Performance measures and rewards are becoming commonplace in public sector organizations. This paper studies the implementation of performance-related pay (PRP) mechanisms in the boards of directors of the Foundation Trusts (FTs) of the National Health Service (NHS) in England and analyzes whether their remuneration is linked to organizational performance using qualitative and quantitative analyses (structural equation model). FTs operate in a favorable context for implementing PRP to remunerate executive directors. Our results show that many FTs have not implemented PRP and hardly any report having payed bonuses. However, most of them disclose that they carry out some kind of performance appraisal. These results indicate both reluctance to and difficulties in adopting PRP in public sector entities. Results also suggest that executive directors of NHS FTs are stewards in an "odd" kingdom that uses performance ratings to evaluate organizations, blaming directors when ratings are bad, but with no rewards when good performance is achieved.
STEWARDS IN AN "ODD" KINGDOM. PERFORMANCE AND
REMUNERATION OF THE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS OF NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTS.conducted a review of the literature on the effectiveness and value for money of PRP in the UK public sector. Their findings were mixed, with PRP scheme effectiveness often dependent on scheme design and organizational context. Several authors argue that PRP may not produce the desired results in the public sector (see, e.g., Christensen, Paarlberg, and Perry 2017;Bellé 2015;Bregn 2013;Brewer and Walker 2013;Langbein 2010;Ritz, Brewer, and Neumann 2016;Weibel et al. 2010). Motivation and pay are more likely to be substitutes than complements in the public sector; therefore, PRP may have unintended adverse consequences and more analyses of the relationship between performance and pay are necessary in this sector (Langbein 2010).National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trusts (FTs) are autonomous public sector organizations within the NHS and provide over half of all NHS hospital, mental health, and ambulance services in England. Monitor, an independent public agency, regulates the FTs and monitors their performance using a defined and specific set of performance measures. FTs provide a suitable environment in which to study the implementation of PRP, for three reasons. First, Monitor backs the implementation of some type of PRP mechanism. Second, the top management teams of the FTs are structured in boards of directors. Third, their performance is assessed with specific performance measures which are periodically disclosed and, thus, easy to track. This paper has two objectives. First, to study the level of implementation of PRP mechanisms to remunerate the boards of directors of the FTs. For this purpose, we review the remuneration sections of the annual reports published by the FTs. Second, to study whether the remuneration of the directors, in particular the executive directors, is linked to the performance of these organizations. For this purpose, we use the structural...