A leadership model for the optimal institutionalisation of a results-based performance measurement and management culture in an emerging economy

Abstract

Global reform has taken place in the public sector management as different internal and external driving forces and initiatives have come together, propelling governments, organisations, programmes, and projects to be more accountable to their stakeholders. Specifically, in Ethiopia, the institutionalisation of a results-based performance measurement and management (RBPMM) culture in the public sector needs reform. Currently, the RBPMM system is accepted and adopted as a management and leadership methodology for improved public sector efficiency, effectiveness and accountability. However, much remains to be done about the optimal institutionalisation of an RBPMM culture in public sector delivery. Moreover, scholarly research has not emphasised the systematic and holistic linkages of leadership roles and tasks and an RBPMM culture in the natural resource management sector and related sectors in the emerging economies. This study aimed to develop a leadership model that drives the optimal institutionalisation of an RBPMM culture for the natural resources management sector Ethiopia and related emerging economies. Therefore, the unit of analysis for the study is managing environmental resources to enable transition (MERET) programme of the natural resource management sector of Ethiopia. A concurrent mixed method design was adopted, and data were collected simultaneously, after which the two approaches were explored and triangulated to determine to what extent the two datasets converged or diverged. The target population for this study comprises middle-level leaders, senior-level professionals, community-level leaders, community-level development agents and community-level planning and development team members. The population consisted of a total of 484 and 40 respondents for the quantitative and qualitative studies, respectively. Simple random and census sampling techniques were used to select respondents for the quantitative survey, and a purposive sampling technique was used to select key informants for the qualitative data. The realised sample comprised 228 respondents for the quantitative study and 20 key informants for the qualitative study. A Likert-type questionnaire and an interview guide were used to collect the quantitative and qualitative data. The specific unit of analysis comprised different programme implementation hierarchies (federal, regional, and district and community level). The independent variable was Effective leadership roles and tasks, and the Optimal institutionalisation of an RBPMM culture was the dependent variable. Leading and Managing for a results-based culture was the mediator variable. SPSS version/AMOS version 23 was used as the statistical package to analyse the data. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, structural equation modelling and confirmatory factor analysis were the main statistical techniques for the quantitative data, while thematic content analysis was used for analysing the qualitative data. The results reveal that the direct influence of leadership roles and tasks on the optimal institutionalisation of an RBPMM culture is not significant (r = 0.022, p = 0.848). Leadership roles and tasks significantly influence the Optimal institutionalisation of an RBPMM culture indirectly through the mediating variable (r = 0.874, p = 0.00). This finding was confirmed by both the quantitative and qualitative studies. The overall results of the study indicate that performance measurement information was adopted for control purposes and internal accountability. However, the actual use of performance measurement and management (PMM) information system to manage decision-making and wide-reaching accountability and transparency were not realised. The findings of this study may narrow the existing literature gap relating to the optimal institutionalising of an RBPMM culture in the natural resources management sector and in similar development programmes in Ethiopia and in the developing economies in general. The model could be used by policymakers and practitioners for the design and optimal institutionalisation of an RBPMM culture in their organisations.