Exploring performance management practices of library management and staff in the Victorian local government public library service: a case study

This thesis explores performance management practices of library management and staff in a local government public library service in Victoria, Australia. Performance measurement and management are fundamentally important in public sector organisations as they are used for several purposes including planning, accountability and evaluation of performance. In Victoria, ideas and practices associated with New Public Management (NPM) have transformed performance management practices in public sector organisations, including public library services, mainly through the introduction of novel performance indicators and frameworks.

In Victorian public libraries, performance management typically involves the use of objective measures, such as usage data on items/services, and subjective measures including data on user feedback. Despite the widespread adoption of these kinds of performance indicators, evidence describing how performance data generated from such measures is used for managing and improving performance in public sector organisations is limited. Known gaps include instances in which insufficient data is collected, or it is collected against set targets only; instances in which performance data is exclusively quantitative in nature, lacking accounts of the personal experiences of public service users; or instances in which performance data is modified or partially reported against specified performance targets.

To address these gaps and problems, this thesis applies practice theory and concept of entwinement to advance insights into everyday organisational experiences of performance management practices in a public library service in Victoria. It does so by exploring components of practice including tools and actions and how activities of library management and staff give meaning and identity to major performance management practices. It also allows a detailed understanding of performance management practices of public sector officials by exploring in depth the role and purpose of practices and their links with performance outcomes.

This study is grounded in a detailed case study of a Victorian local government public library service. Victorian local government services underwent significant managerial, legal and structural changes to performance management arrangements after the arrival of NPM reforms. In the more specific case of the current study, NPM-related reforms resulted in the library service being amalgamated from two councils and the subsequent introduction of significant new performance management practices including mandatory monitoring frameworks. The case site thus provides an interesting study context for a detailed investigation of performance management practices, and their character and impacts, in public sector organisations.

 

This study used a qualitative and exploratory approach to explore performance management practices and collected data through semi-structured interviews, unobtrusive observations and document analysis. Semi-structured interviews were carried out in two rounds, with each phase highlighting key performance management tools, processes and activities adopted by library management and staff.

Round 1 interviews were followed by unobtrusive observations of staff members' diverse performance management practices as those were occurring in situ. The unobtrusive observations were then followed by round 2 interviews. Findings derived from these methods indicate that staff employ diverse formal and informal tools and processes across the organisation to generate, interpret and apply performance data to achieve outcomes. Formal performance management tools and processes typically had a clear structure and identity and involved both automatic and manual data collection elements. Typical performance management activities of library management and staff involved generating usage data and using that to establish mandatory reporting and accountability requirements. In contrast, informal performance management tools and processes were manual in character and lacked structure and identity but were central to the generation of performance data comprising patron feedback. Activities of library management and staff involved using that data to identify service issues and bring improvements. Overall, this study contributes to public sector performance management literature by suggesting that informal tools/processes and activities are linked to managing and improving performance in the organisation.