This paper examines the conceptual qualities of the framework of ‘objective and results‐based management’ implemented by Danish governmental institutions for the effective performance management of Danish university institutions. Drawing on pragmatic constructivism, we make a conceptual inquiry into whether this framework contains conceptual qualities that may form the basis for effective performance management of universities. The analysis reveals that the conceptual structure of the model features numerous poorly outlined concepts and mismatches, which gives rise to a language game of pseudo‐realism that is liable to produce illusory control practices. We show that poorly developed performance measurement concepts create an environment wherein top managers are not made accountable for results, thus generating a culture of delusions and arbitrary power. We also find a circumvention of the principal–agent model. The assumption of Danish governmental institutions seems to be that management has access to more information about alternative courses of action and their consequences than university scholars. The study adds to the methodological apparatus to conceptualise, understand, and analyse the effectiveness of organisational practices of performance measurement in public sector activities.

中文翻译：

---

大学的目标和基于结果的管理：构建现实还是幻想？

本文研究了丹麦政府机构实施的“目标和基于结果的管理”框架的概念质量，以有效地管理丹麦大学机构的绩效。利用实用的建构主义，我们对这个框架是否包含概念品质进行了概念上的询问，这些品质可能构成大学有效绩效管理的基础。分析表明，该模型的概念结构具有许多轮廓不清的概念和不匹配现象，从而引发了一种伪现实主义的语言游戏，容易产生虚幻的控制行为。我们证明，绩效评估概念开发不完善会造成一个环境，在这种环境中，高层管理人员无法对结果负责 因此产生了一种妄想和任意权力的文化。我们还发现了对委托-代理模型的规避。丹麦政府机构的假设似乎是，与大学学者相比，管理层能够获得更多有关替代行动路线及其后果的信息。这项研究增加了方法论上的工具，以概念化，理解和分析绩效评估的组织实践在公共部门活动中的有效性。