THE EFFECT OF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT ON THE CORPORATE PERFORMANCE OF PRIVATE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN GHANA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63300/arjst.2026.v3.i4.03Keywords:
Contingency Leadership Theory, Corporate performance, Heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) ratio, Performance Management, Resource-Based View, Structural equation modellingAbstract
Performance management has been recognised as a primary driver of organisational performance, yet evidence from private tertiary institutions in Ghana is limited. This study investigates how performance management influences corporate performance in these institutions, focusing on target setting, performance review, appraisal frequency, feedback, and support of goal achievement systems. Employing a cross-sectional design and quantitative approach, data were collected based on structured questionnaires from 291 respondents of the selected private universities. The association between variables was analysed through structural equation modelling (SmartPLS 3.0). Findings suggest that performance management positively and significantly impacts private universities' performance. Our study provides practical recommendations to policymakers and managers on improving performance management systems and their alignment with long-term institutional goals. University managers and policymakers must prioritize rigorous and merit-based practice, blending individual and management potential and institutional goals to create competitiveness and sustainability. The study contributes to the literature through empirical results in the relatively under-researched Ghanaian private higher education setting. This study is among the first to apply contingency leadership theory and the Resource-Based View (RBV) to investigate performance management in Ghana's private higher education sector. The study adds to theory by bringing to the fore the reality that leadership competencies in management are more valuable to organizations. In the meantime, the study also offers practical insights for advancing talent management models in developing-country contexts.
Downloads
References
1. Aguinis, H. (2013). Performance management (3rd ed.). Pearson.
2. Aguinis, H., & Pierce, C. A. (2008). Enhancing the relevance of organizational behavior by embracing performance management research. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 29(1), 139–145. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.501
3. Aluko, M. A., & Oladipo, O. O. (2017). Measuring organizational performance in higher education institutions: A multidimensional approach. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 45(2), 245–260. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143215594389
4. Amankwah-Amoah, J. (2018). Emerging economies and the challenges of organizational performance: Insights from African higher education institutions. Journal of Business Research, 86, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.01.001
5. Armstrong, M. (2020). Armstrong’s handbook of performance management: An evidence-based guide to delivering high performance (7th ed.). Kogan Page.
6. Arthur, J., & Rousseau, D. M. (2019). The boundaryless career: A new employment principle for a new organizational era (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
7. Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108
8. Baruch, Y., & Budhwar, P. (2019). Human resource management in higher education: A global perspective. Human Resource Management Review, 29(2), 100–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2018.09.003
9. Bentler, P. M., & Bonett, D. G. (1980). Significance tests and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance structures. Psychological Bulletin, 88(3), 588–606. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.88.3.588
10. Bitar, M., & Hafsi, T. (2007). Strategy, resources, and performance: A synthesis of resource-based and organizational learning perspectives. Management Decision, 45(3), 403–418. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740710739793
11. Bolden, R., Petrov, G., & Gosling, J. (2009). Distributed leadership in higher education: Rhetoric and reality. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 37(2), 257–277. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143208100306
12. Boxall, P., & Purcell, P. (2011). Strategy and human resource management (3rd ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.
13. Donaldson, L. (2001). The contingency theory of organizations. Sage Publications.
14. Dowling, P. J., Festing, M., & Engle, A. D. (2017). International human resource management (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.
15. Eva, N., Robin, M., Sendjaya, S., van Dierendonck, D., & Liden, R. C. (2019). Servant leadership: A systematic review and call for future research. The Leadership Quarterly, 30(1), 111–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2018.07.004
16. Fiedler, F. E. (1964). A contingency model of leadership effectiveness. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 1, 149–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60051-9
17. Fiedler, F. E. (1967). A theory of leadership effectiveness. McGraw-Hill.
18. Fischer, H. E., Boone, W. J., & Neumann, K. (2023). Quantitative research designs and approaches. In Handbook of research on science education (pp. 28–59). Routledge.
19. Hair, J. F., Astrachan, C. B., Moisescu, O. I., Radomir, L., Sarstedt, M., Vaithilingam, S., & Ringle, C. M. (2021). Executing and interpreting applications of PLS-SEM: Updates for family business researchers. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 12(3), 100392.
20. Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
21. Hair Jr, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N. P., & Ray, S. (2021). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using R: A workbook. Springer Nature.
22. Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modelling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
23. Israel, G. D. (1992). Determining sample size. University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), Florida Cooperative Extension Service.
24. Khan, M., Ali, A., & Arshad, M. (2019). The impact of performance management practices on organizational performance: Evidence from UK universities. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 68(5), 1025–1045. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-01-2018-0019
25. Kock, N. (2015). Common method bias in PLS-SEM: A full collinearity assessment approach. International Journal of e-Collaboration, 11(4), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijec.2015100101
26. Kumar, R. (2018). Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
27. Mensah, J., & Osei, M. (2020). Private higher education in Ghana: Challenges and opportunities. African Journal of Education and Development, 12(2), 45–62.
28. Meyers, M. C., & van Woerkom, M. (2014). The influence of underlying philosophies on talent management: Theory, implications for practice, and research agenda. Journal of World Business, 49(2), 192–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2013.11.003
29. Mzangwa, N., & Ngibe, R. (2020). Performance management in higher education: Evidence from South Africa. South African Journal of Higher Education, 34(2), 45–63.
30. Nguyen, T. V., Bryant, S. E., & Johnson, J. L. (2016). Strategic human resource practices and firm performance in higher education: Evidence from Australia. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 27(9), 947–964.
31. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2015.1014976
32. Nzuve, S. N., & Omolo, J. (2016). Performance appraisal systems and organizational performance in Kenyan universities. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 6(3), 112–128.
33. Okeke, C., & Ezeh, C. (2017). Integrating performance management and professional development for higher education institutions in Nigeria. African Journal of Educational Management, 10(1), 55–69.
34. Okurut, F. N., de Villiers, C., & Steyn, R. (2016). Corporate governance and performance in higher education: Evidence from Africa. African Journal of Business Management, 10(5), 112–124. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJBM2015.7543
35. Owusu, F., & Amoako, G. K. (2019). Human resource practices and organizational performance: Evidence from private universities in Ghana. International Journal of Educational Management, 33(6), 1225–1241. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-09-2018-0252
36. Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879
37. Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2024). Common method variance in behavioral research: Challenges and developments. Annual Review of Psychology, 75(1), 631–659. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-032722-111428
38. Saurombe, T., Barkhuizen, N., & Schutte, C. S. L. (2017). Talent management practices and their impact on organizational performance in the higher education sector. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 15(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v15i0.805
39. Schuler, R. S., Jackson, S. E., & Tarique, I. (2011). Global talent management and global talent challenges: Strategic opportunities for IHRM. Journal of World Business, 46(4), 506–516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2010.10.011
40. Semaan, R., & Mostapha, M. (2020). Linking organizational resources to performance: The role of human capital practices. Management Research Review, 43(12), 1505–1523. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-10-2019-0473
41. Tarique, I., & Schuler, R. S. (2010). Global talent management: Literature review, integrative framework, and suggestions for further research. Journal of World Business, 45(2), 122–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2009.09.019
42. Thanappan S, Adjei-Fio F. (2025). Positive impacts and dangers of striving for perfection in academic domain: A review. D Y Patil J Health Sci, 13:153-9.
43. https://doi.org/10.4103/dypj.dypj_81_24
44. Yeo, R. K., & Li, J. (2014). Performance management in higher education: Evidence from Singapore. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 34(3), 287–303. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2014.932679
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Articles published in the Academic Research Journal of Science and Technology (ARJST will be Open-Access articles distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). This allows for immediate free access to the work and permits any user to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose.
This open-access article is distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).