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Professor Jean Hartley

Profile summary

Professional biography

Professor Hartley has contributed to the field of public leadership and management for two decades through research, teaching and development work. This has shaped some of the thinking and ideas in the field for example about the value and use of political astuteness skills among public servants, about the interplay between political and managerial leadership, and about the leadership of innovation in public services. She has joined The Open University Business School from Warwick Business School where she was Professor of Organisational Analysis and co-founded the Institute of Governance and Public Management. Previous to that she has held the position of Senior Lecturer at University of London's Birkbeck College and research and teaching posts at Universities of Manchester and Sheffield.

Research interests

Professor Hartley’s field of research is leadership, organisational development and management. Her core discipline is organisational psychology but most of her research is cross-disciplinary and focused on public leadership and management. Her special interests are in leadership with political astuteness, and innovation and organizational change in public services.

Teaching interests

Professor Hartley’s teaching interests centre around public leadership and innovation and organisational change.

External collaborations

Professor Hartley is a Fellow of the British Academy of Management and of the British Psychological Society. She is on the review boards of the journals of Leadership, Leadership & Organization Development Journal and Teaching Public Administration. She is also a regular external examiner.

Professor Hartley is undertaking research on leadership with political astuteness with colleagues at the Australia and New Zealand School of Government, and on innovation in public services at the University of Roskilde in Denmark.
 

Publications

Leading for public value in multi-agency collaboration (2023-01)
Parker, Steven; Hartley, Jean; Beashel, Jim and Vo, Quoc
Public Policy and Administration, 38(1) (pp. 83-106)


Innovation, exnovation and intelligent failure (2022-09-01)
Hartley, Jean and Knell, Laurence
Public Money and Management, 42(1) (pp. 40-48)


Healthcare Leadership with Political Astuteness and its role in the implementation of major system change: the HeLPA qualitative study (2022-05)
Waring, Justin; Bishop, Simon; Clarke, Jenelle; Exworthy, Mark; Fulop, Naomi J; Hartley, Jean; Ramsay, Angus IG; Black, Georgia and Roe, Bridget
Health and Social Care Delivery Research, 10(11)


A dialectical approach to the politics of learning in a major city police organization (2022-04-01)
Bristow, Alexandra; Tomkins, Leah and Hartley, Jean
Management Learning, 53(2) (pp. 223-248)


Editorial: Learning from success and failure in action (2022)
Walkington, Zoë; Harding, Richard; Hartley, Jean; Miller, Nicky and Chase, Steven
Public Money & Management, 42(1) (pp. 1-3)


Acquiring and developing healthcare leaders’ political skills: an interview study with healthcare leaders (2022)
Waring, Justin; Bishop, Simon; Clarke, Jenelle; Exworthy, Mark; Fulop, Naomi J; Hartley, Jean; Ramsay, Angus I G; Black, Georgia and Roe, Bridget
BMJ Leader ((Early access))


Public leadership to foster peacebuilding in violently divided societies (2022)
Khalil, Loua and Hartley, Jean
Public Management Review ((Early access))


The Cloud of Unknowing: Time for Value-ing Gerunds (2021-11-01)
Hartley, Jean and Benington, John
Administration & Society, 53(10) (pp. 1610-1623)


The contribution of political skill to the implementation of health services change: a systematic review and narrative synthesis (2021-03-20)
Clarke, Jenelle M.; Waring, Justin; Bishop, Simon; Hartley, Jean; Exworthy, Mark; Fulop, Naomi J.; Ramsay, Angus and Roe, Bridget
BMC Health Services Research, 21, Article 260(1)


Leading through agonistic conflict: Contested sense-making in national political arenas (2021)
Hartley, Jean and Stansfield, Annette
Leadership, 17(2) (pp. 131-153)


Learning to lead with political astuteness (2021)
Yates, Sophie and Hartley, Jean
International Public Management Journal, 24(4) (pp. 562-583)


Population analysis of organizational innovation and learning (2021)
Hartley, Jean
Public Administration ((Early Access))


Asymmetries of Leadership: Agency, Response and Reason (2020-02-01)
Tomkins, Leah; Hartley, Jean and Bristow, Alexandra
Leadership, 16(1) (pp. 87-106)


‘It’s every breath we take here’: Political astuteness and ethics in civil service leadership development (2020)
Hartley, Jean and Manzie, Stella
Public Money and Management, 40(8) (pp. 569-578)


Leading and recognizing public value (2019-06-27)
Hartley, Jean; Parker, Steven and Beashel, Jim
Public Administration, 97(2) (pp. 264-278)


Leadership for public value: Political astuteness as a conceptual link (2019-06)
Hartley, Jean; Sancino, Alessandro; Bennister, Mark and Resodihardjo, Sandra L.
Public Administration, 97(2) (pp. 239-249)


Devolving healthcare services redesign to local clinical leaders: Does it work in practice? (2019)
Storey, John; Holti, Richard; Hartley, Jean and Marshall, Martin
Journal of Health Organization and Management, 33(2) (pp. 188-203)


Healthcare leadership with political astuteness (HeLPA): a qualitative study of how service leaders understand and mediate the informal ‘power and politics’ of major health system change (2018-12-03)
Waring, Justin; Bishop, Simon; Clarke, Jenelle; Exworthy, Mark; Fulop, Naomi J.; Hartley, Jean and Ramsay, Angus I. G.
BMC Health Services Research, 18, Article 918


Ten propositions about public leadership (2018-11-12)
Hartley, Jean
International Journal of Public Leadership, 14(4) (pp. 202-217)


Innovation and inter-organizational learning in the context of public service reform (2018-06-01)
Hartley, Jean and Rashman, Lyndsay
International Review of Administrative Sciences, 84(2) (pp. 231-248)


GP leadership in clinical commissioning groups: a qualitative multi-case study approach across England (2018-06)
Marshall, Martin; Holti, Richard; Hartley, Jean; Matharu, Tatum and Storey, John
British Journal of General Practice, 68(671) (e427-e432)


Debate: When spending less causes a problem (2018-01)
Bandy, Gary and Hartley, Jean
Public Money & Management, 38(1) (pp. 52-54)


Into the Purple Zone: Deconstructing the Politics/Administration Distinction (2017-10-01)
Alford, John; Hartley, Jean; Yates, Sophie and Hughes, Owen
The American Review of Public Administration, 47(7) (pp. 752-763)


Optimism of the will in the co-creation and use of research by academics and practitioners (2017-05)
Hartley, Jean
Public Money & Management, 37(4) (pp. 236-239)


Towards an empirical research agenda for public value theory (2017)
Hartley, Jean; Alford, John; Knies, Eva and Douglas, Scott
Public Management Review, 19(5) (pp. 670-685)


Public Value: a new means to peel an apple? (2016)
Hartley, Jean and Hesketh, Ian
European Police Science and Research Bulletin, 13 (pp. 64-69)


Feeling the squeeze: public employees’ experiences of cutback -and innovation-related organizational changes following a national announcement of budget reductions (2015-10-31)
Kiefer, Tina; Hartley, Jean; Conway, Neil and Briner, Rob B.
Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 25(4) (pp. 1279-1305)


Public value and political astuteness in the work of public managers: the art of the possible (2015-03-05)
Hartley, Jean; Alford, John; Hughes, Owen and Yates, Sophie
Public Administration, 93(1) (pp. 195-211)


Clinical leadership through commissioning: Does it work in practice? (2015-02-01)
Storey, John; Holti, Richard; Hartley, Jean; Marshall, Martin and Matharu, Tatum
Health Services Management Research, 28(1-2) (pp. 1-8)


Doing more with less? Employee reactions to psychological contract breach via target similarity or spillover during public sector organizational change (2014-10-01)
Conway, Neil; Kiefer, Tina; Hartley, Jean and Briner, Rob B.
British Journal of Management, 25(4) (pp. 737-754)


New development: eight and a half propositions to stimulate frugal innovation (2014-04)
Hartley, Jean
Public Money & Management, 34(3) (pp. 227-232)


Collaborative innovation: A viable alternative to market-competition and organizational entrepreneurship (2013)
Hartley, Jean; Sørensen, Eva and Torfing, Jacob
Public Administration Review, 73(6) (pp. 821-830)


Learning in the whirlwind: politicians and leadership development (2011-08-04)
Hartley, Jean
Public Money and Management, 31(5) (pp. 331-338)


Through the eyes of others: Using developmental peer review to promote reflection and change in organizations (2011)
Nicolini, D; Hartley, Jean; Stansfield, A and Hurcombe, J
Journal of Organizational Change Management, 24(2) (pp. 211-228)


Organizational learning and knowledge in public service organizations: a systematic review of the literature (2009-03)
Rashman, L.yndsay; Withers, Erin and Hartley, Jean
International Journal of Management Reviews, 11(4) (pp. 463-494)


Innovations in governance (2008-02-04)
Moore, Mark and Hartley, Jean
Public Management Review, 10(1) (pp. 3-20)


The changing context of public leadership and management: implications for roles and dynamics (2008)
Pedersen, Dorthe and Hartley, Jean
International Journal of Public Sector Management, 21(4) (pp. 327-339)


Innovation, design and delivery of MPA programmes for public leaders and managers in Europe (2008)
Benington, John; Hartley, Jean; Neilsen, J. C. Ry and Notten, Ton
International Journal of Public Sector Management, 21(4) (pp. 383-399)


The shining lights? Public service awards as an approach to service improvement (2007)
Hartley, Jean and Downe, James
Public Administration, 85(2) (pp. 329-353)


A model of political leadership (2006-04)
Morrell, K and Hartley, Jean
Human Relations, 59(4) (pp. 483-504)


Copy and paste, or graft and transplant? Knowledge sharing through inter-organizational networks (2006-03-15)
Hartley, Jean and Benington, John
Public Money and Management, 26(2) (pp. 101-108)


Ethics in leadership: the case of local politicians (2006)
Morrell, Kevin and Hartley, Jean
Local Government Studies, 32(1) (pp. 55-70)


Knowledge creation and transfer in the Beacon Scheme: improving services through sharing good practice (2005-08-16)
Rashman, Lyndsay; Downe, James and Hartley, Jean
Local Government Studies, 31(5) (pp. 683-700)


Innovation in governance and public services: past and present (2005-03-15)
Hartley, Jean
Public Money and Management, 25(1) (pp. 27-34)


Evaluating the extent of inter-organizational learning and change through the Beacon Council Scheme (2004-12-12)
Downe, James; Hartley, Jean and Rashman, Lyndsay
Public Management Review, 6(4) (pp. 531-554)


Changing public service organizations: current perspectives and future prospects (2003-12)
Ferlie, Ewan; Hartley, Jean and Martin, Steve
British Journal of Management, 14(s1) (S1-S14)


Good, better, best? Inter-organizational learning in a network of local authorities (2002-12)
Hartley, Jean and Allison, Maria
Public Management Review, 4(1) (pp. 101-118)


Leading and learning? Knowledge transfer in the Beacon Council Scheme (2002-10)
Rashman, Lyndsay and Hartley, Jean
Public Administration, 80(3) (pp. 523-542)


Local government modernization: UK and comparative analysis from an organizational perspective (2002)
Hartley, Jean; Butler, Michael J. R. and Benington, John
Public Management Review, 4(3) (pp. 387-404)


Leading communities: capabilities and cultures (2002)
Hartley, Jean
Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 23(8) (pp. 419-429)


Evolving forms of quality management in local government: lessons from the Best Value pilot programme (2001-10-01)
Lewis, Michael and Hartley, Jean
Policy & Politics, 29(4) (pp. 477-496)


Employee surveys - Strategic aid or hand-grenade for organisational and cultural change? (2001)
Hartley, Jean
International Journal of Public Sector Management, 14(3) (pp. 184-204)


The role of leadership in the modernisation and improvement of public services (2000-04)
Hartley, Jean and Allison, Maria
Public Money and Management, 20(2) (pp. 35-40)


Co-research: a new methodology for new times (2000)
Hartley, Jean and Benington, John
European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 9(4) (pp. 463-476)


The impact of unemployment upon the self-esteem of managers (1980-06)
Hartley, Jean F.
Journal of Occupational Psychology, 53(2) (pp. 147-155)


The personality of unemployed managers: myths and measurement (1980)
Hartley, Jean F.
Personnel Review, 9(3) (pp. 12-18)


A case study of repertory grids used in vocational guidance (1978-03)
Smith, Mike; Hartley, Jean and Stewart, Bernie
Journal of Occupational Psychology, 51(1) (pp. 97-104)


Leadership For Healthcare (2012-03-24)
Hartley, Jean and Benington, John
ISBN : 9781847424860 | Publisher : Policy Press | Published : Bristol


Local Political Leadership in England and Wales (2005-07-05)
Leach, Steve; Hartley, Jean; Lowndes, Vivien; Wilson, David and Downe, James
ISBN : 1-85935-365-7 | Publisher : Joseph Rowntree Foundation | Published : York


Job Insecurity: Coping with Jobs at Risk (1990-12-13)
Hartley, Jean; Jacobson, Dan; Klandermans, Bert and Van Vuuren, Tinka
ISBN : 803982534 | Publisher : Sage Publications Ltd | Published : London


Steel Strike: A Case Study in Industrial Relations (1983-07-28)
Hartley, Jean; Kelly, John E. and Nicholson, Nigel
ISBN : 713443782 | Publisher : Batsford Ltd


Action research to develop the theory and practice of public value as a contested democratic practice (2019)
Benington, John and Hartley, Jean
In: Lindgreen, Adam; Koenig-Lewis, Nicole; Kitchener, Martin; Brewer, John D.; Moore, Mark H. and Meynhardt, Timo eds. Public Value: Deepening, Enriching, and Broadening the Theory and Practice of Creating Public Value (pp. 143-158)
ISBN : 9781138059665 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : Abingdon


Can political leadership be taught? (2014-05)
Hartley, Jean
In: Rhodes, R. A. W. and t'Hart, P. eds. Oxford Handbook of Political Leadership. Oxford Handbooks in Politics & International Relations
ISBN : 978-0-19-965388-1 | Publisher : Oxford University Press | Published : Oxford


Public and private features of innovation (2013-02-01)
Hartley, Jean
In: Osborne, Stephen P. and Brown, Louise eds. Handbook of Innovation in Public Services (pp. 44-59)
ISBN : 1849809747 | Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd | Published : Cheltenham


Public value through innovation and improvement (2012-11-30)
Hartley, Jean
In: Benington, John and Moore, Mark H eds. Public value: Theory and practice (pp. 171-184)
ISBN : 230249043 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Basingstoke


Leadership across complex systems and boundaries (2012-11-12)
Hartley, Jean
In: Spurgeon, Peter; Burke, Ronald J and Cooper, Carey L eds. The Innovation Imperative in Health Care Organisations: Critical Role of Human Resource Management in the Cost, Quality and Productivity Equation (pp. 187-204)
ISBN : 1849809844 | Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd | Published : Cheltenham


Political leadership and its development (2012)
Hartley, Jean
In: Weinberg, Ashley ed. The Psychology of Politicians (pp. 97-120)
ISBN : 978-0-521-11372-4 | Publisher : Cambridge University Press | Published : Cambridge


Political leadership (2011-02-17)
Hartley, Jean and Benington, John
In: Bryman, Alan; Collinson, David; Grint, Keith; Jackson, Brad and Uhl-Bien, Mary eds. The SAGE Handbook of Leadership (pp. 203-214)
ISBN : 1848601468 | Publisher : Sage Publications Ltd


The role of leadership in knowledge creation and transfer for organizational learning and improvement (2010-09-30)
Hartley, Jean and Rashman, Lyndsay
In: Walshe, Keiran; Harvey, Gill and Jas, Pauline eds. Connecting Knowledge and Performance in Public Services: From Knowing to Doing (pp. 145-172)
ISBN : 521195462 | Publisher : Cambridge University Press | Published : Cambridge


Political leadership (2010-05-13)
Hartley, Jean
In: Brookes, Stephen and Grint, Keith eds. The New Public Leadership Challenge (pp. 133-149)
ISBN : 230224172 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Basingstoke


Knowledge and capabilities for leadership across the whole public service system (2010-05-13)
Benington, John and Hartley, Jean
In: Brookes, Stephen and Grint, Keith eds. The New Public Leadership Challenge (pp. 187-198)
ISBN : 230224172 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Basingstoke


Coaching political leaders (2010-02-03)
Hartley, Jean and Pinder, Kate
In: Passmore, Jonathan ed. Leadership Coaching: Working with Leaders to Develop Elite Performance (pp. 159-176)
ISBN : 978-0-7494-5532-3 | Publisher : Kogan Page | Published : London


Public sector leadership and management development (2010-02-01)
Hartley, Jean
In: Gold, Jeff; Thorpe, Richard and Mumford, Alan eds. Gower Handbook of Leadership and Management Development (pp. 531-546)
ISBN : 566088584 | Publisher : Gower Publishing Limited | Published : Farnham


Innovations in governance (2009-12-21)
Moore, Mark and Hartley, Jean
In: Osborne, Stephen P. ed. The New Public Governance?: Emerging Perspectives on the Theory and Practice of Public Governance (pp. 52-71)
ISBN : 041549463X | Publisher : Routledge | Published : Abingdon


The agenda for public service improvement (2008-11-20)
Hartley, Jean and Skelcher, Chris
In: Hartley, Jean; Donaldson, Cam; Skelcher, Chris and Wallace, Mike eds. Managing to Improve Public Services (pp. 1-24)
ISBN : 9780521708272 | Publisher : Cambridge University Press | Published : Cambridge


The innovation landscape for public service organizations (2008-11-20)
Hartley, Jean
In: Hartley, Jean; Donaldson, Cam; Skelcher, Chris and Wallace, Mike eds. Managing to improve public services (pp. 197-216)
ISBN : 521708273 | Publisher : Cambridge University Press | Published : Cambridge


Conclusions: Current themes and future directions for research (2008-11-20)
Donaldson, Cam; Hartley, Jean; Skelcher, Chris and Wallace, Mike
In: Hartley, Jean; Donaldson, Cam; Skelcher, Chris and Wallace, Mike eds. Managing to improve public services (pp. 279-286)
ISBN : 521708273 | Publisher : Cambridge University Press | Published : Cambridge


Leadership with political awareness: leadership across diverse interests inside and outside the organization (2008-06-30)
Hartley, Jean and Fletcher, Clive
In: Turnbull James, Kim and Collins, James eds. Leadership Perspectives: Knowledge into Action (pp. 163-176)
ISBN : 230516041 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Basingstoke


Does innovation lead to improvement in public services? Lessons from the Beacon Scheme in the UK (2008-05-01)
Hartley, Jean
In: Borins, Sandford F. ed. Innovations in Government: Research, Recognition, and Replication. Brookings/ASH Institute Series, "Innovative Governance in the 21st Century (pp. 159-187)
ISBN : 815713770 | Publisher : Brookings Institution Press | Published : Washington, DC


How is knowledge transferred between organizations involved in change? (2006-12-15)
Hartley, Jean and Rashman, Lyndsay
In: Wallace, Mike; Fertig, Michael and Schneller, Eugene eds. Managing Change in the Public Services (pp. 173-192)
ISBN : 9781405135481 | Publisher : Blackwell Publishing Ltd | Published : Malden, MA


Knowledge creation and transfer in the Beacon Scheme: improving services through sharing good practice (2006-04)
Rashman, Lyndsay; Downe, James and Hartley, Jean
In: Martin, Steve ed. Public Service Improvement: Policies, Progress and Prospects (pp. 152-170)
ISBN : 9780415376266 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : Abingdon


Case study research (2004-04-28)
Hartley, Jean
In: Cassell, Catherine and Symon, Gillian eds. Essential Guide to Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research (pp. 323-333)
ISBN : 761948872 | Publisher : Sage Publications Ltd | Published : London


Co-research: insider/outsider teams for organizational research (2004-04-28)
Benington, John and Hartley, Jean
In: Cassell, Catherine and Symon, Gillian eds. Essential Guide to Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research (pp. 361-371)
ISBN : 761948872 | Publisher : Sage Publications Ltd | Published : London


The Routledge Companion to Leadership (2016-10-04)
Storey, John; Hartley, Jean; Denis, Jean-Louis; 't Hart, Paul and Ulrich, Dave eds.
Routledge Companions
ISBN : 9781138825574 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : New York


Managing to Improve Public Services (2008-11-20)
Hartley, Jean; Donaldson, Cam; Skelcher, Chris and Wallace, Mike eds.
ISBN : 521708273 | Publisher : Cambridge University Press | Published : Cambridge


Employment Relations: The Psychology of Influence and Control at Work (1991-01-16)
Hartley, Jean and Stephenson, Geoffrey M eds.
ISBN : 063118354X | Publisher : Wiley-Blackwell


Clinical leadership in service redesign using Clinical Commissioning Groups: a mixed-methods study (2018-01)
Storey, John; Holti, Richard; Hartley, Jean; Marshall, Martin and Matharu, Tatum


Mobilizing Clinical Leadership in and around Clinical Commissioning Groups: A mixed methods study (2017)
Storey, John; Holti, Richard; Hartley, Jean; Marshall, Martin and Matharu, Tatum
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)


Leading with political astuteness - a white paper. A study of public managers in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom (2013)
Hartley, Jean; Alford, John; Hughes, Owen and Yates, Sophie
Australia and New Zealand School of Government, Chartered Institute of Management & The Open University Business School


Dancing on Ice: leadership with political astuteness by senior public servants in the UK (2013)
Manzie, Stella and Hartley, Jean
The Open University Business School, Milton Keynes, UK.


Leading with political astuteness: A study of public managers in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom (2013)
Hartley, Jean; Alford, John; Hughes, Owen and Yates, Sophie
Australia and New Zealand School of Government and the Chartered Management Institute, UK


Leadership Learning in Changing Times: Evaluating Leadership Development in the Civil Service (2011-03)
Hartley, Jean and Tranfield, David
National School of Government


Recent Trends in Leadership: Thinking and Action in the Public and Voluntary Sectors (2011)
Hartley, Jean and Benington, John
Kings Fund, London.


Whole Systems Go! Leadership Across The Whole Public Service System (2009)
Benington, John and Hartley, Jean
National School of Government, Ascot.


Managing with Political Awareness: A Summary Review of the Literature (2006-10)
Hartley, Jean and Branicki, Layla
Charterted Managment Institute, London.