Compared to the debate on corporate governance in the private sector and to the literature on the macro level of governance in the public sector, the micro-level governance of public organisations remains a neglected area of discussion. Against this backdrop, the paper presents an overview of international literature regarding boards in the public sector organisations, in order to evidence if, and in which terms, the board of directors has been a topic of research in public governance in the recent years. In conclusion, the paper provides suggestions for future research on boards in public organisations

Purpose -This article sets out to investigate the relationship between performance management systems (PMSs) and knowledge in public universities. In particular, this paper intends to verify how different choices related to PMS affect the nature of knowledge, in terms of the well-known tacit vs explicit dichotomy. Design/methodology/approach -The empirical focus is on the recent PMS changes that have been developing in the "modernisation agenda" of the Italian public sector. In particular, 15 case studies of PMS design in Italian universities are presented. The interpretation of the results is based on the Simon's theoretical framework related to the four levers of control. Findings -Results show how PMSs (in the different forms presented in the universities' evaluation plans) could represent an important social tool to facilitate the management of organizational knowledge, combining explicit and tacit forms of knowledge. Originality/value -This paper tackles a topic neglected in the knowledge management literature, aiming to open up a discussion on the possible interconnections between PMSs and knowledge in the public arena.

Summary\ud Purpose\ud –\ud This paper aims to consider how and to what extent it is possible to interpret a performance\ud management system (PMS) as a typical control mechanism or in a more innovative way as a learning\ud tool. PMSs are typically used for planning and coordination purposes. However, they may also be used\ud as an opportunity to foster learning inside the organization.\ud Design/methodology/approach\ud –\ud The empirical analysis was carried out during January-May 2014. A\ud single case study was developed, in the first phase, through document analysis and semi-structured\ud interviews with three top managers, to investigate the purpose and rationale of the design of the PMS.\ud The investigation then continued with non-participant observation.\ud Findings\ud –\ud The picture shows the dominance of “command and control” thinking, based on a\ud cybernetic control system connected to targets and linking the achievement of these targets to\ud individual performance.\ud Practical implications\ud –\ud This paper helps to contextualize reflections on PMSs and potential learning\ud outcomes in knowledge organizations, with specific reference to the airport industry.\ud Originality/value\ud –\ud This paper contributes to the extant debate on the relationship between PMSs\ud and learning. Traditionally, the literature has focused only on particular aspects of PMSs. Other\ud authors, relying on a contingent approach, have instead put forward the need of a more\ud comprehensive and integrated frameworks encompassing organic conception of PMSs, as well as\ud of the interdependencies among their components. In the case study under scrutiny in this paper,\ud adaptive or single-loop learning is taking place, in which adaptive changes occur but do not lead\ud to any major changes

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Purpose -This paper aims to deal with knowledge integration in projects, focusing on teams that deal with exploitative nature of knowledge work and implement standard solutions with minor refinements developed over time. In the research the authors seek to analyze how the organizational control mechanisms adopted within project teams that deal with exploitative nature of knowledge work influence knowledge integration outcomes.Design/methodology/approach -The research unfolded considering a single case study, as this approach was considered useful in gaining in-depth, holistic understanding of the phenomenon studied. The authors started with a preliminary on-site observation done with the aim of making subsequent interviews simpler and more productive. They therefore conducted semi-structured interviews with the head of human resources and with two project managers and four members of two project teams.Findings -The results show how in coherence with Grant's classification it is possible to argue that in this context the main control mechanism to integrate knowledge is provided by different forms of standardization. In the case of the company under investigation, formal control mechanisms based on a calculative approach are seen as a way to rule out the process of product delivery and enable effective knowledge integration by clarifying tasks and responsibilities.Originality/value -This paper witnesses that, in exploitative project teams, formal control mechanisms may play the role of administering information exchange in order to achieve projects outcome and the desired level of knowledge integration.