Performance management in context: formative cross functional performance monitoring for improvement and the mediating role of relational coordination in hospitals
McDermott, Aoife M., Conway, EdelORCID: 0000-0003-0290-9894, Cafferkey, Kenneth, Bosak, JanineORCID: 0000-0001-5701-6538 and Flood, Patrick C.ORCID: 0000-0002-2465-7432
(2017)
Performance management in context: formative cross functional performance monitoring for improvement and the mediating role of relational coordination in hospitals.
International Journal of Human Resource Management, 30
(3).
pp. 436-456.
ISSN 0958-5192
Recent research suggests that to fully realise its potential, performance
management should be bespoke to the social context in which it operates.
Here, we analyse factors supporting the use of performance data for
improvement. The study purposively examines a developmentally oriented
performance management system with cross-functional goals. We suggest
that these system characteristics are significant in interdependent work
contexts, such as health care. We propose and test that (a) relational
coordination helps employees work effectively to resolve issues identified
through formative and cross-functional performance monitoring and (b)
that this contributes to better outcomes for both employees and patients.
Based on survey data from management and employee representatives
across Irish acute hospitals, the study found that perceptions of relational
coordination mediated the link between formative cross-functional
performance monitoringandemployeeoutcomes andpartiallymediated the
link between formative cross-functional performance monitoring and
patient care. Our findings signal potential for a more contextually driven
interdependent approach to the alignment of management and human
resource management practices. While relational coordination is
important in health care, we also note potential to identify other social
drivers supporting productive responses to performance monitoring in
different contexts.