Leveraging employee experience insights for the mastery of the performance management paradox

Boyce, Samuel John (2025) Leveraging employee experience insights for the mastery of the performance management paradox. Doctoral thesis (PhD), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

The persistent demand for performance and its adverse impact on the employee experience form the crux of a complex and enduring challenge for management. As organisations pursue ever-greater productivity and efficiency – be it to survive or to thrive – the resultant working conditions can paradoxically diminish their employees’ will and ability to perform at their peak. Ultimately, this is neither ideal for people nor performance. This thesis explores this persistent challenge, drawing on employees’ personal experiences with the aim of providing insights to help managers master it for the mutual benefit of their colleagues and organisation. To achieve this, it presents a revelatory mixed-methods case study of a technology and travel company operating throughout the United Kingdom (UK). The study’s findings are structured across four results chapters. First, documentary evidence provides an instantiation of the performance management paradox within a specific organisational context. Next, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) based on questionnaire data from 184 employees suggests that perceived high-performance management activity can positively influence employees’ combined work engagement, organisational commitment, and job satisfaction. This relationship is partially mediated by employees’ perceptions of their organisation’s relational character (e.g., trustworthiness and supportiveness), but not its aspirational character (e.g., ambitiousness and achievementorientation). To further support practical application, importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) highlights how managers can harness employees’ perceptions to improve organisational conditions for both people and performance. Following this, thematic analysis of research interviews with 25 employees explores the factors influencing their decisions to work where they do. The findings highlight core practical, personal, and relational reasons for coming to, staying at, and leaving an organisation. These insights provide a nuanced understanding of the employee experience, offering practical implications for how managers can instil in employees the confidence that they are working for an organisation that works for them. Lastly, a thought experiment that treats the interviewed employees as “internal consultants” leads to the development of the ACTION framework for management, which comprises 6 actions that appear essential for ensuring employees are both optimally happy and productive at work – to appreciate, care, talk, involve, orient, and nurture. While acknowledging that the performance management paradox cannot be resolved, this study argues that aligning management practice with these core principles can help managers work through the daily challenges it poses.