Rethinking Performance Measurement: Beyond the Balanced Scorecard / Edition 1

by Marshall W. Meyer

Overview

Performance measurement remains a vexing problem for business firms and other kinds of organizations. The "balanced scorecard", widely touted as a solution to problems of performance measurement and strategic planning, has no strong basis in theory. Moreover, implementation of the "balanced scorecard" may create many more problems than it solves. This text returns to the fundamentals by asking what is the performance of the firm, can this performance be measured, and what are reasonable second-best measures if the first-best measures we would like to have are not available.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521812436
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	01/09/2003
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	220
Product dimensions:	6.34(w) x 9.41(h) x 0.83(d)

About the Author

MARSHALL W. MEYER is Professor of Management and Sociology at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. Why are performance measures so bad?; 2. The running down of performance measures; 3. In search of balance; 4. From cost drivers to revenue drivers; 5. Learning from ABPA; 6. Managing and strategising with ABPA; Notes; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"This book is a must-buy for any senior managers of service firms that aspire to have their companies survive and prosper even as competition inevitably increases. Building on a platform of insightful field work Meyer uses a compelling and incisive logic to propose a monitoring and measurement methodology (APBA) that allows firms to simultaneously pursue customer differentiation on the customer front and efficiency on the functional front all by driving strategic decision-making down to the level of the customer." Professor Ian C MacMillan, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

"Rethinking Performance Measurement challenges fundamentally some of the assumptions held about measurement today." Professor Andy Neely, Cranfield School of Management

"I really like this book. It takes an honest look at the balanced scorecard and offers an alternative approach that addresses many of the problems associated with the scorecard approach. This book is a 'must read' for managers in balanced scorecard organizations!" Professor Harold Doty, School of Management, Syracuse University

"There is much management theory and much management practice and mountains of books on each. This is a rare book that seeks to use theory to enhance practice. It takes as fundamental that performance measurement always skews behavior so we had better get better at measuring what is really important and always realise we will never get it exactly right, but that is no reason not to do it." Professor Sandra Dawson, Judge Institute of Management Studies, University of Cambridge

"Meyer challenges the traditional tenets of long-term performance measurement with a compelling argument for rejecting the 'balanced scorecard theory'.... The six succinct chapters skillfully intertwine the author's thorough research with contemporary management practice. Highly recommended." Choice

From the Publisher