Exploring How Organizational Actors Experience Evaluation and Its Influence: A Q-Methodological Study
Name
kelly-2025-exploring-how-organizational-actors-experience-evaluation-and-its-influence-a-q-methodological-study.pdf
Size
1.14 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
ab8288130cf5064f022f6952ef7e90b4
Author(s)
Kelly, Catherine
Date Issued
April 23, 2025
Journal
American Journal of Evaluation
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Citation
Kelly, C. (2025). Exploring How Organizational Actors Experience Evaluation and Its Influence: A Q-Methodological Study. American Journal of Evaluation, 46(4), 535-558.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
This article contributes to research on evaluation by examining how organizational actors respond to and use evaluation imposed on them within an evaluation system. Drawing on Henry and Mark's theory of evaluation influence, this study uses Q-methodology to explore how staff within English higher education providers experience evaluation and its influence on their widening participation practice and strategy decision-making. The experiences of organizational actors are examined and classified into four types: strategic practitioners, pragmatic practitioners, staff with indirect involvement in widening participation, and evaluation enthusiasts. Through analyzing these experiences, the findings illustrate the diverse ways organizational actors are influenced by evaluation within evaluation systems. To deepen our understanding of evaluation influence in the contexts of evaluation systems, this article recommends explicitly embedding organizational theories into future theories of evaluation influence and provides suggestions for future research on the topic.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sociotechnical Systems Research Center
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1177/10982140251334327
