2017-02-07
Assessing Public Leadership Styles for Innovation: A Comparison of Copenhagen, Rotterdam and Barcelona
Publication
Publication
Public Management Review: an international journal of research and theory , Volume 19 - Issue 2 p. 134- 156
This article explores which leadership qualities public managers regard as important for public innovation. It is based on a survey of 365 senior public managers in Copenhagen, Rotterdam and Barcelona. Five perspectives on leadership were identified and tested using a number of items. Some of these proved to be more robust than others. Analysis of the three cities reveals a nuanced set of leadership styles, which include a transformational style, and one that is more dedicated to motivating employees, risk-taking and including others in decision-making. This suggests the need for more research on leadership and public-sector innovation.