Target setting for evolutionary and revolutionary process change

Considers the relationship between the types of targets or benchmarks used and reward structures adopted in two contrasting performance improvement st rategies continuous improvement and radical change. Hypothesises that the P rocess of target setting and the reward structures adopted will be differen t between the two strategies. The propositions are that organisations invol ved in continuous improvement of a process will base their performance targ ets on past performance and internal benchmarking, arrived at through consu ltation and with a mixture of financial and non-financial rewards for achie ving targets. For processes involving radical change, targets will be based on external benchmarks imposed by senior management, with financial reward s for their achievement. The findings from a semi-structured questionnaire conducted in 40 UK service organisations reveal that most continuous improv ement targets were based on past performance and that processes undergoing radical change made limited use of external benchmarks. In the majority of cases, targets were imposed by managers without consultation, with rewards linked to the achievement of those targets. Financial rewards, particularly financial bonuses, predominated in both improvement strategies. The implic ations are that the potential benefits of adopting process changes are bein g constrained. In continuous improvement the lack of participation in targe t setting could be undermining the team-based empowerment philosophy of the strategy. The aim of radical change is to achieve a paradigm shift involvi ng revolutionary rather than evolutionary change which is less likely to be fulfilled with targets based on past performance.