Power and Performance: A Field Study of the Rise and Fall of an Institutional Entrepreneur

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how performance measurement and management (PMM) practices are implicated in the exercise of power in organizations through the theoretical lens of institutional entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach – The paper builds on a longitudinal field study in a Chinese local government department conducted over a period of six years. Findings – The incomplete shift between moraland merit-based performance logics in the Chinese government sector fostered opportunities for institutional entrepreneurship and power struggles in the organization under examination. The institutional entrepreneur initially balanced successfully between these logics, but was ultimately forced to resign as the power relationships forged through her manoeuvering were radically reversed. This process was intricately intertwined with the construction of shifting conceptions of her performance engendered by the ambiguity associated with the incomplete shift between performance logics. Research implications – The paper explores the intricate relationships between power and PMM whilst shedding new light on the possibilities of balancing between different aspects of performance and how notions of performance are shaped through impression management. Originality/value – The paper explores the relational properties of the notion of power implicated in PMM whilst extending the analysis to unravel opaque political processes, generally ignored in prior, related research, and addressing the issue of what determines successful institutional entrepreneurship.