RESULTS
The Performance Effect of Measurement Diversity
Hypothesis 1 posits a positive association between firm performance and performance
measurement diversity, regardless of strategy. Table 3, Panel A, shows positive and significant
correlations between performance and the total number of all types of measures combined,
as well as separately with the numbers of objective and subjective nonfinancial
performance measures. Notably, performance is not significantly correlated with the number
of financial measures. Our categorical diversity measure is also positively and significantly
correlated with performance.
Panel B of Table 3 shows that we obtain the same results by regressing performance
against the number of all measures combined (Regression (1)), and separately for each
performance measurement type (Regression (2)) and the diversity measure (Regression (3)).
All three regressions control for strategy, which is significant, but does not alter the inferences
related to the performance measurement variables. In other words, the results in Panel
B support the beneficial effects of performance measurement diversity regardless of, or
after controlling for, strategy. The regressions also control for size (a broad proxy for other
potential omitted correlated variables), which is not significant in any of the three
regressions.
In total, these results support the existence of performance benefits from increasing
performance measurement diversity (H1), particularly by expanding the use of objective
and subjective nonfinancial measures. Moreover, the lack of a significant positive association
between the number of financial performance measures and performance perhaps suggests
that, due to their traditional preeminence, financial measures form a common floor
for firms’ performance measurement systems, upon which distinct advantages have to be
constructed out of the less traditional nonfinancial measures.
R