Goal-Based Learning and the Future of Performance Management |
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| Authors: | Donald P Moynihan |
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| Institution: | Donald P. Moynihan;is an assistant professor at the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. He received his PhD from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. His research analyzes the process of selecting and implementing public management reforms, especially in the area of performance management. His work has appeared in a number of edited volumes and journals, including Public Administration Review and J-PAR T. E-mail: . |
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| Abstract: | All levels of government have begun to pursue results-based reforms, which assume that managers will use performance information to make better decisions. However, reforms have neglected the insights of a large and relevant literature on organizational learning. This article revisits this literature, treating results-based reform as an organizational learning mechanism and a deliberate structural effort to induce learning. From an organizational learning perspective, most results-based reforms target narrow process improvement (single-loop learning) rather than a broad understanding of policy choices and effectiveness (double-loop learning), even though the latter is more critical for long-term organizational success. Case evidence from state governments illustrates single- and double-loop learning and the importance of two frequently neglected aspects of organizational learning: learning forums—routines where performance information is deliberately examined—and the role of organizational culture in enabling or limiting learning. |
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