THE EVOLUTION OF THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

The article systematizes and critically analyzes the major theoretical approaches explaining the emergence, diffusion, and functioning of Employee Performance Management (EPM) systems in higher education institutions. The study is based on a structured literature review and theoretical synthesis of research on performance management, human resource management, organizational theory, and higher education governance.

The findings demonstrate that no single theoretical framework is capable of fully explaining the development of performance management systems in universities. Instead, EPM systems have evolved through the interaction of several conceptually distinct perspectives. The study identifies and characterizes managerialism, agency theory, signaling theory, organizational institutional theory, stakeholder theory, human capital theory, and academic labor process theory as the most influential explanatory approaches.

The results indicate that the emergence of EPM systems in higher education is primarily associated with the spread of new managerialism as a sectoral manifestation of New Public Management reforms. The rapid diffusion of performance management practices among universities is best explained by organizational institutional theory through coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphism mechanisms. At the same time, agency theory, signaling theory, and human capital theory provide an economic rationale for performance measurement by reducing information asymmetry, supporting accountability, and improving returns on investments in academic staff development. Stakeholder theory emphasizes the need to balance the interests of multiple stakeholders, while academic labor process theory offers a critical perspective on managerial control, power asymmetries, and the commodification of academic work.

The scientific contribution of the article lies in the development of an evolutionary framework that distinguishes theories explaining the emergence, dissemination, and functional design of EPM systems in universities. In addition, the study systematizes the potential benefits and risks associated with applying these theoretical approaches in higher education management. The findings may be useful for researchers, policymakers, and university managers involved in designing and improving performance management systems in higher education institutions, particularly in transitional and resource-constrained environments.