At What Price Progress? When Performance Improvement is All That Matters

Performance improvement activities are an important means of establishing accountability and transparency for public and nonprofit organizations. Too often, however, the organization's singular focus on performance measurement is seen by employees as the goal itself, not simply a means to an end. Improperly translated and communicated, performance goals can become the mission, derailing the original purpose of the quality improvement activities. When mission focus is replaced with an emphasis on performance standards, the organization is at higher risk for declines in employee morale, unethical behaviors to meet unrealistic goals, a decline in creativity, and, in some instances, organizational failures. Examples of mission and goal misalignment are provided through case studies to demonstrate the negative organizational effects that result when performance improvement activities or benchmarking steer an organization to meet outcomes that are subordinate to the ultimate organizational mission. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]