Performance Effects of Using the Balanced Scorecard: A Note on the Dutch Experience

This article aims to contribute to understanding how to use the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) effectively. The BSC lends itself to various interpretations. This article explores how the way in which the BSC is used affects performance. Empirical evidence from Dutch firms suggests BSC use will not automatically improve company performance, but that the manner of its use matters: BSC use that complements corporate strategy positively influences company performance, while BSC use that is not related to the strategy may decrease it. We discuss the findings and offer managers guidance for optimal use of the BSC.     

R&D project evaluation: An integrated DEA and balanced scorecard approach

We present and demonstrate a multi-criteria approach for evaluating R&D projects in different stages of their life cycle. Our approach integrates the balanced scorecard (BSC) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) and develops an extended DEA model. The input and output measures for the integrated DEA–BSC model are grouped in “cards” which are associated with a “BSC for R&D projects”. The BSC is embedded in the DEA model through a hierarchical structure of constraints that reflect the BSC balance considerations. We illustrate the proposed approach with a case study involving an industrial research laboratory that selects and executes dozens of R&D projects every year.     

Discussing feedback system thinking in relation to scenario evaluation in a balanced scorecard setup

Since the emergence of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) at the beginning of the 1990s, literature has intensively discussed the problems of the cause-and-effect relationships, the time-delay elements between measures and perspectives and the concepts of feedback loops. This article focuses on the use of the System Dynamics Modelling approach to deal with these three problems, an approach first suggested by Forrester back in 1958. The wide scope of application of BSC as a decision-supporting instrument continues to spur the interest in BSC. We have used an actual case as inspiration on which our model construction and our simulation scenarios are based. Our findings suggest that the idea of linking BSC and System Dynamics together based on properties of the systems dynamic nature seem to be both a natural and a relevant development. Furthermore, our simulations demonstrate the ability to: (1) provide a scheme for the translation of the strategy into operational terms and at the same time (2) offer possibilities for the decision maker to be able to evaluate the plan–do–review results based on the feedbacks, specifically in a risk evaluating context.     

政策性负担与企业的预算软约束:来自中国的实证研究

社会主义经济中的国有企业一旦发生亏损,政府常常要追加投资、增加贷款、减少税收、并提供财政补贴,这种现象被亚诺什·科尔奈(Kornai,1986)称为“预算软约束”。究竟是什么原因导致了预算软约束的存在,是理论界争论的热点问题之一。本文分析了预算软约束现象的根源。我们认为是政策性负担而不是所有制归属导致了此现象。本文的目的在于用中国工业企业的统计资料来检验政策性负担对预算软约束的影响,以及其他竞争性理论观点的正确性和可靠性。我们的假说得到了经验证据的支持。     

Strategic performance measurement in a healthcare organisation: A multiple criteria approach based on balanced scorecard

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) methodology focuses on major critical issues of modern business organisations: the effective measurement of corporate performance and the evaluation of the successful implementation of corporate strategy. Despite the increased adoption of the BSC methodology by numerous business organisations during the last decade, limited case studies concern non-profit organisations (e.g. public sector, educational institutions, healthcare organisations, etc.). The main aim of this study is to present the development of a performance measurement system for public health care organisations, in the context of BSC methodology. The proposed approach considers the distinguished characteristics of the aforementioned sector (e.g. lack of competition, social character of organisations, etc.). The proposed measurement system contains the most important financial performance indicators, as well as non-financial performance indicators that are able to examine the quality of the provided services, the satisfaction of internal and external customers, the self-improvement system of the organisation and the ability of the organisation to adapt and change. These indicators play the role of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), in the context of BSC methodology. The presented analysis is based on a MCDA approach, where the UTASTAR method is used in order to aggregate the marginal performance of KPIs. This approach is able to take into account the preferences of the management of the organisation regarding the achievement of the defined strategic objectives. The main results of the proposed approach refer to the evaluation of the overall scores for each one of the main dimensions of the BSC methodology (i.e. financial, customer, internal business process, and innovation-learning). These results are able to help the organisation to evaluate and revise its strategy, and generally to adopt modern management approaches in every day practise.     

基于经营绩效评价表的经营绩效评价体系

本文具体介绍了20世纪90年代在美国兴起,并迅速推广应用的企业经营绩效评估法——BSC(BalancedScorecard)法,并着重探讨了BSC法的核心与优势。BSC是建立在“综合平衡观”、“战略观”基础上的综合绩效评估体系,它除了传统的财务绩效衡量指标外,还融合了三类非财务绩效衡量指标,包括顾客导向、企业内部业务流程、学习创新与成长等长期性绩效指标。BSC突破了传统绩效评估的局限性,也超越了单纯的绩效评价功能,它把传统意义上的业绩评价还原于企业的竞争能力,把管理绩效和长远发展规律紧密联系起来,是对传统绩效评价观念与模式的一次重大改革。     

基于证据推理的平衡计分卡及其在绩效评估中的应用

运用传统平衡计分卡进行绩效评估时,难以处理各种不确定评价。基于此,文章提出了基于证据推理的平衡计分卡框架,构建了一个具有多种评价集的多级分布式评价模型,依据基于规则的转换技术实现不同识别框架下评价的统一,运用解析算法对多级评价指标上的不确定评价进行有效合成,根据合成结果制定效用准则或最大等级准则进行绩效评估。将基于证据推理的平衡计分卡体系应用于江航公司敏感元件事业部的绩效评估,体现研究的有效性与合理性。     

Integrating the Data Envelopment Analysis and the Balanced Scorecard approaches for enhanced performance assessment

This article presents the development of a conceptual framework which aims to assess Decision Making Units (DMUs) from multiple perspectives. The proposed conceptual framework combines the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) method with the non-parametric technique known as Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) by using various interconnected models which try to encapsulate four perspectives of performance (financial, customers, internal processes, learning and growth).The practical relevance of the conceptual model has been tested by using it to assess the performance of DMUs in a multinational company which operates in two business areas. Various models were developed with the collaboration of the directors of the company in order to conceive an appropriate and consensual framework, which may provide useful information for the company. The application of the conceptual framework provides structured information regarding the performance of each DMU (from multiple perspectives) and ways to improve it. By integrating the BSC and the DEA approaches this research helps to identify where there is room for improving organisational performance and points out opportunities for reciprocal learning between DMUs. In doing so, this article provides a set of recommendations relating to the successful application of DEA and its integration with the BSC, in order to promote a continuous learning process and to bring about improvements in performance.     

An integrated approach to evaluation and planning of best practices

This paper develops a new integrated evaluation and planning approach for implementing a given set of best practices in a prioritized and phased manner. The best practices are implemented for achieving lower-level business unit objectives and higher-level strategic goals of an organization. With a multiattribute decision making algorithm under the balanced scorecard (BSC) framework, a new evaluation model is developed to effectively measure the relationship between lower-level objectives and higher-level goals, and to give each best practice a relative priority value. A new adjustment method is also developed to address potential biases in the self-assessment process at the business unit level. The evaluation model enables the prioritization and implementation planning of best practices in terms of their importance and achievability from the viewpoints of the organization, four BSC strategic perspectives, individual business units, and the overall implementation planning zone. An empirical study is conducted to demonstrate the applicability and effectiveness of the integrated evaluation and planning approach.     

Performance measurement of supply chain management using the analytical hierarchy process

Performance measurement of supply chain management (SCM) is a rapidly growing multi-criteria decision-making problem owing to the large number of factors affecting decision-making. The right choice of performance metrics and measures is critical to the success and competitiveness of the firms in the era of globalisation. Recognising the multiple objective nature of the problem, this paper proposes the use of the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) methodology as aid in making SCM evaluation decisions. For pair-wise comparison in AHP, a survey methodology is used. The methodology presented can help firms to prioritise and formulate viable performance measurement strategies in the volatile and complex global decision environment from different balanced scorecard (BSC) perspectives. A demonstration of the application of this methodology in a real life problem is presented.     

Planning in a nationalized industry

In times of uncertainty, the art of forward planning becomes—paradoxically—of even greater importance to industry. But how do you plan both flexibly and effectively? In this speech to the Society for Long Range Planning at the Royal Society on 11 March 1975, BSC's managing director finance, Leonard Kingshott described how the BSC tackles the problem.     

基于BSC和EVA整合战略管理的应用研究

战略管理是企业成功的关键所在。目前企业战略管理面临的一个最大问题是精心制定的战略无法得到有效的实施。本文引入平衡记分卡与经济增加值两个互补性很强的管理工具,运用层次分析法将其整合为公司全面的战略管理框架及其评价体系,以推动企业战略的成功实施。     

企业隐性知识导航方法研究

在对企业隐性知识特性及其研究现状分析的基础上,提出了企业隐性知识导航方法。该方法包括2个方面内容:基于平衡计分卡的专家导航方法,充分考虑了专家之间的能力差别;基于多关系专家网络的专家导航路径查询方法和相关专家查询方法,充分考虑了专家之间的多重关系,该方法为管理者发现及考核专家提供了依据。在此基础上,利用社会网络分析工具Sociom etryP ro对专家网络进行评价,得到了专家个人特征结果,并指出了改善企业隐性知识共享的具体措施。     

风险条件下研发项目改进DEA选择模型

研发项目是企业提高竞争力的关键,研发项目选择关系到企业的战略和未来发展趋势。研发项目在生命周期内面临技术风险、突发风险和市场风险,本文考虑到研发项目的风险特征,结合企业战略,构建了基于效率排序的研发项目选择模型。首先,本文对研发项目的有效性和相对于其它备选项目的相对优势进行分析;然后针对数据包络分析模型排序的不足,结合平衡计分卡理念,规范研发项目投入的比例,引入实物期权理论,改进数据包络分析模型,实现了对研发项目的效率排序;最后通过实际算例对模型进行验证、横向对比和敏感性分析,结果表明：相对于标准数据包络分析模型,本文提出的模型具有更高的效率区分度,并且能够敏感地捕捉到研发项目投入和产出的变化对效率影响的演变过程。     

Stakeholder value disclosures: anchoring on primacy and importance of financial and nonfinancial performance measures

In the growing debate about stakeholder values, there has been little discussion about information overload or whether the requested disclosures can be effectively used. Stakeholder advocates call for complicated and massive environmental and related social disclosures while not considering how information overload might affect the discourse about corporate performance. Stakeholders, including shareholders, plead for more transparency in financial statements, management discussion and analysis (MDA), and other corporate disclosures. As we know, shareholders and boards of directors are most concerned with the ‘Holy Trinity’ of earnings per share, dividends and market value changes. We believe that managers and stakeholders involved in performance evaluations have multiple interests that extend beyond traditional shareholder value measures. We note that the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) was developed as one tool to reflect and communicate these multiple measures. We test how managers use (or ignore) multiple performance measures and we posit that stakeholders will face many of the same constraints when using and processing multiple disclosures including Corporate Social Reports (CSR), environmental, or similar disclosures. While we do not directly test a wide variety of stakeholder disclosures, we examine eight (four for a single subject) shareholder values (financial measures) and four stakeholder values (nonfinancial measures). The eight measures included in our research instruments serve as proxies for the multiple concerns that might be of interest to many stakeholders. Note that stakeholders are likely to be extremely interested in nonfinancial performance measures, while many shareholders will likely concentrate on financial performance measures. Field research has reported managers tend to favor financial measures while discounting or ignoring nonfinancial measures when evaluating subordinates, making it difficult to align performance evaluations and incentives with corporate strategies (Ittner et al. Account Rev 78:725–758, 2003). In this study, we find the relative weights managers place on financial and nonfinancial performance measures are influenced by both (1) presentation order and (2) the relative importance of specific measures. When financial measures are presented first, the manager who performs better on financial measures is rated higher than the manager who performs better on nonfinancial measures. However, when nonfinancial measures are presented first, managers who excel on nonfinancial measures are rated higher. Reports that include financial measures that are relatively more (less) important also produce higher (lower) ratings for the manager who excels on financial measures. Thus, the relative weights that superiors place on financial and nonfinancial measures in evaluating corporate managers’ performance are substantially anchored both by the order in which measures are presented as well as by the importance of the specific performance measures employed. Other stakeholder disclosures are likely to be similarly anchored, perhaps biased, by primacy and a priori importance rankings.     

Plasma level of catecholamines and lipids when speaking before an audience

Adrenaline and noradrenaline as well as total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides were determined in 10 male subjects on the day of a public speech as well as on a control day. In the course of the public speech, a major rise of adrenaline and noradrenaline, by the factors of 2.7 and 1.9 respectively, was found. Furthermore, in comparison to the values of the control day, there was a rise in total cholesterol by 14.0 mg/dl as well as in LDL and HDL cholesterol. The triglycerides did not alter appreciably. The results are compatible with the hypothesis of a raised lipid level after acute emotional stress. The lipid mobilizing effect of catecholamines is discussed as a possible cause.     

Load-oriented manufacturing control just-in-time production for job shops

The paper describes the principles of load-oriented manufacturing control as a new solution for job shops and its successful implementation in a pump-manufacturing factory. The idea of load-oriented manufacturing control is to limit and balance work-in-process inventory on a level as low as possible in order to accomplish a high work-centre utilization as well as a rapid and in-time flow of orders. As the new system keeps actual lead times on a planned level in a self-regulating way, it allows reliable due-date scheduling. Furthermore it points out the bottlenecks and performs applicable mid-term and short-term capacity planning.     

Multi-objective optimization in partitioning the healthcare system of Parana State in Brazil

Motivated by a proposal of the local authority for improving the existing healthcare system in the Parana State in Brazil, this article presents an optimization-based model for developing a better system for patients by aggregating various health services offered in the municipalities of Parana into some microregions. The problem is formulated as a multi-objective partitioning of the nodes of an undirected graph (or network) with the municipalities as the nodes and the roads connecting them as the edges of the graph. Maximizing the population homogeneity in the microregions, maximizing the variety of medical procedures offered in the microregions, and minimizing the inter-microregion distances to be traveled by patients are considered as three objective functions of the problem. An integer-coded multi-objective genetic algorithm is adopted as the optimization tool, which yields a significant improvement to the existing healthcare system map of the Parana State. The results obtained may have a strong impact on the healthcare system management in Parana. The model proposed here could be a useful tool to aid the decision-making in health management, as well as for better organization of any healthcare system, including those of other Brazilian States.     

Developing a questionnaire for the four-stage model of operations strategy

The development of a questionnaire to classify an organization's operations in accordance with the Hayes and Wheelwright four-stage model is described. Despite its widespread acceptance, little practical application of the model is reported in the literature. This questionnaire offers the means of analysing the strategic role played by operations in an organization, and will be of use to managers, consultants, researchers and others conducting a strategic audit of an organization's operations. The paper uses the results of a large-scale postal survey using the questionnaire to test its usefulness as a research instrument in practice. The survey indicated that the questionnaire is a useful research instrument across a wide range of UK organizations, services as well as manufacturers, not for profits as well as profit seekers. The results of follow-up interviews with multiple respondents in three organizations are also reported. These highlighted a number of ways that the questionnaire might be improved.     

The use of demand information in selecting production plans and schedules

The strategic problem of selecting a production plan for a given planning horizon is usually treated as independent of the tactical problem of scheduling the production plan. This paper approaches both selecting the production plan and scheduling it as one problem. The problem is formulated as a zero-one integer program. The formulation accommodates many real-life considerations. The integer program is solved using a branch and bound procedure which provides the optimal production plan and schedule as well as the importance indices of the orders, a concept which is introduced and used in this study to rank the available orders within the planning horizon according to their importance to the firm. The integer program and the search procedure can be used as a decision supporting tool to respond to any changes in the demand information, capacity of the firm, or its operating strategy, and it guarantees the selection of feasible production plan(s) and optimal schedules.