Mapping Stakeholder Expectations of a Publicly Funded Post-Secondary Institution: A Balanced Scorecard Perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT Reservations are generally expressed about the applicability of performance management tools to public sector institutions. One of the concerns relates to the corporatization of public sector entities, which can lead to the erosion of the public interest. Sensitivities are especially high with higher education. However, increasing budget deficits and a focus on financial stewardship is driving more public entities toward the adoption of these techniques. One tool that has become widely adopted in this regard is the balanced scorecard (BSC). We attempt to demonstrate the applicability of the BSC model to publicly funded post-secondary institutions by developing a strategy map based upon stakeholder expectations. Multi-dimensional relationships between key success factors (KSFs) are explored with the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method. Our paper contributes to the public policy debate on the purported role of higher education while identifying causal relationships between KSFs for the purpose of strategy implementation.