Testing a Multi-Dimensional Model of Organizational Performance 413 at Pennsylvania State U niversity on M ay 17, 2016 http://jpart.oxfordjournals.org/ D ow nloaded from

Scholars have been preoccupied for generations with identifying the ‘‘best measure’ ’ and model of organizational performance. Drawing on previous work focused on the development of multi-dimensional frameworks or models of organizational performance, this article presents our perspective on organizational performance, discussing a multi-dimensional model that emphasizes the importance of assessing the two primary dimensions of performance, management and program performance. We advocate for the use of both perceptual and objective measures in seeking to understand organizational performance, finding that examining these perceptual and objective measures has significant usefulness in fully capturing performance. In addition, through the use of multi-level random coefficient (or hierarchical) modeling, we find various interconnections between manage-ment dimensions and program dimensions in understanding organizational performance in twenty-two human service organizations providing early care and education services. Few topics have perhaps vexed public and nonprofit management scholars more than the question of what constitutes organizational performance or effectiveness. Numerou