Managerial Effectiveness of Government Performance Measurement 861 e research on government performance measurement has been largely descriptive and prescriptive, with only limited attention paid to hypothesis testing and middle- range theory construction. Although researchers have made prescriptions about how to make performance management work, the validity of those prescriptions has not been systematically examined. In particular, the role of the external political environment and stakeholder participation, two important factors for public sector management, remains unclear. Based on survey data, this article uses structural equation modeling to test a model that assesses how political environment, stakeholder participation, organizational support, and training affect the adoption and managerial effectiveness of performance management. D espite the potential benefits claimed for performance measurement, the empirical evidence is mixed (Ho 2006; Melkers and Willoughby 2005), and government perfor- mance measurement has been questioned for its lack of insti- tutional fit, positivistic roots, and unintended consequences (Kelly 2002; Radin 2000; Smith 1995). Nevertheless, perfor- mance measurement has become an essential part of the reform agenda in governments around the world, driven by increasing pressure from elected officials and citizens demanding higher levels of accountability, responsiveness, and quality (Barzelay 2001; Kettl 2005; Moynihan 2006a). It is reasonable to expect that such pressure will not recede but will continue to be high in the future. erefore, it is important for public administration scholars to develop solid theories to explain the conditions and mechanisms that can lead to successful performance measurement. Melkers and Willoughby (2005) argue that a lack of success in the short term is understandable because institutionalizing performance measurement takes time and care. Developing sound theories will help inform the practice and facilitate the institu- tionalization process. Unfortunately, with some exceptions (e.g., De Lancer Julnes and Holzer 2001; Ho 2006; Wang and Berman 2000), the literature on government performance mea- surement is largely descriptive and prescriptive, with limited attention to theory building and hypothesis testing. is is intriguing given the prominence of per- formance measurement in the current reform discourse and its long history as a practice. Although performance measurement regained momentum with the New Public Management, it is “as old as public administration itself” (Pollitt and Bouckaert 2004, 87). On the other hand, the issue with theoretical or methodological rigor in performance measurement research is not a complete surprise given that, until recently, public administration research in general suffered somewhat from the similar problem (March 1997; Whicker, Strickland and Olshfski 1993). More than three decades ago, Caiden (1971) lamented that many public administration stud- ies aimed either to build grand theories or to deal with unique practices, specific organi- zations, and special cases. Today, most researchers recog- nize the diverse and complex nature of performance measurement and would not attempt to develop grand theories, but many do not go beyond descriptions or best practices. Still rare in the literature are middle-range theories that provide an integrative framework for a circumscribed aspect of performance measurement based on clearly formulated, verifiable statements of relationships between variables (Merton 1968; Pinder and Moore 1980). is study aims to provide a middle-range theory of govern- ment performance measurement. Kaifeng Yang Jun Yi Hsieh Florida State University Managerial Effectiveness of Government Performance Measurement: Testing a Middle-Range Model Kaifeng Yang is an assistant professor in the Reubin O’D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy at Florida State University. He has published articles on public and performance management, citizen participation, and e-government. E-mail: kyang@mailer.fsu.edu Jun Yi Hsieh is a doctoral candidate in the Reubin O’D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy at Florida State University and recently received a doctorate in public administration from the National Chengchi University in Taiwan. His research interests include performance management, management innovation, local governance, and policy analysis. E-mail: jh04e@garnet.acns.fsu.edu Perspectives on Performance and Accountability in Public Administration ...performance measurement has become an essential part of the reform agenda in governments around the world.... is study aims to provide a middle-range theory of government performance measurement.