01350pab a2200157 454500008004000000100002200040245007000062260000900132300001500141362000800156520092600164650002101090650002601111700002001137773003501157180718b2012   xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d  aAubert, Benoit A.  aPublic sector performance and decentralization of decision rights  c2012  ap.575-598.  aDec  aIn recent years, governments have introduced several reforms, often adopting management mechanisms traditionally associated with the private sector. This article looks specifically at the impact of decision-rights decentralization, along with accountability mechanisms, on performance. Twenty public sector organizations, experiencing a shift from rule-based to outcome-based control mechanisms and benefiting from different levels of autonomy and decision margins, were studied. Results show a link between the degree of power delegation and increased organizational performance. The units benefiting from greater freedom with respect to financial and human resources decisions experienced the greatest margin of performance increase. These findings underline the importance of considering the level at which measures are defined and the elements included in the measurement mechanisms (outcomes or rules). - Reproduced.  aDecentralization  aPublic administration  aBourdeau, Simon  aCanadian Public Administration