This paper presents the empirical findings of a multiple case study about the effects of the adoption of the National Quality Award (NQA) on performance measurement. The three companies of this study were winners of the 2005 edition of the award. The main findings indicate that the Excellence Model of the NQA plays an important role as an external and internal lever in the evolution of performance measurements in the companies in question. The excellence criteria of "strategy and plans" and "information and knowledge" exert external leverage, while new or improved management practices exert internal leverage in the stages of reflection, modification and deployment of performance measurement. The changes in performance measurement systems were found to occur in different degrees in the companies of this study.
Performance measurement; Brazilian national quality award; Performance measurement systems; Excellence model
