Managing the Performance Measurement Paradox (PMX): What Is Needed? A Focus on Youth Policy

This study examines the Performance Measurement Paradox (PMX) as a critical factor that undermines the effectiveness of performance management. It empirically investigates managerial approaches for its control, focusing on youth policy in South Korea. PMX refers to both intentional and unintentional distortions that occur during the performance measurement phase, such as the selection of non-representative indicators, the setting of unambitious targets, and measurement practices that emphasize inputs or processes over outcomes. The study draws upon the 2023 youth policy implementation plans of 17 metropolitan governments to assess the current state of PMX and analyzes its factors through hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), with a particular focus on managerial factors at both the project and metropolitan levels. The findings indicate that 77.2% of the 1,528 projects exhibited at least one type of PMX. Project-level factors, including target ambiguity and autonomy, and metropolitan-level factors, such as policy management organizations and delivery systems, have been identified as significant contributors to PMX. In light of these findings, the study proposes key management strategies to effectively control PMX within youth policy: clarifying policy targets, and securing a solid organizational foundation such as the consolidation of the authority of youth policy units and the establishment of youth centers across regions.