The performance of public organizations between the instrumental management approach and the influence of the social representations of civil servants

Abstract

This scientific contribution addresses the question of the social representations of the performance of public organizations among senior civil servants in the light of the legal measures mobilized by the organic law of finance laws (LOLF) towards public management through performance.

By adopting interviews conducted with these actors and referring to the theory of social representations, we highlight the influence of the cognitive aspect of actors on their behaviours and commitments in performance management practices. This contribution is based on a comparison between the theoretical foundations of public sector performance and the social representations of civil servants in this respect, to verify whether there is a cognitive convergence on this subject between the meaning intended by the directives of political and administrative decision-makers and the perception and behaviours of civil servants as operating  actors.