Universidade de Aveiro Departamento de Ciências Sociais, Políticas e do
Território
2012
Ana Isabel Pires Beato Estruturas de governança e sistemas de gestão de
Alves de Melo
desempenho em universidades: um estudo
comparativo entre o Reino Unido e Portugal
Governance structures and performance
management systems in universities: a comparative
study between the UK and Portugal
Dissertação apresentada à Universidade de Aveiro para cumprimento dos
requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Doutor em Ciências Sociais
(Doutoramento Europeu), realizada sob a orientação científica da Doutora
Cláudia Sofia Sarrico Ferreira da Silva, Professora Associada com Agregação
do Departamento de Gestão do Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão da
Universidade Técnica de Lisboa e co-orientação da Doutora Zoe Jane Radnor,
Professor, Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University.
Apoio financeiro da FCT
Programa POPH
o júri
presidente
Profª. Doutora Nilza Maria Vilhena Nunes da Costa
Professora Catedrática do Departamento de Educação da Universidade de Aveiro
Prof. Doutor Bjørn Stensaker
Professor, Department of Educational Research, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of
Oslo
Profª. Doutora Zoe Jane Radnor
Professor, Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University (Co-Orientadora)
Profª. Doutora Cláudia Sofia Sarrico Ferreira da Silva
Professora Associada com Agregação do Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão da
Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (Orientadora)
Prof. Doutor Pedro Nuno de Freitas Lopes Teixeira
Professor Associado da Faculdade de Economia da Universidade do Porto
Prof. Doutor André Azevedo Alves
Professor Auxiliar Convidado do Departamento de Ciências Sociais, Políticas e do Território da
Universidade de Aveiro
keywords
Performance Measurement, Performance Management, Performance
Management Systems, Governance, Higher Education, Universities, United
Kingdom, Portugal, University of Warwick, University of Aveiro
abstract
Similarly to what happened in many public organisations, universities have
been facing increasing pressures to change, having to rethink their traditional
forms of governance and management, putting a new emphasis on the
implementation of performance management systems (PMS). Although there
are several studies on performance, these have not focused on the use of
performance information. Moreover, and even though a lot of changes
happened in the governance of these institutions, there are few studies that
relate governance and performance. Thus, this research aims at exploring how
universities are measuring, reporting and managing performance and how
governance structures relate to it. To achieve the research aim, a comparative
study between Portuguese and British universities was conducted. Data was
collected through the use of a qualitative methodology, being the methods used
documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews to members of each
institution’s governing and management bodies.
Data analysis showed the inexistence of a fully integrated performance
management system (PMS) at both institutions, mainly due to the lack of
management practices. Indeed, despite some reports on the 'positive use' of
performance information in both cases, some interviewees reported the 'nonuse' of the data collected, especially in relation to individual performance, and
others the 'misuse' of that data, with practices of gaming and misrepresentation
being reported. In order to overcome some of these problems, data showed the
co-existence of two governance structures in both universities: a formal'
structure, composed of all the governing bodies, with a more 'symbolic' role;
and a 'parallel' structure, composed of more agile bodies that manage the
university on a daily basis.
Several factors were perceived to affect, either negatively or positively, PMS in
both institutions, being labelled 'inhibitors' and determinants', respectively. The
research showed that even though structures are important for the
implementation and functioning of PMS, there are other factors that need to be
taken into consideration when building a PMS, namely the level of
communication and the level of involvement of different actors in the process.
These two factors are regarded as particularly relevant for the integration of
measurement, reporting and management practices. This integration of
practices, together with other changes that started to occur in terms of
governance, will most likely contribute to the desired move from performance
management to performance governance, where instead of governing
performance, institutions will be governing for performance.