Performance indicators, motivation, and productivity: a case study in the UK’s non-profit cultural heritage sector

This research will explore performance indicators in the UK’s non-profit
cultural heritage sector and investigate the factors that give performance
indicators motivational power in that context. The metrics that are used to
monitor performance in museums and archives are less robust than those
used in the commercial sector largely because, without the unambiguous
aim of profit, the desired outputs and outcomes are often poorly articulated.
In addition, stakeholders hold a range of views on the purpose of
performance indicators. The research will build and expand on previous
work on how to monitor productivity in the non-profit sector, including work
by the Productivity Institute. There is literature on performance
measurement in the non-profit cultural heritage sector specifically, but it is
not extensive. In addition to filling a gap in the academic literature this
research will have practical application. At a time of budgetary pressure
improved knowledge of how performance indicators can be used to
motivate people will help managers and strategic leaders make better use of
their resources. The findings will contribute to investment decision making
and business planning process in this sector and, potentially, have
application beyond the non-profit cultural heritage sector.
The key research question is – What factors give performance indicators
motivational power in the non-profit heritage sector?
The research will be conducted over a six-month period using a mixture of
qualitative and quantitative methods. The cultural heritage institutions have
been recruited using a snowball and convenience sampling approach.