The Performance of Performance Standards

James Heckman, Carolyn Heinrich and Jeffrey Smith

Journal of Human Resources, 2002, vol. 37, issue 4, 778-811

Abstract: This paper examines the performance of the JTPA performance system, a widely emulated model for inducing efficiency in government organizations. We present a model of how performance incentives may distort bureaucratic decisions. We define cream skimming within the model. Two major empirical findings are (a) that the short-run measures used to monitor performance are weakly, and sometimes perversely, related to long-run impacts and (b) that the efficiency gains or losses from cream skimming are small. We find evidence that centers respond to performance standards.

Date: 2002
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (63)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/3069617
A subscription is required to access pdf files. Pay per article is available.

Related works:
Working Paper: The Performance of Performance Standards (2002)
Working Paper: The Performance of Performance Standards (2002)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:37:y:2002:i:4:p:778-811

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Journal of Human Resources from University of Wisconsin Press
Bibliographic data for series maintained by ().