Contrasting and explaining purposeful and legitimizing uses of performance information: a mayor's perspective. Issue 4 (2nd April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Korac, Sanja; Saliterer, Iris; Sicilia, Mariafrancesca; Steccolini, Ileana
• Is Part Of: Public management review. Volume 22:Issue 4(2020)
• Page Start: 553
• Page End: 577
• Publication Date: 2020-04-02
• Subjects: Performance information use -- local government -- purposeful use -- legitimizing use -- mayor; Local government -- Periodicals; Public administration -- Periodicals; 351.05
• DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2019.1599059
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-9037

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This study looks at purposeful and legitimizing types of performance information use in local governments. Drawing on a survey of Austrian mayors who are at the politico-administrative apex of local government, the paper shows that purposeful and legitimizing uses of performance information coexist, but they appear to be negatively associated. In exploring the contextual and organizational conditions under which legitimizing uses prevail over purposeful ones, the analysis shows that oversight (coercive) and political (normative) pressures, hierarchical culture, and low-performance information availability foster the dominance of the legitimizing use type over the purposeful one.