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The purpose of this paper is to identify the fundamentals of a performance measurement system (PMS) as discussed in the literature for the past 32 years in an attempt to provide a research agenda (RA) for future research.

The paper uses a systematic review of the business, public and non-profit sector literature in examining what constitutes the fundamentals of PMS, and how these fundamentals have influenced the use of data (especially on non-financial data), development of measuring methods, measuring attributes and measuring process.

The paper finds that there are a small number of articles providing that can be considered to have provided substantial discussion of the fundamentals of PMS. While there is no consensus on what constitute the fundamentals of PMS, using content analysis, citation analysis and on the strict criteria of necessary and/or sufficient for the existence of a PMS, this paper managed to characterize the fundamentals into six categories. This paper found that the field of PMS has not change much during the past 30 or more years, and there remains various pragmatic and research gaps that need to be addressed.

The results, outcomes, and analysis of this paper have both practical and academic implications. The gaps and recommendations for future research is consolidated into a RA that provides practitioners to evaluate existing PMS, avoid issues and seek ways to develop a conceptual (theoretical) PMS that is of greater practical significance.

The results of this study contribute toward providing an update of the current state of development and research into PMS; and managed to identify existing practical issues and research gaps of PMS, and provided a RA on which ongoing and future research efforts on this topic can be built upon.

This research aimed to verify how the performance measurement system (PMS) and the quality management system (QMS) work in small and medium Brazilian enterprises in the light of the typology proposed by Garengo (2009).

Using a qualitative approach PMS’s and QMS’s managers were interviewed. The data from the first interview were analyzed using the technique of content analysis and have been subsequently triangulated with other data collected. The study was conducted by means of two questionnaires, two semi-structured interviews, and the analysis of the performance measures used by five small/medium manufactures based in the State of São Paulo.

It was found that in four out of five companies, PMS does not function singly, but along with QMS, mainly with respect to performance indicators. In spite of that intrinsic operation, the systems are in different stages of evolution. It was also found that in three out of five companies, quality management area is responsible for coordinating the process of PMS use, without effective participation from the controlling and/or accounting areas in this process.

The typology of Garengo (2009), used to check the stage of the PMS, was validated and can be used by practitioners to diagnose and improve the PMS in their enterprises; companies with QMS certified by ISO, particularly with higher degree of quality management maturity, can be encouraged to implement or improve the PMS in their organizations.

Performance measurement is a subject that has been high on the agenda for over two decades. This article proposes making a contribution to this field by discussing how to deal systematically with all the requirements a performance measurement system (PMS) should fulfil.

Different requirements suggested in the performance measurement literature from the past 20 years have been analysed in order to structure the different tasks to conduct when designing a PMS.

The article explains how to separate requirements that can be linked to a PMS and to an individual performance measure. It also suggests three system classes depending on what requirements a PMS fulfils. Finally a three‐step procedure is proposed that describes how to evaluate and improve an existing PMS in a company.

In practice, it is difficult to deal with numerous requirements simultaneously when designing a PMS. The article supplies measurement practitioners with tools to identify any priority important requirements.

Several new ideas to the field of performance measurement are introduced and explained: the concept of system classes, classification of requirements and a simple three‐step procedure to evaluate and improve PMS.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the fundamentals of a performance measurement system (PMS), in order to ascertain if they satisfy the measurement requirements of business process management (BPM) by means of a systematic review of the literature.

The paper uses meta‐analysis to systematically review and examine existing BPM and PMS from the business, non‐business and public sectors. A specific methodology using categorization concept was used to select the appropriate articles. In total, 42 relevant articles are selected and later analyzed. A subsequent content analysis of the information obtained is applied to identify the gaps in the current literature.

The growing interest in PMS has produced an extraordinarily large numbers of papers on the topic. This paper found that, by and large, the PMS as advocated by various authors for over 20 years (since 1990) failed to fulfill the measurement requirements of BPM. This is alarming, considering that past critics of PMS have indicated that the weaknesses of PMS in relation to BPM applied only in isolated or specific situations such as information technology (IT). These findings dispel the notion that a PMS is a prerequisite to the introduction of an effective BP in organizations.

This paper has identified the gaps (weaknesses) of current PMS in meeting the measurement requirements of BPM. This paper proposes a theoretical integrated framework which encompasses a management system, that combines with a measurement system and business processes, and which can be implemented using the popular value‐chain methodology to measure and compare performance within BP organizations.

The results presented contribute towards providing an updated overview of the current state of research into PMS and its relevance to BPM, in order to identify existing research gaps, issues and concerns upon which ongoing and future research efforts on this topic can be built.

This study aims to describe and understand performance measurement system (PMS) change in an emerging economy bank.

Using institutional theory as a theoretical lens, the study uses Kasurinen's accounting change model to explain management accounting change as a product of motivators, catalysts and facilitators. The model also focuses on how confusers, frustrators and delayers inhibit PMS change and the role of leaders in the change process. Data were gathered from multiple sources including relevant internal and external documents covering a ten‐year period (1997‐2007), and semi‐structured interviews with managers from different hierarchical levels.

The bank's PMS experienced two significant changes from 1997 to 2007. While uncertain economic conditions, increasing competition, and pressures to improve performance and enhance accountability motivated changes in the bank's performance measurement system, the major catalysts of change were the financial losses experienced, major regulatory changes, and the appointment of a new board of directors and president. The change leader played an important role in overcoming resistance to change and in ensuring adequate technical support and training was provided to facilitate the change.

Bank managers must be aware of the influence of institutional factors on PMSs. In particular, they need to be aware of the factors that can necessitate change (motivators), initiate change (catalysts) and the prevailing conditions required to support change (facilitators) in order to maintain the utility of PMSs.

The paper provides a more detailed insight into the impact of institutional factors on changes in PMSs in the context of an emerging economy, which will assist practitioners in addressing issues concerning PMSs changes in similar contexts.

This paper aims to clarify the notions that underlie performance measurement systems (PMS) and to propose an information systems (IS)‐based characterisation and definition of PMS, that is, as a performance management information system (PMIS).

Research on PMS can be enhanced by a clear, precise and uniform characterisation of this research object in IS terms A classification scheme is developed and the contribution areas of an IS perspective to PMS research are presented and exemplified.

The knowledge developed in IS research in the form of IS theories, models and methods can be applied in research on PMS, particularly in empirical studies that analyse the individual and organisational behaviours associated with the PMS phenomenon.

The conceptualisation and definition of PMS, as found in the literature, have not truly reflected their basic nature and characterisation as IS.

The research benefits of an IS‐based approach are illustrated through a PMS usage model founded on IS theory. In so doing, a contribution is made to the PMS research field by reinforcing its theoretical and empirical foundations.

This study proposes a novel and demonstrably useful IS‐based perspective, including an improved conceptualization and definition of PMS.

The current study aims to advance the understanding of the role of performance measurement systems (PMS) in the improvement of companies’ performance, as well to contribute to the limited knowledge of this issue in transition economies. In order to do so, performance effects of PMS are examined, testing both dominant approaches: the performance measurement diversity view and performance measurement alignment view.

A survey using questionnaire was conducted on a sample of large- and medium-sized manufacturing companies in Serbia.

The results of the research support the performance measurement diversity view, as we found evidence that a broader scope PMS is positively associated with performance. However, we also found partial support for the influence of the strategy–PMS alignment on performance.

This study investigates the complex mechanism of PMS effect on performance in a particular context – the transition economy. Moreover, this study represents a pioneering attempt to evaluate the state of performance measurement practice in Serbia and is one of the rare studies of this type on transition economies.

The literature emphasizes the important role performance measurement systems (PMS) play in supporting organizational development in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). However, there are very few empirical and theoretical studies on the factors that influence performance measurement practices in SMEs. This paper aims to contribute to filling this gap using both theoretical and empirical approaches.

A literature review and interviews were used to identify four key contingency factors for PMS in SMEs. A qualitative research design involving a multiple case study methodology was carried out to investigate how these factors influence performance measurement.

The relationship between the contingency factors and performance measurement were formalized in four theoretical propositions. First corporate governance structure is one of the main factors influencing performance measurement adoption and use. Second, advanced information practices and advanced behaviours on the part of the people involved appear to be a necessary condition for the effective implementation and use of PMS in SMEs. Third, a change in a firm's business model seems to lead to the development of an improved PMS. Finally, the successful implementation of a PMS seems to be driven by an authoritative management style.

Contingency factors were studied independently. Future research might investigate how these factors collectively influence performance measurement practices to make interdependence more explicit.

The theoretical propositions provide useful knowledge for defining a methodology and managerial tool to support performance measurement in SMEs.

This paper defines key contingency factors influencing performance measurement in SMEs; it contributes to clarifying how these factors could influence performance measurement practices in companies.

The purpose of this paper is to address the problem of designing a performance measurement system (PMS) for research and development (R&D) activities; in particular, it investigates if and how different objectives for the PMS use influence the design of its constitutive elements.

A literature review was first conducted, aimed at identifying the constitutive elements of a PMS for R&D and the major purposes for its use. Then, a multiple case study involving four Italian technology‐intensive firms was undertaken for investigating the relationship between PMS constitutive elements and measurement purposes.

Different PMS objectives imply significantly different design choices for constitutive elements. Even when companies are very different in terms of size and sector of activity, similar objectives lead to very similar PMSs.

The research is qualitative. Further research should aim to increase the rationality and objectivity of the proposed relationships and explore the joint effects of the measurement objectives and other contextual factors on the measurement system design.

R&D managers who plan to design a PMS for their departments can follow the guidelines suggested in the paper to tune the basic features of the PMS to the real objectives they mean to pursue.

It is the first attempt, to the best knowledge of the authors, that explicitly and practically suggests how to tailor the design of each PMS's constitutive element according to the objectives that are pursued.

Implementing a performance measurement system (PMS) for research and new product development (R&NPD) is fundamental for supporting decision making but is a challenging task, because effort levels are not measurable and success is highly uncertain. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the design of a PMS in R&NPD in a case study based on the balanced scorecard and Lynch and Cross's pyramidal framework.

The case study regards Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei that was thought to be a proper company for the empirical analysis for its strong reliance on R&NPD activities, the adoption of a PMS in the R&NPD department and the lack of contributions in the literature that investigate the design of a PMS for R&NPD function in the context of the military industry.

Relevant managerial implications can be drawn: there is the need for different perspectives in measuring performance in an NPD environment, beyond the iron triangle (time, cost and quality); the use of different perspectives/indicators allows tailoring PMS to the specific object of control, coherently with the need to identify specific responsibilities for each measured performance; the adoption of different performance perspectives/indicators should not prevent a holistic view of performance, in which the different performance perspectives/indicators are related with the overall R&NPD economic performance and implementation matters: sharing with people the measurement aim/characteristics make the PMS understandable and acceptable.

Although this subject has been debated in the literature, more study of applications in real contexts is needed.