Public Leadership and Management

The Public Leadership and Management Research Stream is led by Professor Edoardo Ongaro.

This stream explores the implications for how societies are led in ways which create (or destroy) public value, and how governments and public services are managed.

Meet the team

Governance of nations, regions, localities and public services is changing at a rapid rate. Globalisation, changing societies and trading blocs, technological innovation, and other challenges are creating a shift in the relationships between market, state and civil society. Governance is increasingly shaped through competition and collaboration across sectors, and across levels of government.

This stream takes a wide view of leadership, thinking of it as not solely about senior people in particular positions of formal authority. Leadership can be thought of as mobilising the attention, resources and practices of others towards particular goals, values and/or outcomes.

In the public sphere, leadership may be exercised by elected and appointed politicians, by professionals and public servants, and by civic activities. Each aims or claims to exercise leadership for the benefit of society, but who are they, how do they exercise leadership and are their claims about consequences accurate?

Leadership in organizations and society is nothing without effective management. Public administration provides the basis on which government and public services are designed and whether and how they deliver outputs and outcomes which add public value to society.

The stream undertakes high quality research, of relevance to policy-makers, practitioners and the public; offers research-led learning resources; and undertakes knowledge exchange events, such as the Public Leadership Perspectives events.

In the leadership area, particular themes are:

• Political dimensions of leadership: Leadership by politicians, and leadership with political astuteness by public servants
• Public services leadership.  Leadership by professionals and public servants, such as health services leadership, police leadership.  Police leadership research is linked to the Centre for Policing Research and Learning
• Place leadership:  How does space and place affect public leadership? This work includes a study of metro-mayors
• Post-conflict leadership.  What kinds of leadership help the rebuilding of communities after severe conflict?

In the area of public management:

• Comparative governance and management systems.  Western models of liberal democracy and public governance are challenged by alternative models around the world.
• EU governance and management.  Understanding how the EU works from a public management and administration system.  An opportunity to get away from a UK-centric view.
• Strategic management in public services. Public strategy links citizenship, governance and organizational strategy.

Teaching and impact

Many free-access resources are available on the Centre for Policing Research and Learning website for public leaders. Many of these are relevant not only for police leaders but for elected politicians, public servants and citizens, particularly 'An introduction to public leadership'.

Research on public leadership and management is used in the Postgraduate Certificate of Evidence-based Practice. This is currently only available to the police, but access may be widened in the future.

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