The Evolution of Performance Evaluation Research in the Public Sector: From Traditional Models to Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approache

Abstract

Since the 1980s, performance measurement and management have been considered as one of the fundamental pillars of modern public management reforms. This study aims to provide a comprehensive picture of the current state of research and identify future research opportunities in performance measurement and management in the public sector. Using two main methods namely: 1) performance analysis, and 2) scientific mapping techniques, a comprehensive bibliometric review was conducted to examine the publication trends, conceptual structure, and developments in the field. The results show that research on performance measurement and management in public organizations has grown significantly in recent years and has established strong links with the management, accounting, and economics literature. The study also analyzed the conceptual structure of the existing literature and identified areas for further development. The findings suggest that to respond more effectively to the needs of public organizations in performance evaluation, future research should pay particular attention to developing key concepts and analytical frameworks in this area. In addition to reviewing the current state of the art, this article offers suggestions for the field's future development.