Holistic Understanding Performance Measurement Initiative of South Korea- Hidden Bureaucratic Politics and Its Wakes -

Why is a policy initiative created and diffused? Is it because it brings political benefits to decision makers in public organizations? Is it because it produces practical outcomes for bureaucrats? Maybe both? How is this debate related with performance measurement initiative especially in developing country? This study attempts to come close to this big research question. Specifically, this study attempts to address three research questions; 1) how do the contingencies of political, economic, and social environment affect the adoption and implementation of performance measurement, especially in the context of developing country? 2) What are hidden forces to determine the characteristics of performance measurement systems? 3) What does the dynamic relationship among various factors imply for effective performance measurement activities not only in developing countries but in other countries? This paper takes a look at the whole picture of adoption and implementation of performance measurement initiative in South Korea with a holistic perspective. In order to analyze the complicated political and administrative dimension of developing country, this paper takes the Grindle & Thomas’ approach created to explain the dynamics of administrative reform as the analysis framework. Finally, a tentative conclusion is presented for the big research question that the logic of appropriateness is more persuasive in the context of performance measurement initiative of developing country.