Lásd az alább megadott URL-t.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-12 14:21:47 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Etymologically, the term benchmark was originally a reference point used in surveying and tool-making. Now it is often used figuratively to mean a basis for comparison, a standard or yardstick. For the purposes of a benchmarking project, this entails having to establish a fixed point or standard that can be used as a basis for comparisons. In the benchmarking literature best practice is often applied as a norm for the organization(s) to be benchmarked. Best practice means the individual organizations are measured in relation to the comparable organizations that are faring best. The term organization needs to be understood broadly here. Private companies, public institutions, the macroeconomic performance of nation states and much else can be made the subject of benchmarking. The best-practice method has the strength that organizations are not measured in relation to abstract and possibly unrealistic requirements or objectives. The individual organization is thus compared with organizations which exist and function in real life. The weakness of best-practice benchmarking is that the actual best organizations may perform poorly in the absolute sense. Recent years have seen the emergence of an ever greater focus on international benchmarking – both by the business community and by the governments of several countries. There are a number of reasons for the increased interest in international benchmarking: ˇ Increased focus on globalization, the EMU and other international challenges, e.g. regarding economic policy, the financial markets, the environment, communications, energy and education. ˇ International benchmarking broadens the possibilities of finding suitable institutions or systems with which to draw comparisons. ˇ International benchmarking provides scope for directing the focus onto new ideas and perspectives. This is especially relevant in areas where domestic institutions or systems are suspected of being designed or engineered less than optimally. ˇ International benchmarking can provide new input for the domestic debate and expand the policy-makers\' scope for action.