Toward the Self‐Evaluating Organization? An Empirical Test of the Wildavsky Model

• Author: Richard M. Walker,Julian S. Gould‐Williams,Jennifer Law,George A. Boyne
• Published date: 01 July 2004
• Date: 01 July 2004
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2004.00392.x

Toward the Self-Evaluating Organization? 463

George A. Boyne

Julian S. Gould-Williams

Cardiff University

Jennifer Law

University of Glamorgan

Richard M. Walker

Cardiff University

Toward the Self-Evaluating Organization?

An Empirical Test of the Wildavsky Model

This article presents the first empirical test of Wildavsky’s model of self-evaluation by public orga-

nizations. We elucidate Wildavsky’s arguments and identify six variables that have theoretical

effects on self-evaluation. A statistical model that incorporates these variables explains 46 percent

of the variation in self-evaluation. The evidence suggests that self-evaluation is positively related to

leadership support and employee involvement, and negatively related to the number of organiza-

tional sub-units undertaking evaluation at the same time. Refinements to the Wildavsky model are

proposed, and conclusions are drawn on the theory and practice of self-evaluation by public

organizations.

In a discursive paper written three decades ago, Wildav-

sky (1972, 509) asks, “why do most organizations fail to

evaluate their own activities?” Initially, he argues that it is

desirable for organizations to engage in extensive evalua-

tion, but after considering the requirements of self-evalua-

tion and the tensions between organizational design and

evaluation, he states more cautiously that a “little more”

rather than a “little less” evaluation is desirable (1972, 517).

Wildavsky’s model of self-evaluation is intended to apply

not only to U.S. national government agencies, but to all

“ordinary, everyday organization[s]” (Nienaber and Wil-

davsky 1973, 9). Today, Wildavsky’s paper is of particular

interest because public organizations face increasing pres-

sure to improve performance, and, in the United States and

elsewhere, they are required to evaluate their activities. For

instance, the National Performance Review report has re-

sulted in a significant emphasis on self-evaluation (Kettl

and DiIulio 1995), and recent legislation in the United

Kingdom requires local authorities to undertake regular,

fundamental reviews of their activities (Boyne et al. 1999;

Martin 2000). These policies are based on the assumption

that all public organizations are capable of self-evaluation.

But are they? What differentiates those that engage in evalu-

ation from those that do not? In other words, what are the

organizational preconditions for self-evaluation?

Wildavsky proposes that the extent of self-evaluation in

public organizations is influenced by six variables. To date,

his model has been accepted on the basis of face validity

George A. Boyne is a professor of public-sector management at Cardiff

Business School. His current research focuses on the explanation and evalu-

ation of organizational performance in the public sector. He has published

more than 80 articles in academic journals such as

Public Administration

Review, Public Choice, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory,

and

Urban Affairs Review.

E-mail: boyne@cf.ac.uk.

Julian S. Gould-Williams is a lecturer in human resource management at

Cardiff Business School and a member of The Centre for Regional and Local

Government Research at Cardiff University. His research focuses on the im-

pact of management practices on employee performance in private-and

public-sector organizations. E-mail: gouldwilliams@cf.ac.uk.

Jennifer Law is a principal lecturer in public management at the University of

Glamorgan. Her research focuses on the performance and accountability of

public organizations, especially local authorities in the United Kingdom. Her

publications include articles in

Public Administration Review, Public Policy

and Administration,

and

Local Government Studies.

E-mail: jalaw@glam.

ac.uk.

Richard M. Walker is a professor of public policy and management. He is

based at Cardiff University and Hong Kong University. His research interests

are the impact of management reform, strategic management, and innova-

tion. He has published in journals including

Public Administration Review,

Public Management Review,

and

Urban Studies

. E-mail: walkerr m@cf.ac.uk.