The evolution of performance measurement research

Abstract

PurposeThis paper provides an update of Neely et al.'s (1995) literature review “Performance measurement system design”. It was commissioned to appear in a special issue of the International Journal of Operations & Production Management to celebrate the journal's 25th anniversary.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs a citation/co‐citation analysis of work in the field of performance measurement to explore developments in the field globally.FindingsThe paper argues that scholars working in the field of performance measurement agree about the key research questions despite the fact that they come from different disciplinary backgrounds. The paper identifies the key contributors to the field based on a citation/co‐citation analysis and argues that the field is now entering a phase of empirical investigation and theoretical verification of some core concepts.Research limitations/implicationsThe research reported in the paper is limited to work that deals directly with performance measurement. It excludes related research – such as literature on management control and performance management – and clearly could be extended to include these literatures.Originality/valueThe paper will be valuable to scholars working in the field of performance measurement who wish to understand how the field has developed and evolved and/or those who are interested in avenues for future research.