facilities attached to EDs. Gaming varied between sites, but those with the highest levels of gaming differed substantially in terms of organisational dynamics and motives. In each case, however, high levels of gaming could be attributed to the strategies of senior management more than to the individual motivations of frontline staff. Conclusion: Gaming of New Zealand's ED target increased after the real benefits (in terms of process improvement) of the target were achieved. Gaming of ED targets could be minimised by eliminating opportunities to game through independent verification, or by monitoring and limiting the means and motivations to game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent innovation in employee motivation systems is the introduction of 'gamification', which refers to the use of game design mechanics and principles to influence behaviour to enhance staff motivation and engagement. Enterprise gamification systems aggravate the differences in information availability between employers and employees, and employees who may be forced to adopt such systems may be placed under stress, worsening employment relationships in the workplace. Therefore, this research examines the potential legal implications of gamified employee motivation systems. This study undertook a systematic review of enterprise gamification and then used thematic analysis coupled with a review of legislation to examine whether gamification in workplaces meets the legal obligations of employers under their 'duty of good faith' in the New Zealand context. We find that carefully designed enterprise gamification systems should provide sufficient information and clarity for employees and support positive employment relationships. Deployments of enterprise gamification systems should be carefully planned with employee consultation and feedback supporting the introduction of an enterprise gamification system. Future research should look beyond the 'good faith' obligation and examine the relationship between gamification systems and the law on personal grievances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Over the last decade there has been considerable debate about the merits of targets as a policy instrument. The purpose of this paper is to examine the implementation of two health targets that were cornerstones of New Zealand health policy between 2009 and 2012: immunisation rates for two-year-olds, and time to treatment, discharge or admission in hospital emergency departments. Design/methodology/approach For each policy target, the authors selected four case-study districts and conducted two waves of key-informant interviews (113 in total) with clinical and management staff involved in target implementation. Findings Despite almost identical levels of target achievement, the research reveals quite different mixes of positive and negative implementation consequences. The authors argue that the differences in implementation consequences are due to the characteristics of the performance measure; and the dynamics of the intra-organisational and inter-organisational implementation context. Research limitations/implications The research is based on interviews with clinical and management staff involved in target implementation, and this approach does not address the issue of effort substitution. Practical implications While literature on health targets pays attention to the attributes of target measures, the paper suggests that policymakers considering the use of targets pay more attention to broader implementation contexts, including the possible impact of, and effects on related services, organisations and staff. Originality/value The research focuses specifically on implementation consequences, as distinct from target success and/or changes in clinical and health outcomes. The paper also adopts a comparative approach to the study of target implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the use of the balanced scorecard (BSC) as a performance management tool in the public sector. Drawing on a New Zealand study of local government organzations (LGOs), it seeks to identify issues and challenges in implementing the BSC in public sector contexts. Design/methodology/approach – A postal questionnaire was used to solicit public sector managers' views on the usefulness of the BSC and the factors that support or impede its implementation in practice. Follow-up interviews with selected respondents allowed for more in-depth exploration of managers' experiences of BSC use and outcomes. Findings – The findings reveal low rates of BSC adoption amongst the studied LGOs. Further, perceived BSC utility is dominated by performance measurement and reporting, while the performance management role of the BSC remains relatively under-exploited. This study identifies users' perceptions of the key challenges impeding BSC implementation in the public sector, and highlights their significance for both practice and theory. Research limitations/implications – This paper highlights the need for improved theorisation on several issues that present particular challenges in public sector BSC practice: modifying the BSC dimensions, designing measures that capture important qualitative outcomes, identifying the "customer" and/or achieving a genuine multi-stakeholder approach, and mapping BSC causality relationships. Practical implications – Improved awareness of the factors perceived to lead to successful and unsuccessful BSC implementation may enhance the uptake and utility of the BSC for measuring and managing performance in public sector organisations. Originality/value – This study examines BSC use in local government, where it has been relatively under-researched. It adds to prior studies by specifically examining the factors that support and impede the effective implementation of the BSC in public sector contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores interrater reliability and rater effects in performance ratings at the senior-executive level. Studies have shown that substantial rater effects affect the validity of multi-source ratings, but it is unclear whether these effects hold true at the senior-executive level. We present a study of 189 senior executives in New Zealand and Australia, whose performance was rated by an average of 4.23 raters: superiors, peers, and subordinates. Intra-class correlation coefficients revealed strong rater effects, and a multi-trait multi-method analysis showed that those effects came from individual raters, rather than rater source (i.e. superior, peer, or subordinate). The findings suggest that it may be unwise to aggregate performance ratings at the senior-executive level, and to use such ratings, whether aggregated or single, to make critical decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this article is to explain the performance management practice in use within one of New Zealand's public service agencies—Child, Youth and Family Services. These practices are described with reference to New Zealand's formal model of public sector management and the professional social work model understood by the majority of the agency's staff. The article draws on recent research into performance management practices in nine of New Zealand's public service agencies that included Child, Youth and Family Services. This involved a number of semi-structured interviews with managers and staff from the national, regional, and local levels of each agency together with a review of relevant documentation. It is argued that performance management practices exist on a continuum representing the “rationality of control” which extends from a regulative control model of rules and fixed targets to one that is more reliant on shared understandings, learning, and flexible targets. It is further suggested that the institutional structures underlying this continuum determines the extent to which performance management practices within individual agencies are loosely coupled with those used for purposes of external accountability. The article highlights the tension that exists in an organization that encompasses the substantive logic of “a values-based profession” (Ronnau, 2001) but which is bound by the formal, instrumental rationality implicit in its system of external accountability that, it has been claimed, “reduces a complex reality to something simplistic and one dimensional” (Tilbury, 2004). It, therefore, argues that the formal model of performance measurement and management of the public service should encompass the broader information and rationality used by managers within public service agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents a study which examines the institutional factors that affects the integration of formal performance management model of the public service in New Zealand. Study used semi-structured interviews with the managers at three central government agencies in the country. Data gathered are being interpreted in the new institutional sociology context. Findings reveal that an integrated framework in performance objectives in various situations, such as in the purchase of goods and services by Ministers, Government's priorities, and agency manager's objectives, does not always exists. Study shows that institutional arrangement emphasizing cognitive and cultural-based controls may support tight coupling of the frameworks and practices in performance management.

This paper investigates how different factors influence whether companies integrate economic, social and environmental sustainability indicators into their performance management system. A survey was conducted among sustainability managers at 239 Australian and New Zealand companies across a wide range of industrial sectors. Using hierarchical multiple regression analysis, this study found that industry, company size, and managers' perception of the importance of a sustainability indicator all influenced their integration into a company's performance management system. In particular, larger companies and companies in environmentally low-impact industries generally integrated more sustainability indicators into their performance management systems, especially if sustainability managers considered them important to performance. Large companies and companies from environmentally high-impact industries integrated social but generally not environmental indicators into their performance management systems. Conspicuously, whether or not an indicator was included in corporate sustainability reports did not influence its integration into a company's performance management system. The results thus highlight the lack of synergy between external corporate sustainability reports and internal sustainability performance management which organisations need to address in order to become more sustainable. [Display omitted] • Factors integrating sustainability into a company's performance management system. • Managers perception positively impacts sustainability integration. • Lack of synergy between sustainability reporting and performance management systems. • Environmentally high-impact industries integrate fewer environmental issues. • Small companies integrate more employee-related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study the progression of business excellence (BX) in 13 repeat applicants for the New Zealand Business Excellence award over the period 1993-2007. Design/methodology/approach - A multiple case approach analyses quantitative scoring data along with qualitative interview and secondary data. Findings - Formal, external assessments play a critical role in promoting continuous improvement toward BX. However, effective responses to feedback differ for enabler processes vs results. Achieving improved results requires a fundamental review of measurement approaches, as well as better alignment of performance measures to overall activities. Successful paths to continuous improvement vary depending on the starting point for this journey. Organisations starting with a relatively strong position can use external feedback to target improvement efforts for maximum benefit. Organisations starting at a more basic level of performance need to generalise improvement efforts across their full range of business activities. The research also identified the existence of hurdles along the road to BX. Research limitations/implications - The New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation, which administers the award scheme in New Zealand (NZ) had adopted the US Baldrige criteria as a whole, and no work has yet been done to validate the criteria for NZ conditions. This paper uses changes in scores between applications as a measure of progress to BX, so there is the possibility of applicants "gaming" the system (e.g. one research participant admitted they gained a large one-off scoring improvement largely on the basis of writing a better application). Future research could extend this work by: studying the performance over time of a control group using Baldrige-type criteria for internal assessment only; comparing one-time applicants with repeat applicants; and studying the extent to which Baldrige criteria are appropriate within other national contexts such as NZ. Practical implications - This research provides insight and advice into what works and what does not in implementing the Baldrige BX criteria. Originality/value - This paper analyses a unique data source and contributes to the literature on drivers and barriers to continuous improvement, a key literature within operations management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using New Zealand and Australian examples, this article provides evidence that neoliberalism is both coherent and diverse. An analysis of government initiatives focused on 'improving government performance' regarding indigenous outcomes and indigenous 'capacity building' illustrates how 'performance management' has legitimated and extended neoliberalism in both countries. However, instabilities contained within a performance management discourse provide spaces for contestation that may ultimately lead to further reform and reorientation. Furthermore, the particular sociopolitical contexts of each country have ensured that the forms of neoliberalism being embedded in the 21st century are highly complex, indigenised hybrids rather than a one-size-fits-all formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of five factors, reflecting students' diversity in prior content and metacognitive knowledge, on students' academic performance in the introductory accounting course. Design/methodology/approach - Based on a conceptual framework of prior knowledge, five factors are hypothesised to have an impact on students' performance. They are: prior accounting knowledge, age, gender, intended academic major, and first language. A self-administered questionnaire is completed by students enrolled in the compulsory introductory accounting course at a large multi-campus NZ university. Multivariate analysis is carried out to test the research hypotheses and the predictive ability of the five independent variables on students' performance. Findings - Consistent with the educational psychology literature, prior content knowledge has a significant impact. Students' metacognitive knowledge, which differs according to their language and gender, also has a significant effect on students' performance. Research limitations/implications - The low R[sub2] in the regression model suggests that, although some of the study variables are significant, a high proportion of variation in academic performance remains unexplained by the model. The results may also not be representative of student population in general as information is elicited from students from one particular university. Future research could extend the sample to more than one tertiary institution and consider the effect of other potential variables such as students' intrinsic motivation and learning strategies. Originality/value - Unlike many prior studies which lacked a theoretical framework to support their research, this study proposes a conceptual framework drawn from the education psychology literature for examining students' performance in the introductory accounting course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing community services can be a very complex process where people end up “not seeing the wood for the trees” and then accepting a compromise nobody wants. Neither agency theory nor stewardship theory is particularly robust when explaining the reality that funders and managers of community health service for older people face in managing contracts. There are particular difficulties with goal divergence between policy directives and implementation practices, which result from goals not being well understood and performance requirements being ambiguously defined and infrequently monitored. This leads to accountability issues for public managers, and raises efficiency and effectiveness issues. This paper provides an interim report on a project developing a management-control system to provide a process for health planners and funders to use when developing and contracting services. A major focus is inviting stakeholders into a process of communication that ensures that they have shared understandings of where they want to get to, and what has to be done to get there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After 15 years of extreme focus on outputs, the New Zealand government's performance management system now expects public servants to "manage for outcomes" while continuing to be accountable for outputs. This shift in emphasis is analyzed using employment services as an example. The change is a result of outputs' becoming narrowly focused on the easily measurable and doable, and the new system potentially offers a way of combining bottom-line accountability with the motivating power of less measurable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sets out to investigate the ownership structure of non-financial companies in New Zealand, undertaking an empirical investigation into the effects of ownership structure on both corporate governance and firm performance. In the decade prior to 1984, the New Zealand economy had been characterised by one of the slowest rates of real economic growth in the OEDC region, serious and persistent balance of payments current account deficits, a large rise in unemployment, and also a relatively high rate of inflation. The change in its business and financial environment in the mid-1980s, however, paved the way for New Zealand to become a more open economy. This study demonstrates that the New Zealand model of corporate governance is characterised by a high degree of minority ownership, which is unique and inconsistent with the Berle and Means’ postulation of modern corporations with widely dispersed ownership structures. The empirical results also support the notion of the existence of a systematic pattern of differences in both Return on Equity and Sales/Asset ratios among three control groups, majority-controlled, minority-controlled, and management-controlled firms. The results supplement the US-based literature on ownership structure by illustrating that internal governance mechanism can play a role in corporate performance, and that the legislative and regulatory environment may affect this role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a tidal wave of reform during the late 1980s and 1990s New Zealand comprehensively adopted the approach to public sector performance management categorized as New Public Management (NPM). Techniques drawn from business and the marketplace were used to transform a centralized public service into an array of focused providers of service and policy 'outputs'. These reforms decentralized decision-making and emphasized efficiency and cost containment. Since the election in 1999 of a center-left coalition government, a new tide of reform has been gathering momentum, and will be underpinned by legislation before Parliament in 2004. Outcomes, collaboration and capability are the new concerns, indicating a shift of system from a laissez faire 'financial control' model to more centralized strategic planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most research in managerial effectiveness, or competence, focuses upon personal attributes of the individual. This understates the impact of context, which can assist or hinder job performance. A national (New Zealand) survey assessed the impact of 16 environmental variables, four management development variables and two variables reflecting personal skills and abilities, on the ability to be effective as a manager. Analysis revealed eight factors explaining the majority of perceived management effectiveness. The results suggest that support in a variety of forms is a key influence on the ability to be effective as a manager, with particular emphasis on the role of supervisors and subordinates, as well as organisational culture. Organisational level and organisational size interacted with contextual factors. The overall results suggest that, like other employees, managers are more likely to see both their success and hindrances as a function of their environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulatory reformers have widely endorsed greater use of a performance-based approach to regulation that defines objectives in terms of desired outcomes. The appeal of the performance-based approach is as much about introducing a regime that overcomes problems of overly rigid rules and inflexible enforcement as it is about regulating for results. The case of leaky buildings in New Zealand provides a cautionary tale of a flawed performance-based regulatory regime. It allowed for flexibility without sufficient accountability and in so doing showed the Achilles’ heel of performance-based regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which highlights the whaanau/support interview which is being used in New Zealand organizations. The whaanau/support interview is a distinctively New Zealand practice which provides an example of how this has been done. The process was originally developed in the 1980s to create a bicultural process for selection interviews in New Zealand organizations. Over time it has been extended to cover performance appraisal and performance management interviews, as well as employee induction. The intention of this paper is to advocate the whaanau/support process as an Relations innovative local Human Resource Management (HRM) practice that offers possibilities--not only for New Zealand organizations, but also for organizations in other cultural contexts which may be seeking to integrate diverse cultural perspectives with HRM practices. The success of introducing the new process was based on a number of factors, according to one HRM practitioner interviewee. Best HRM practice should ensure that the introduction of an innovative cross-cultural process such as whaanau/support relates to clearly defined organizational objectives, and is well-integrated with both HR policies and cultural requirements. The possibility is that the introduction of innovative practices like whaanau/support works not simply as an end in itself, but as an opening for developing cultural understandings and for the ongoing re-thinking of HRM practice.

This article offers a preview of the Employee Performance Management Summit that will take place in New Zealand in March 2008. At a time when skills are in increasingly short supply, New Zealand is apparently mired in a productivity deficit. The goal of the summit is to establish links between the employee's roles or developmental goals and their company's growth strategies. One of the keynote speakers will be Harold Hillman, former talent manager for Fonterra.

Presents information on the Web-based human resources (HR) performance management, workplace analytical tools and enterprise learning initiatives of several companies in New Zealand. Outcome of the complete end-to-end integration; Role of the art of automatically facilitating personal career development through enterprise learning across the entire organisation in key talent retention; Examples of e-learning systems aimed to deliver information down into the businesses; Impact of the decision of a casino operator to adopt the Human Capital Management software from Peoplesoft on its employees. INSETS: RECRUITMENT SMARTS;SELF-HELP HR.

The article focuses on adoption of different approaches by business enterprises of New Zealand for performance management conditions. Topics discussed include consideration of an automated technologies for enhancement of employees performance; placement of computer systems for analysis of performance management issues; and analysis of concerns regarding performance by Deloitte with recommendation of employee meetings.

Service providers and funders need ways to work together to improve services. Identifying critical performance variables provides a mechanism by which funders can understand what they are purchasing without getting caught up in restrictive service specifications that restrict the ability of service providers to meet the needs of the clients. An implementation pathway and benchmarking programme called IN TOUCH provided contracted providers of home support and funders with a consistent methodology to follow when developing and implementing new restorative approaches for service delivery. Data from performance measurement was used to triangulate the personal and social worlds of the stakeholders enabling them to develop a shared understanding of what is working and what is not. The initial implementation of IN TOUCH involved five District Health Boards. The recursive dialogue encouraged by the IN TOUCH programme supports better and more sustainable service development because performance management is anchored to agreed data that has meaning to all stakeholders., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The article focuses on research conducted by Ernst & Young which revealed that better corporate performance management (CPM) could help many New Zealand businesses increase their long-term profitability. Its recently published survey of 86 large New Zealand companies Unlocking the Value, perspectives and insights on corporate performance management in New Zealand, shows almost all New Zealand businesses have started building CPM capability.

The article presents the views of David Chapman, chief executive officer (CEO) of the New Zealand Institute of Management (NZIM), on changes in the field of management. He asserted that managing and improving the performance of employees in future will demand the same levels of attention and rigor that financial processes do today due to ongoing labor shortages. He believes that expectations of a manager's role are also changing, as is the way their performance is assessed.

The article discusses the ranking of New Zealand businesses by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a benchmarking study conducted by the Centre for Organisational Excellence Research (COER), and performance advisor Michael Voss. Benchmarking for best practices and performance assessment is discussed, and Voss' company PYXIS.co.nz and his upcoming speech at the World Business Capability Congress in December 2012 are mentioned.

A calendar of short courses for the executives in New Zealand in March and April 2010 is presented which includes Motivation and Leadership at the University of Auckland, Performance Management in New Zealand Institute of Management (NZIM) Central and Strategic Planning at the University of Auckland.

A calendar of events related to management in New Zealand, from November to December 2006, is presented. A conference on the fundamentals of project management will be held from November 7 to 8. A conference titled "Developing Flexible Leadership" will be held from November 20 to 21. A conference on performance management will be held from December 5 to 6.