Annotated bibliography

Identifying Effective Leadership in Public Administration and Supporting with Professional Development

Student’s Name

Walden University

Identifying Effective Leadership in Public Administration and Supporting with Professional Development

It can be easily agreed upon that leadership is essential for the success of organizations in any field. However, the style of leadership must be tailored to the organization based on many factors, including the field in which the organization is in, the culture of the organization, and the duties that are required of the leader in order to meet organizational goals and accomplish day to day tasks (Burke, 2011). There are many leadership styles that are often demonstrated within the field of public administration. Though the concept of leadership is a topic that has a significant amount of research devoted to it, the number of studies on various leadership topics can be overwhelming (Van Wart, 2013). With so many leadership styles, which ones are most effective within the field of public administration? Additionally, how can these styles be developed?

Leaders within the field of public administration face many unique challenges (Bowling & Wright, 1998; McGinnis, 2006; Nalandian, O'Neill, Wilkes, & Kaufman, 2013). These challenges include ever-changing responsibilities and problems (McGinnis, 2013), addressing revolutions in technology, transportation, and communication (Nalandian, O’Neil,Wilkes, & Kaufman, 2013), adhering to federal mandates, implementation of policies, and dealing with fiscal pressures (Bowling & Wright, 1998). To meet these challenges brought on with the advances in technology and changes to modern society, leadership styles have also had to change with the times. Bowling & Wright (1998) outlined changes that have occurred in leadership within public administration in the last four decades. They found that leaders within state agencies today demonstrate more diversity with regard to age, race, gender, and experience compared to forty years ago. Leaders today are also more educated than in the past (Bowling & Wright, 1998).

According to literature, it is important for leadership style to match the challenges that lie in the field of public administration (McGinnis, 2013). To address challenges within the civil service system such as difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified personnel, inadequate training, and poor management (Underhill & Oman, 2007), some authors recommended drastic reforms to the civil service system, such as implementation of merit pay, the creation of performance standards, and the creation of a list of mandatory firing offenses, which were rationalized on the basis of national security (Brook & King, 2007). Other challenges within the public administration and civil service system lie in the area of decision-making. Kellis & Ran (2013) noted the controversy surrounding nonelected public leaders making decision related to public administration policies. Their study examined survey data from the 2006, 2008 and 2010 Federal Human Viewpoint Survey and concluded that distributed, transformational, and authentic leadership approaches were predictive of outcomes within agencies, ranging from job outcomes, leader outcomes, and organizational outcomes.

Burke (2011) noted that leadership must be tailored to the organization and responsibilities of a leader in order to be most successful. This idea is echoed in Demiroz & Kapucu’s (2012) article related to leadership roles in emergencies. The authors argue that successful emergency management requires skills that are dependent on the environment, nature of the disaster, and the specific organization that an individual is leading. What leadership characteristics are most important in public administration and how do we foster them? With regard to leadership skills, Radin’s (1980) study of 62 women in upper, middle, and entry level public management positions identified the ability to self-educate as the most important leadership skill. The study also found that, according to respondents, existing career training and development programs did not fully address the training needs of individuals within the public service field.

Literature exists that discusses the importance of leadership characteristics that are specific to the organization to which one belongs (Demiroz & Kapucu, 2012; McGinnis, 2006). There is also literature available that notes the need for additional training opportunities and leadership development within the public administration field (Radin, 1980). However, less literature is available related to specific leadership characteristics that are perceived as important and necessary for successful leadership within the public administration field that also encompasses how to foster and develop these skills. This information can be useful for those in the human resources departments within public administration organizations and those responsible for planning training and professional development opportunities at both the state and local level.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the leadership styles that are perceived as effective in the field of public administration as well as to address training and professional development to foster such skills. Few studies were found that addressed effective leadership styles and characteristics that also addressed how to foster them specifically within the field of public administration. This study will address the central research question of discovering which leadership characteristics are most effective in the field of public administration. Subquestions addressed by this study will include an investigation of leadership styles that fit best with characteristics identified as well as an investigation of how said leadership characteristics and styles can be fostered within organizations to promote positive leaders through training and professional development. In order to accomplish this research goal, employees currently employed in the field of public administration will be interviewed regarding their perceptions of the effectiveness of those who lead their organizations. Individuals will participate in structured interviews with researchers and will also complete surveys regarding the effectiveness of leadership within their organizations. Participants from five different organizations in three cities will be interviewed. Information related to training opportunities will also be collected and presented. Participants will be interviewed at a neutral location that is close to their place of employment.

Importance of Research

By examining perceptions of effective leadership styles and characteristics from those currently in the field of public administration, the author hopes to gain knowledge that can be useful to those interested in increasing efficiency and effectiveness of leaders in the public administration field. This information may also be useful during hiring practices. By exploring various methods of fostering leadership styles and characteristics that are discovered to be effective within the field, training programs and professional development seminars can be crafted to support these traits and thereby strengthen leaders within organizations by further supporting leadership styles and characteristics that are identified as effective. Fostering strong leaders and providing them with training to support their leadership styles helps build value into those currently working in the field of public administration, which may increase their loyalty to their organizations (Burke, 2011). Generating information on how organizations can help nurture the leadership qualities within those currently in their organizations can help create a new generation of leaders who are even better equipped to handle the ever-changing and increasingly complex social responsibilities of work within the field of public administration.

References

Bowling, C. J., & Wright, D. S. (1998). Change and continuity in state administration: Administrative leadership across four decades. Public Administration Review, 58(5), 429-444.

Bowling and Wright (1998) acknowledge the challenges related to public administration, including adhering to federal mandates, implementation of policies, and fiscal pressures. Their essay examines the changes in leadership that have occurred in public administration in recent decades. Based on data collected, the authors note that leaders within state agencies today are more educated and are more diverse with regard to age, gender, and race compared to four decades ago. Leaders today are also more educated compared to those in 1964; sixty percent of respondents in 1994 earned a graduate degree, compared to 40 percent of respondents in 1964. The result of these changes in leadership is structural shifts in administrative organization as well as a change in personal characteristics of leaders related to age, gender, race, and education level. The authors conclude the essay with a question of whether the changes that have occurred in leaders in public administration prepare state agencies to effectively address challenges within the field in the twenty-first century.

Rationale: This essay was selected because it notes changes that have occurred in leaders over the course of four decades. These changes include increased diversity in age, gender, race, and education. This article supports my current research because it can be referenced as a base for current characteristics of leaders within public administration. The argument that leaders have changed in certain aspects can be made based on the information from this essay. However, this essay does not discuss the effectiveness of leaders within the public administration field, nor does it discuss the effectiveness that elements such as more education have on success as a leader.

Brook, D. A., & King, C. (2007). Civil service reform as national security: The Homeland Security Act of 2002. Public Administration Review, 67(3), 399-423.

This article is not included as part of the 8 annotated sources.

Burke, W. W. (2011). Organization change: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

This book was cited in the introduction and is not part of the 8 annotated sources.

Demiroz, F., & Kapucu, N. (2012). The role of leadership in managing emergencies and disasters. European Journal of Economic & Political Studies, 5(1), 91-101.

The authors of this article note that leaders must possess specific skill sets in order to successfully manage disasters and emergencies, but that the necessary skills are dependent on several factors. These factors include the environment the leaders work in, the nature of the disaster, and the specific organizations that they lead. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of traits needed for successful disaster management in both natural disasters and other types of emergency situations. The overall them and conclusion of the article is that effective leadership makes dealing with emergencies more successful. The authors also note that ineffective leadership can impede successful handling of emergency situations.

Rationale: This article seems like it would be a good addition to the literature review as the topic begins to narrow from leadership in general to leadership within the public administration field or in fields such as emergency management and disaster preparedness. It may also be a good segue to McGinnis’s (2006) article that further explores leadership characteristics and traits that were implemented during disasters such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.

Kellis, D. S., & Ran, B. (2012, November). Modern leadership principles for public administration: time to move forward. Journal of Public Affairs, 13(1), 130-141.

The authors acknowledge the controversy which surrounds nonelected public officials engaging in decision-making within public administration. The authors examine the characteristics from three leadership theories which include distributed leadership theory, transformational leadership theory, and authentic leadership theory and attempt to create a new leadership theory that is applicable in today’s public administration field. The new theory is tested through three separate administrations of the Federal Human Capital Survey. Survey data from 2006, 2008, and 2010 is analyzed. Results indicated that all three leadership approaches were predictive of aspects of outcome measurements. The authors recommended further research be conducted on the development of new public leadership theory in order to meet the changing needs of today’s public administration field.

Rationale: This article may provide a good foundation for the introduction of my current research as it discusses current research on leadership within the public administration field. The authors also note within the article the need for additional research and development of new public administration leadership theories to address changes. Though the study notes the leadership characteristics of three main leadership theories and how they predict job, organizational, and leadership outcomes, it does not give information about specific leadership styles and characteristics and how they impact specific areas of public administration, such as homeland security.

McGinnis, P. (2006). Tougher challenges -- And leadership to match. Public Manager, 35(1), 7 10.

This essay addresses the problem that government leaders are being required to handle increasingly challenging and ever-changing problems. As challenges are increasing, so are responsibilities of these leaders. The author notes recent examples of disasters, including Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 attacks. The theme of the essay is that leaders need to be prepared to handle these increasing challenges and responsibilities and outlines traits that are necessary to do so. It concludes with emphasizing the importance of successful leadership development, commenting on key characteristics such as communication, teamwork, and establishing positive relationships with others. Self-knowledge and the identification of core personal values were also noted as essential in leadership development.

Rationale: This article was selected because of its relationship to Radin’s (1980) article about leadership training for women in state and local government positions. This article broadly discusses leadership traits and characteristics and concludes with comments on the importance of leadership development, but does not explicitly discuss how to develop personal leadership skills. This article will provide an appropriate segue for the use of information from Radin’s (1980) article that discusses leadership training more thoroughly.

Nalbandian, J., O'Neill, R., Michael Wilkes, J. J., & Kaufman, A. (2013). Contemporary challenges in local government: Evolving roles and responsibilities, structures, and processes. Public Administration Review, 73(4), 567-574. doi:10.1111/puar.12059

This article addresses the problem of communication, transportation, and economic revolutions having a negative impact on connecting what is acceptable from a political standpoint to what is sustainable from an administration standpoint, arguing that a connection between the two is essential for successful governance. The purpose of the article is to generate conversations related to modern leadership challenges in local government. The conclusion of the article is that challenges in local government fall into three categories: challenges related to roles and responsibilities, challenges related to structures, and challenges related to processes. Authors note that insights on modern challenges in local government from research serves as the foundation for additional research to examine roles of future public managers, structures, and processes of governance.

Rationale: This article is useful because it outlines the challenges that leaders in local government are likely to face today. Though the article outlines specific challenges, it fails to discuss specific ways to address these challenges. This gap in information helps build the argument for more research related to specific leadership traits and styles that are beneficial in the public administration field to accommodate challenges related to modern governance.

Radin, B. A. (1980). Leadership training for women in state and local government. Public Personnel Management, 9(2), 52.

In this study, the author recognizes that women are underrepresented in state and local government jobs and often experience many challenges, including lack of support for female leadership (Hooyman & Kaplan, 1976) and challenges related to the leadership differences between men and women (Luthams & Chapman, 1975). The purpose of the study is to examine the skills perceived as most important for women to possess as leaders as well as to address the identification and definition of training and development opportunities for women in public administration positions. The participants for the study included 62 women in upper, middle, and entry level public administration positions. The participants were surveyed and asked to rate skills that were required for success in order of importance. They were also interviewed and asked to note problems that they had encountered as women in management and to describe the training opportunities that were available to them. Results indicated that the ability to self-educate was ranked as the most important skills by the largest number of respondents across levels. Non-intentional discrimination was ranked highest as a problem they had encountered. Finally, with regard to training and development opportunities, the author concluded based on the responses that existing career and training programs available to respondents did not fully address the career needs of women.

Rationale: This study was chosen because it notes skills that women in public administration perceive as important to successful leadership within the field. It also highlights some information related to training programs that are available as well as their perceived effectiveness. This study can be used in support of my research because it helps contribute to background information related to necessary skills and traits needed for success in leadership roles within public administration. However, it does not specify specific roles the participants held within public administration, other than the fact that they comprised upper, middle, and entry-level management positions. More information is needed related to leadership in specific areas of public administration.

Underhill, J., & Oman, R. (2007, December). A critical review of the sweeping federal civil service changes. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 27(4), 401-420.

The authors critique the changes that have been proposed to the civil service system within the Department of Homeland Security, including the introduction of merit pay, creation of performance standards, and proposals to create a list of mandatory firing offenses. The purpose of the article is to provide a critique of the changes proposed in an effort to address some of the challenges in the civil service system, including difficulty in attracting and maintaining qualified employees, inadequate training, and poor management. The authors acknowledge that the civil service system is not without its problems that need to be addressed, but argue that the system does not need drastic changes to address these problems. The authors recommend using employee participation to find solutions to the problems.

Rationale: This article discusses several challenges and problems that the authors identify that occur within the civil service system within the Department of Homeland Security. However, little detail is given to how to address these problems, other than noting that utilizing employee participation to solve problems is important. Though this article thoroughly discusses the challenges, it fails to note how leadership within the Department of Homeland Security can be used to address these challenges proactively, making it a viable option in a literature review to help point out gaps in literature and build a foundation for the need for more research in this area.

Van Wart, M. (2013). Lessons from leadership theory and the contemporary challenges of leaders. Public Administration Review, 73(4), 553-565. doi:10.1111/puar.12069

The author notes that leadership theories can be overwhelming and difficult to understand due to complex terminology and the vast number of articles on the topic. The purpose of this article is to review the major findings in literature on the topic of organizational leadership and to present a clear outline of five leadership theories, including classical management theory, transactional leadership theory, transformational leadership theory, horizontal or collaborative leadership theory, and ethical leadership theory. The author concludes that specific challenges of leadership change over time, but general principles remain constant. Challenges in today’s leadership arena, especially related to public administration, include fiscal pressure, working with fewer resources, increased responsibilities, and changes in communication and technology.

Rationale: This article nicely complements the article by Nalbandian et al. (2013), but provides more detailed information on five specific leadership styles. Overall, it may serve as a good addition to the literature review and can serve the purpose of providing general background information regarding some specific leadership theories that are common in public administration. However, the article does not mention leadership development, or how to foster leadership skills.