Public Officials’ Gaming of Performance Measures and Targets: The Nexus between Motivation and Opportunity

Instead of using performance data to help improve organizational performance, many public officials have responded to the implementation of performance measurement (PM) systems in their organizations by gaming these systems. While research on the dysfunctional effects of PM is growing, we are still in search of frameworks and theories that are capable of explaining the causes of PM gaming by public organizations and officials. This research proposes that PM gaming is a product of the motivation of the officials and the opportunity presented by the context. It articulates specific propositions and presents a causal model that aims to provide a more systematic explanation about the main causes of PM gaming.