Performance management in times of crisis

Abstract

This article critically examines perfor- mance management. Performance management is an overall trend in manage- ment that focuses on Key Performance Indicators, generating and utilizing knowledge about the performance of employees in or- der to generate constant organizational performance and improvement. In the article we examine whether performance management is an effective management discipline in our contemporary times. We argue that our contemporary times after the financial crisis are more complex and filled with ambiguities than ever. In order to practice effective organizational leadership, this means that leaders must be able to navigate in and handle increasingly complex realities. Based on a theoretical discussion, exemplified by empirical materials, we argue that the performance management objectives of control, management and learning must be well-balanced and skillfully implemented in organizational practices for this discipline to actually support individual and organizational high-performance in times of complexity and ambiguity.