The Performativity of Performance Management Systems A qualitative study on how performance management systems are translated within the Swedish energy sector.

Abstract

This aim of this thesis is to develop an understanding of how the idea of performance management and performance management systems are utilized within the Swedish energy sector. The purpose of the study is to gain an understanding of why performance management is developed, used, and came to its realization within the companies we analyzed. In addition, we wanted to understand how the idea of performance management systems is interpreted by the various actors to take different directions than the ones that were initially intended. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach by conducting sixteen interviews in four Swedish energy companies. The collected data was analyzed in relation to previous social science studies in the field of actor network theory (ANT). This approach was taken in order to understand how performance management systems are developed and used to correspond to the companies operations and business needs. Our conclusion will demonstrate that the concept of performance management among organizations is more than just a set of tools and components, it is a consequence of how different actors interpret these tools and components to serve their own interests within the different contexts. This thesis will provide a better understanding of how performance management systems are translated to serve various business interests. Our conclusion may inspire future researchers to focus on the concept of performance management systems from a translation perspective rather a diffusion perspective.