Abstract:
ABSTRACT
Public sector organisations face increasing pressure to demonstrate accountability and
performance effectiveness while serving the collective public good rather than
pursuing profit. Unlike private entities, public institutions must balance social goals,
fiscal responsibility, and the expectations of multiple stakeholder groups under
resource constraints (Kearney, 2018). Despite this, limited empirical evidence exists
on how benchmarking practices particularly their diversity and intensity contribute to
performance improvement in local government administration in Ghana. This study
examines the relationship between benchmarking diversity, benchmarking intensity,
and local administration performance within a municipal assembly context. Using a
stratified sampling technique, 273 employees were selected from a population of 930,
representing core processes, immediate support, and support functions. Structural
Equation Modelling (SEM), following the two-stage approach proposed by Anderson
and Gerbing (1988), was used to test the hypothesised relationships. Findings reveal
a significant positive association between benchmarking diversity, benchmarking
intensity, and local administration performance. The study contributes to public sector
performance literature by providing empirical evidence on how varied benchmarking
practices enhance operational effectiveness within Ghanaian local governance. While
the results are context-specific, they highlight the need for broader multi-district and
multi-regional studies to deepen understanding of benchmarking’s role in improving
administrative performance across the public sector.
