175 JOURNAL REVISTA INNOVAR Leadership in public management: Some theoretical and methodological considerations Manuel Villoria PhD in Political Science and Sociology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Professor, Rey Juan Carlos University (Madrid). E-mail: manuel.villoria@urjc.es Ángel Iglesias PhD in Political Science and Sociology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Professor, Rey Juan Carlos University (Madrid). E-mail: angel.iglesias@urjc.es ABSTRACT: Despite its pertinence in administrative sciences, leadership in public management is still ill conceptualized. In this context, the authors propose an analytical framework to reconsider the study of public leadership. To explore this issue they begin by stating the difference between public and private management and look at the specifics of public management´s objectives. Then, they try to develop a comprehensive model to understand the variety of situations in public leadership; a model based on a broader perspective rather that on a managerial one. In particular, they defend the idea that different types of leadership are required depending on the level of responsibility of the managers and other aggregate variables such as the level of institutionaliza- tion and power of the public organization where the managers work. KEYWORDS: Public management, leadership, administrative theory, administrative methodology. Introduction Studies of public management in the last thirty years, and especially in research into modernisation and change in Public Administrations, have demonstrated the weakness of the “leadership” variable in explaining the successes and failures of transformation. Much has been written concern- ing the importance of leadership in the literature on management, but in the explanations of change this variable has not been adequately consid- ered. Paradigm shifts, from the bureaucratic (Weber, 1984) to the “new public management” (Aucoin, 1995; Barzelay, 2001; Lane, 2000; Pollit and Bouckaert, 2000; Savas, 2008; Osborne and Gaebler, 1992, among others) and, more recently, to the “neopublic” (Frederickson, 1997; CLAD, 1998; Merino, 2008; Gregory, 2003; Hood et al., 2004; Peters, 2001, 2006, 2007, among others) have culminated in the early years of the XXI century in an integrationist and syncretic vision (Bourgon, 2007, 2010) 1 . At a more micro level it is also clear that numerous public organizations in very different countries have made advances in effectiveness, efficiency, integrity, and 1 Without forgetting by any means the importance of efficiency and the achievement of policy results (Longo, 2008), it is nowadays necessary to foster civic results, which leads to the democratisation of the Administration and the quest for good government i.e. “receptive, responsible and respected government”, as described by Jocelyne Bourgon in her “new” theory of public administration (Bourgon, 2007, 2010). 175 LIDERAZGO EN EL SECTOR PÚBLICO: ALGUNAS CUESTIONES TEÓRICAS Y METODOLÓGICAS RESUMEN: Basándose en la literatura existente y en los debates más rele- vantes que se están produciendo −tanto en el ámbito académico como en el de los gestores−, sobre liderazgo en el ámbito público, el artículo pro- pone un modelo analítico innovador para estudiar este crucial tema. Para desarrollar el análisis se comienza con una propuesta de diferenciación entre la gestión pública y la privada, de naturaleza incremental, y centrada en las especificidades que se derivan de los objetivos de uno y otro sector. Tras ello, se desarrolla un modelo comprehensivo que tiene como finalidad identificar las variables situacionales propias de dicho sector, consideran- do tanto el factor potestas como el de auctoritas propios de la teoría polí- tica clásica. En concreto, la hipótesis que se pretende demostrar es que el contexto demanda diferentes modelos de liderazgo que consideran el nivel de responsabilidad de los gestores y el nivel de institucionalización y poder de la organización donde los gestores desarrollan su trabajo. PALABRAS CLAVE: gestión pública, liderazgo, teoría administrativa, me- todología administrativa. LEADERSHIP DANS LE SECTEUR PUBLIC : QUELQUES QUESTIONS THÉORIQUES ET MÉTHODOLOGIQUES RÉSUMÉ: Sur base de publications existantes et des débats importants qui ont lieu – autant dans le secteur académique que dans le secteur de ges- tion -, à propos du leadership dans le secteur public, l’article propose un modèle analytique innovateur pour étudier ce thème important. Le déve- loppement de l’analyse commence par une proposition de différentiation entre la gestion publique et la gestion privée, intensifiée et centrée sur les spécificités qui dérivent des objectifs de chaque secteur. Un modèle compréhensif est ensuite développé afin d’identifier les variables situa- tionnelles propres au secteur, considérant le facteur potestas tout comme le facteur auctoritas qui sont propres à la théorie politique classique. Plus concrètement, l’hypothèse à démontrer est que le contexte exige diffé- rents modèles de leadership selon le niveau de responsabilité des agents de gestion et le niveau d’institutionnalisation et le pouvoir de l’organisa- tion dans lequel ils développent leur travail. MOTS-CLEFS : gestion publique, leadership, théorie administrative, métho- dologie administrative. LIDERANÇA NO SETOR PÚBLICO: ALGUMAS QUESTÕES TEORICAS A METODOLÓGICAS RESUMO: Baseando-se na literatura existente e nos debates mais rele- vantes que vêm se realizando – tanto no âmbito acadêmico como no dos gestores-, sobre liderança no âmbito público, o artigo propõe um modelo analítico inovador para estudar este tema crucial. Para desenvolver a aná- lise, inicia-se com uma proposta de diferenciação entre a gestão públi- ca e a privada, de natureza incremental, e centrada nas especificidades derivadas dos objetivos de um e outro setor. Em seguida, desenvolve-se um modelo compreensivo que tem como finalidade identificar as variáveis circunstanciais próprias de tal setor, considerando tanto o fator potestas como o de auctoritas próprios da teoria política clássica. Concretamente, a hipótese que se pretende demonstrar é que o contexto demanda dife- rentes modelos de liderança considerando o nível de responsabilidade dos gestores e o nível de institucionalização e poder da organização onde os gestores desenvolvem seu trabalho. PALAVRAS CHAVE: gestão pública, liderança, teoria administrativa, me- todologia administrativa. JEL CLASSIFICATION: M12, Z18. SUBMITTED: September 2009 ACCEPTED: August 2010 STREET ADDRESS: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Paseo de Artilleros sn, 28032 Vicálvaro, Madrid, Spain. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Villoria, M. & Iglesias, A. (2011). Leadership in public management: Some theoretical and methodological consider- ations. Innovar, 21(42), 175-189. Special Issue Papers