Enabling vs. Coercive Bureaucracy: How Descriptive Norms Influence Individual Perceptions and Willingness to Implement a Performance Management System

Abstract

This research investigates the role of enabling perceptions in shaping employees' willingness to implement performance management systems (PMS) and examines how group perceptions may influence individual perceptions. The research involved two separate studies—one using a quasi-experimental design and the other a true experimental design—collecting data from military and civilian personnel in a PMS training program within the Brazilian Navy. The main objectives were to determine whether enabling perceptions positively impact implementation intentions and whether group perceptions significantly affect individual perceptions of the system. The results confirmed that enabling perceptions play a crucial role in enhancing the willingness to implement PMS. Conversely, the influence of group perceptions on individual perceptions was not significant in the studied context. These findings reinforce theoretical models of enabling bureaucracy and emphasize the importance of designing PMS with features that foster transparency, flexibility, and user autonomy. The research also highlights the relevance of contextual factors for the success of organizational control tools, such as PMS, and suggests further exploration of long-term impacts through longitudinal studies.