Benchmarking: Contemporary Modalities and Applications

Abstract

An analysis and synthesis of the literature on benchmarking, over the decade 1998-2008, revealed an explosive growth, not only in relation to where and how it is applied, but also in terms of the variety of modalities that have developed. Benchmarking has also become absorbed as a valuable component into many other quality management systems. This article offers an exploration of the contemporary types and applications of Benchmarking that have proliferated. It also considers the particularities of Benchmarking modalities as they relate to private and public sector organisations, the emergence of Benchmarking partnerships and communities of practice, and its absorption within other quality assurance models and evaluation approaches more generally. This exploration demonstrates that Benchmarking has developed into a diverse, expansive and continually evolving group of approaches promoting improved organisational performance and organisational change.