IRSPM2016 Hong Kong. Public services are increasingly provided by networks of hybrid organization structures in which more than one public, private or nonprofit organization depends on another to perform a task. This structure adds ambiguity to public performance management, results in cultural tensions and, in many ways, challenges the ability of an individual manager to master the complexity of the operating environment. This paper sheds light on the change needed in performance management practices when a local government, a city in this case, aims to transform its management culture from an internally focused bureaucracy to an open and dialogue-based community in order to respond to the ongoing change in public management. The paper describes the case of the city of Tampere, Finland, and analyzes the evolution of the city’s performance management practices between 2010 and 2015. The results suggest that the future of public performance management should increasingly rely on continuous and iterative performance dialogue. The paper offers an approach for formalizing the dialogue.

1. TOWARD PERFORMANCE DIALOGUE IN PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION:
THE CASE OF CITY OF TAMPERE
IRSPM2016 PMRA-Sponsored Panel: Management and Organizational Performance
Research Director Harri Laihonen, PhD & PhD Student Sari Mäntylä

2. AGENDA
1. Phenomenon
2. Theoretical frame and our approach
3. Empirical study
4. Results

3. FROM PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT TO
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Productivity
program Focus on
performance
measurement
Focus on leading
indicators
and introducing
KM Piloting learning
forums
Evaluation of KM maturity
Strategic focus on improving KM

4. Change in
environment
Management
control
challenged
Use of
performance
information
Learning
Performance
improvement
PHENOMENON
4/15/2016

5. OUR APPROACH: LEARNING FORUMS
Performance data Learning forum Dialogue outcome Impact on performance
Based on Moynihan, D.P. (2005), "Goal-based learning and the future of performance management", Public Administration
Review, 65(2), pp. 203-216.
New ways of doing

6. EMPIRICAL RESEARCH QUESTION
What kind of organization structures and management practices
support and encourage performance dialogue (use of
performance information)?

7. EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION
The case of City of Tampere,
Finland
Two steps:
1. Learning forum pilots
2. Integrating performance dialogue
in management structures

8. Kuva: http://uclu.org/articles/election-results-for-academic-and-liberation-section-committees

9. CONCLUSIONS
• This paper contributes to the literature by extending the analysis of the
determinants that affect the use of performance information to concrete
methods that would increase use.
• Learning forums seem to encourage performance dialogue about specific
performance data.
• We would like to see learning forums integrated in existing management
practices.

10. THANK YOU
You can change the world
only if you know how it works.
4/15/2016