Performance Measurement Systems, Middle Managers, and the Fight over Control
(2023) FEKH49 20231Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- Title: Performance Measurement Systems, Middle Managers, and the Fight
over Control
Seminar Date: June 2nd, 2023
Course: Business Administration: Bachelor’s degree project in organization.
Undergraduate level, 15 credits.
Authors: Nicole Kronkvist, Fritjof Jansson and Maja Muscat Scerri
Supervisor: Johan Jönsson
Five Keywords: Performance Measurement Systems, Expectancy Theory, Middle
Managers, Control, Motivation
Research Questions: How do managers experience performance measurement systems and the effect it has on motivation?
How do managers perceive the control they have over performance measurement systems?
Purpose: The aim of this study is to provide a more nuanced understanding
surrounding the effect... (More) - Title: Performance Measurement Systems, Middle Managers, and the Fight
over Control
Seminar Date: June 2nd, 2023
Course: Business Administration: Bachelor’s degree project in organization.
Undergraduate level, 15 credits.
Authors: Nicole Kronkvist, Fritjof Jansson and Maja Muscat Scerri
Supervisor: Johan Jönsson
Five Keywords: Performance Measurement Systems, Expectancy Theory, Middle
Managers, Control, Motivation
Research Questions: How do managers experience performance measurement systems and the effect it has on motivation?
How do managers perceive the control they have over performance measurement systems?
Purpose: The aim of this study is to provide a more nuanced understanding
surrounding the effect performance measurement systems have on
motivation, from a middle managerial perspective. Furthermore, it aims
to analyze how the level of control which middle managers possess over
performance measurement systems affects motivation.
Theoretical Perspective: The theoretical chapter in this study involves a literature review which looks into previous research regarding middle managers, motivation and performance, as well as performance measurement systems. It also
presents the expectancy theory as the theoretical framework which will be used to analyze the empirical material.
Methodology: A qualitative study has been conducted with semi-structured interviews conducted with 6 employees from the studied organization, and an
abductive approach was taken.
Empirical Foundation: The empirical part is divided into two parts, first part being middle managerial perception of performance measurement systems, which had both positive and negative results. Second part looks at how control over performance measurement systems affect the middle managers.
Conclusion: Healthy competition, feedback loops and salience of numbers were
considered to be positive motivational outcomes of the performance measurement systems. The biggest issue with the systems was the lack of control the middle managers had over these, which resulted in unrealistic, stressful and demotivating measurement systems. (Less) - Popular Abstract (Swedish)
- Examensarbetets titel: Performance Measurement Systems, Middle Managers, and the Fight over Control
Seminariedatum: 2 Juni, 2023
Kurs: FEKH49 – Examensarbete i organisation på kandidatnivå, 15 HP.
Författare: Nicole Kronkvist, Fritjof Jansson and Maja Muscat Scerri
Handledare: Johan Jönsson
Fem nyckelord: Prestationsmätningssystem, Motivation, Mellanchefer, Kontroll,
Expectancy Theory
Forskningsfrågor: How do managers experience performance measurement systems and the effect it has on motivation?
How do managers perceive the control they have over performance
measurement systems?
Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att bidra med en mer nyanserad förståelse
kring effekterna av prestationsmätningssystem på motivation,... (More) - Examensarbetets titel: Performance Measurement Systems, Middle Managers, and the Fight over Control
Seminariedatum: 2 Juni, 2023
Kurs: FEKH49 – Examensarbete i organisation på kandidatnivå, 15 HP.
Författare: Nicole Kronkvist, Fritjof Jansson and Maja Muscat Scerri
Handledare: Johan Jönsson
Fem nyckelord: Prestationsmätningssystem, Motivation, Mellanchefer, Kontroll,
Expectancy Theory
Forskningsfrågor: How do managers experience performance measurement systems and the effect it has on motivation?
How do managers perceive the control they have over performance
measurement systems?
Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att bidra med en mer nyanserad förståelse
kring effekterna av prestationsmätningssystem på motivation, från ett
mellanchefs perspektiv. Därutöver, har arbetet som mål att analysera hur
nivån av kontroll som mellanchefer har av performance measurement
systems påverkar motivationen.
Teoretiska perspektiv: Teorikapitlet i denna studie inkluderar en litteraturgenomgång som undersöker tidigare forskning gällande mellanchefer, motivation och prestation, samt performance measurement systems. I kapitlet presenteras också det teoretiska ramverket som kommer att användas, vilket är the expectancy theory.
Metod: En kvalitativ studie har gjorts med semistrukturerade intervjuer med 6
anställda från det studerade företaget, med en abduktiv ansats.
Empiri: Empirin är uppdelad i två delar, den första delen handlar om
mellanchefernas uppfattning om prestationsmätningssystem, uppfattningen är både positiv och negativ. Andra delen granskar hur kontroll över prestationsmätningssystemen påverkar mellancheferna.
Slutsats: Mellancheferna uppfattar hälsosam konkurrens, återkopplingsslingor och vikten av siffror som positiva motiverande konsekvenser av
prestationsmätningssystem. Det största problemet med prestationsmätningssystemen var mellanchefernas avsaknad av kontroll
över dessa, vilket resulterade i orealistiska, stressfulla och demotiverande
measurement system. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9128464
- author
- Kronkvist, Nicole LU ; Janson, Fritjof LU and Muscat Scerri, Maja LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- FEKH49 20231
- year
- 2023
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Performance Measurement Systems, Expectancy Theory, Middle Managers, Control, Motivation
- language
- English
- id
- 9128464
- date added to LUP
- 2023-06-22 12:39:37
- date last changed
- 2023-06-22 12:39:37
@misc{9128464, abstract = {{Title: Performance Measurement Systems, Middle Managers, and the Fight over Control Seminar Date: June 2nd, 2023 Course: Business Administration: Bachelor’s degree project in organization. Undergraduate level, 15 credits. Authors: Nicole Kronkvist, Fritjof Jansson and Maja Muscat Scerri Supervisor: Johan Jönsson Five Keywords: Performance Measurement Systems, Expectancy Theory, Middle Managers, Control, Motivation Research Questions: How do managers experience performance measurement systems and the effect it has on motivation? How do managers perceive the control they have over performance measurement systems? Purpose: The aim of this study is to provide a more nuanced understanding surrounding the effect performance measurement systems have on motivation, from a middle managerial perspective. Furthermore, it aims to analyze how the level of control which middle managers possess over performance measurement systems affects motivation. Theoretical Perspective: The theoretical chapter in this study involves a literature review which looks into previous research regarding middle managers, motivation and performance, as well as performance measurement systems. It also presents the expectancy theory as the theoretical framework which will be used to analyze the empirical material. Methodology: A qualitative study has been conducted with semi-structured interviews conducted with 6 employees from the studied organization, and an abductive approach was taken. Empirical Foundation: The empirical part is divided into two parts, first part being middle managerial perception of performance measurement systems, which had both positive and negative results. Second part looks at how control over performance measurement systems affect the middle managers. Conclusion: Healthy competition, feedback loops and salience of numbers were considered to be positive motivational outcomes of the performance measurement systems. The biggest issue with the systems was the lack of control the middle managers had over these, which resulted in unrealistic, stressful and demotivating measurement systems.}}, author = {{Kronkvist, Nicole and Janson, Fritjof and Muscat Scerri, Maja}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{Performance Measurement Systems, Middle Managers, and the Fight over Control}}, year = {{2023}}, }