This key book takes a critical view of the techniques and approaches available for implementing successful performance improvement initiatives, drawing on extensive real-world case studies and the authors' experiences of researching in this area. 'In a world obsessed with performance and performance improvement, the authors bring a highly critical perspective to the topic. Every senior manager should read this book before embarking on any of the usual performance improvement initiatives so often recommended in standard texts or by consultants. No stone remains unturned in this book - TQM, Six Sigma, the Balanced Scorecard, BPR, Lean, and so on are all given the same treatment. This book is excellent and should be recommended reading on every MBA programme.'-Mike Simpson, University of Sheffield, Management School, UK 'Baxter and MacLeod's book goes well beyond most of the established texts on performance management by giving special consideration to the important aspects of strategy and improvement. It has a refreshing style that blends the historical, theoretical, and practical contexts while also drawing on useful case examples.' -David Bennett, Aston Business School, UK