Performance Management in Local Governments: A Survey of Political Appointees and Civil Servants in Taiwan
Eric Rong-Yang Huang,* Yan-Yi Chang,**
Chun-Yuan Wang,*** and Ming-Feng Kuo****
Abstract
Performance evaluation and management have been adopted by Taiwanese central level authorities since decades ago. Most of local governments did not take action until 2004 when a relevant system was introduced. However, this system was terminated in 2010 due to poor results. From the viewpoint of policy responsiveness and performance audit requirement, local governments still pay close attention to a look for a proper mode of performance management.
In response to the impacts of globalization and new public policy issues, many countries have adopted different kinds of performance measurement mechanism to become more efficient and provide better public services - part of efforts to promote their decision-making and execution abilities. Literature has also shown that local governance has now become one of core issues of public governance in Taiwan. Nevertheless, how do people inside government isstitutions view the process changing of management mechanism changed? What are the differences between political appointees and civil servants in their attitudes toward and expectations to current local government performance management in Taiwan? Unfortunately, the empirical data and information are insufficient.
This study begins by reviewing literature of governmental performance management and organizational behavior for exploring analytic framework of research. Four categories of political/administrative views of performance management are identified in this research. They are creativeness, compliance, incrementalism, and resistance. Then, some 488 first-level departments in 22 municipals and county (city) governments in Taiwan weere been surveyed through the questionnaires. A total of 976 questionnaires comprise for two respondents in every select department including the director or deputy-director and, the staff member responsible for performance management of the department were sent out and 644 valid responses were returned, yielding a return rate of 65.98%. The results show some differences in the beliefs, recognition and attitudes toward government performance management between political appointees and civil servants. Hence, it may identify these divergences can be identified to adopt various strategies for performance management of local governments.
Keywords: local government, performance management, political
appointee, civil servant
* Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Public Affairs and Management, Kainan University.
E-mail: eryh@mail.knu.edu.tw.
** Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Social and Policy Science, Yuanze University.
E-mail: d9135005@ccu.edu.tw.
*** Assistant Professor, Department of Police Administration, Central Police University.
E-mail: g885422@seed.net.tw.
**** Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Political Science, National Taiwan University.
E-mail: mingfeng.kuo@gmail.com.
http://www.exam.gov.tw/public/Data/212320234771.pdf