This course discusses some of the challenges and potential for managing that are implied by underlying assumptions of performance management. There is a well-known expression in the performance management literature which reads: “What gets measured gets done!” The statement summarizes one of the perhaps most common motives for measuring performance in an organization. Meanwhile, the past decades have seen dramatic increases in the explicit use of performance management techniques for measuring, controlling and managing organizational performance and it can be argued that we now live in a “performance measurement society”. The rationale behind these developments has been that making performance assessments of various kinds lead to better organizational performance. The course seeks to provide a constructive and critical survey of the topic performance management, thereby enhancing the students’ competence within the field of performance management.

The course consists of a combination of lectures, seminars and group work and requires a significant portion of self-study on the part of students. Assessment for the course is carried throughout the different activities of the course.

The course workload is 200 hours equivalent to 7,5 ECTS (40 hours per week equivalent to 1,5 ECTS).

The language of instruction is English. Please note that all teaching and learning activities - such as lectures, seminars, assignments and assessment tasks – are carried out in English when the language of instruction is English.

Intended Learning Outcomes
The aim of the course is twofold. First, after completing the course the student should have obtained knowledge about different techniques and methods of performance management. Second, after completing the course the student should be able relate different performance management techniques to each other and to problematize / critically examine different performance management techniques on the basis of the course literature. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding
1. Recall and describe various performance management techniques that are taught in the course.

Skills and abilities
2. Apply the course literature and the information obtained during lectures and seminars to problematize/critically examine organizational performance management and the various performance management techniques that are taught in the course.
3. Argue, both orally and in written text, for and against various performance management techniques by referring to relevant scientific literature.
4. Relate the various performance management techniques that are taught in the course to each other.

Judgement and approach
5. Critically reflect and elaborate on the underlying assumptions of performance management techniques.