Abstract
The public sector is becoming increasingly complex. As complexity leadership theory has been formulated in order to understand leadership in such a context, it thus seems appropriate that it should inform public leadership research. However, the applicability of complexity leadership theory and the concomitant adaptive leadership practices have thus far been underexplored empirically in a public sector context. In order to address this omission, this paper uses a qualitative case study to exemplify how adaptive leadership practices may manifest themselves in a public sector context. The paper’s findings indicate that adaptive leadership practices that reduce, rather than induce, tension within the dynamics of actors’ interactions may be a more viable route for adaptive leadership practices to facilitate the emergence of new ways of thinking and to handle challenges within a public sector context. Future research could beneficially pay greater attention to the public sector context when studying how adaptive leadership practices might manifest themselves in public sector organizations, as well as when assessing the merits of complexity leadership theory in informing public leadership.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2022 Special Focus—Rethinking Organizational Resilience: Shared Meanings in Turbulent Times
KEYWORDS
COMPLEXITY LEADERSHIP, ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP, PUBLIC SECTOR, PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS
