How the source of performance information matters to learning on the front-lines: evidence from a survey experiment

Despite the widespread implementation of performance management in public organizations, we know little about how contextual factors influence frontline employees’ perceptions of performance information. This study contributes to the literature by developing and empirically testing hypotheses stating that the source of the performance information matters to frontline employees’ perceptions and willingness to use performance information for learning purposes. We test the hypotheses in a survey experiment including 1926 public high school teachers in Denmark. The findings show that frontline employees exposed to performance information from vertical sources (the management) rather than from horizontal sources (colleagues in learning forums or the employees themselves) are less likely to perceive performance information as relevant and useful, and less willing to use the information for learning activities. The findings have important policy implications for the design of performance management in public organizations.