Obtaining Comparable Measures of Organizational Performance
An Application to U.S. Federal Agencies, 2002–2024
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11680430 |
|---|---|
| Authors | George Krause (0000-0001-6076-2363, University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA), David E Lewis (0000-0002-0803-0074, Vanderbilt University Nashville Tennessee USA) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-08 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0276-8739 • E-ISSN: 1520-6688 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/pam.70064 |
| OpenAlex | W4416042950 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 51 |
Evaluating the comparative performance of U.S. federal agencies is difficult, particularly since both tasks and missions vary so dramatically. In addition, forces beyond an agency's control (e.g., COVID, an economic downturn, etc.) can determine outcomes even when agencies are performing at a high level. In this paper, we introduce a new approach to measuring organizational performance, something conceptually distinct from, but correlated with, both organizational inputs and outcomes. This measurement approach focuses on how well the internal machinery of agencies is functioning. We analyze a vast trove of subjective and objective performance information and aggregate it using a Bayesian structural equation measurement (BSEM) model. We isolate organizational performance from inputs and outcomes through careful model specification, information from the BSEM models, and model identification through a careful evaluation of different models and diagnostics. Our analysis yields 2479 organizational performance estimates for 135 U.S. federal departments and agencies spanning 19 years between 2002 and 2024. We explore the validity of these estimates by comparing them with other measures of similar or related concepts. We conclude by discussing the implications of our measurement approach and its usefulness for evaluating organizational performance in diverse and changing contexts
Public Service Performance
Structural Equation Modeling
Subjective and objective measures of organizational performance
Measuring Organizational Performance
Concepts and Indicators of Local Authority Performance
The “Levels” Problem in Assessing Organizational Climate
Understanding the Model Size Effect on SEM Fit Indices
Does public managers' type of education affect performance in public organizations? A systematic review
Does Measuring Performance Lead to Better Performance
Organizational adaptation, task complexity, and effective administration of unemployment programs in the American states
Does agency competition improve the quality of policy analysis? Evidence from OMB and CBO fiscal projections
Objective and Subjective Performance Measures
Does Performance Management Lead to Better Outcomes? Evidence from the U.S. Public Transit Industry
Assessing the Past and Promise of the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey for Public Management Research
Executive Succession and the Performance of Public Organizations
The Validity of Subjective Performance Measures
Goal Ambiguity and Organizational Performance in U.S. Federal Agencies
A dynamic study of citizen satisfaction
Politicization and Expertise
Characterizing Agencies’ Political Environments
Elite Perceptions of Agency Ideology and Workforce Skill
Testing Pendleton's Premise
Measuring the Impact of Appointee Vacancies on US Federal Agency Performance
Government Checking Government
The Performance-Trust Link
Tools of Control? Comparing Congressional and Presidential Performance Management Reforms
Models of Performance-Measurement Use in Local Governments
Performance in Public Organizations
Assessing the Effects of Organizational Resources on Public Agency Performance
Do Vacancies Hurt Federal Agency Performance
Testing the Expectancy Disconfirmation Model of Citizen Satisfaction with Local Government
Measuring Agency Attributes with Attitudes Across Time
The Government Performance and Results Act and the Tradition of Federal Management Reform
Subjective Organizational Performance and Measurement Error
The Consequences of Presidential Patronage for Federal Agency Performance
Why Elephants Gallop
Agency Political Ideology and Reform Implementation
Comparing Public and Private Organizations
Presidential Investment in the Administrative State
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |