Leadership and Change in Public Sector Organizations

Successful change in the public sector can be supported or hindered by political and administrative leadership, individual and group motivation, and the public's perception of the effectiveness of public officials and government structures. But do the very characteristics of public sector organizations present obstacles to successful transformative change? This book assesses the current state of the literature on leadership and change in government and public policy, and introduces the reader to innovative new ways to demonstrate leadership in times of change.
Contributions from accomplished scholars in the field cover the traditional public administration areas of performance and management, as well as the diversity of issues that surround public leadership and change, both domestic and global. Chapters on public sector innovation, performance leadership, governance networks, complexity in disaster management, change initiatives in educational systems and local government, citizen advisory bodies, and gender and race equality, to name but a few, provide important case studies throughout the volume. Leadership and Change in Public Sector Organizations will be required reading for upper level undergraduate and graduate courses in public administration/management, leadership, and public policy analysis.

James D. Ward teaches in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University, Newark.

Chapter One: Introduction: Beyond Reform - Leadership, Change and the Role of Innovation James D. Ward Part 1: Ecology of Public Sector Innovation and Performance Literature Chapter Two: Reinventing and Redesigning Government James H. Svara Chapter Three: Innovation and Organizational Survival Research Eleanor D. Glor and Mario A. Rivera Part 2: Governance and New Frontiers in Public Policy Chapter Four: Cooperative and Collaborative Governance in a Networked Age David Hamilton Chapter Five: Chaos Theory, Disaster Policy, and Responses: Achieving the New Normal Gretchen M. Richards Part 3: Leadership and Change in Governing Systems Chapter Six: Public Sector Compensation - School District Superintendents: Are we getting our monies worth? Christopher Stream, Antonio Gutierrez, and Ashok EM Sudhakar Chapter Seven: Implementing an Innovative Dream of Change: Lessons from Houston Community Colleges Susan T. Gooden and Kasey J. Martin Chapter Eight: Citizen Advisory Bodies: New Wine in Old Bottles? Margaret Stout, George W. Dougherty, Jr., and Larkin Dudley Chapter Nine: Local Government Reform, Convergence, and the Hybrid Model James D. Ward Part 4: Social Justice and Equality Chapter Ten: Support for Gender Equality Duty Strategies among Local Government Officials in Texas Thomas Longoria, Darlene Budd, and Lynn L. Manganaro Chapter Eleven: Can Innovative Leadership Improve Community and Policing Relationships? Lessons Learned from Youngstown, Ohio Cryshanna A. Jackson Leftwich Chapter Twelve: Choice Points as a Framework for Decision-Making Brandi Blessett and Tia Sherèe Gaynor Chapter Thirteen: Conclusion: Scenarios and Common Themes in Leadership and Change James D. Ward