Can Role-Based Public Leadership Promote Subordinate Taking Charge? The Role of Political Skills and Public Service Motivation

This paper focused on role-based public leadership's impact and internal mechanism on subordinate taking charge behavior (TCB). The explanatory model of rationality and value dual paths was proposed and verified through hierarchical regression and bootstrap tests, with the data from a questionnaire survey to the Bureau of Commerce. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Public service motivation is a mediating variable between public leadership and TCB;(2) political skills have a double-edged sword effect. Political skills positively moderate the impact of public leadership on TCB. Meanwhile, it negatively moderates the effects of public leadership on public service motivation and the effects of public service motivation on TCB;(3) under the high political skill level of subordinates, public leadership has a direct impact on the TCB, while under the low political skill level of subordinates, the direct effect of public leadership on the TCB is insignificant.

Leadership, management and organisational implications for public service employee well-being and performance

Orientation: With the significant changes in the organisational context and the nature of work, greater focus on employee well-being is central to the quality of work life (QWL) and effective organisations. Research purpose: This article examines the complex and dynamic interplay between the multidimensional affective, behavioural, relational and socio-cultural dimensions in mediating employee well-being and organisational performance in a transforming South African provincial government. Motivation for the study: Theoretical models and public reforms have focused on the formal, transactional and technical aspects in understanding organisational performance and employee well-being, with less attention given to the behavioural, socio-cultural and interpersonal dimensions. Research approach/design and method: This qualitative study in two provincial government departments with 43 public servants (rank levels 6–15) applied the integral theory-based, four-quadrant model. The Dynamic Inquiry (DI) interview method and inductive thematic analytical processes were used. The Management Performance Assessment Tool (MPAT) assessment reports of the two departments were analysed. Main findings: The four dominant themes that emerged from this study – social exclusion, leadership behaviours, public service orientation and governance – display complex patterns and relationships related to well-being and performance. Among these are the negative effects of power and bureaucratic cultures;hierarchical, command and control governance systems and dissonant leadership behaviours. Practical/managerial implications: The results have public policy and practice implications for public governance, management and leadership development, organisational design and culture, and performance management. Contribution/value-add: By applying an integrated research approach, multiple determinants of well-being and their intermediation were elucidated. The findings offer epistemological and methodological implications for human resource management (HRM) scholarship.

Framing COVID-19: Public Leadership and Crisis Communication By Chancellor Angela Merkel During the Pandemic in 2020

While communication generally embodies an essential part of public leadership, this is even more true in times of crisis when uncertainty prevails, and the public expects the leader not only to take adequate measures to mitigate the crisis, but also to justify and explain these measures. In the COVID-19 pandemic, Angela Merkel’s communication differed from other Western political leaders who strongly relied on a war narrative. This paper focuses on the framing by the German Chancellor during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (March–July 2020). We examine Merkel’s crisis communication in three different public arenas: her public speeches, her press conference appearances and her weekly podcasts. Based on a qualitative content analysis, our study provides three relevant insights. First, it proves that the claim for solidarity – national as well as European solidarity - represents the crucial element of Merkel’s meaning-making narrative. Second, the study shows that both statements on the protection of public health and of economy strongly resonate in her communication, but that the prioritisation shifted over time. Finally, our analysis manifests how Merkel’s framing differs in the three communicative arenas. Additionally, our findings indicate that Merkel followed a modified leadership style during the COVID-19 crisis. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of German Politics is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

The Anti-Leader: From presidential discursive leadership to federative incoordination to combat COVID-19

The objective of this paper is to critically analyze lair Bolsonaro's political leadership in relation to the coordination of actions of other federative entities during the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), based on the directions of Van Dijk's critical discourse analysis. We used the notes of the audiovisual materiality method to work with 15 videos published on the YouTube platform in the official President's channel. Data were analyzed following the guidelines developed by Van Dijk. The results suggest that the presidential leadership in coordinating subnational federative entities was an antithesis of what is prescribed in the literature on public leadership. Bolsonaro positioned himself aggressively, constituting a discursive scenario of war against other political leaders of the nation. His posture can be associated with the figure of an anti-leader, an agent who seeks the disaggregation and lack of coordination of actors in favor of his own conceptions.

Local Government Efforts to Mitigate the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic among Older Adults.

As the coronavirus crisis spreads swiftly through the population, it takes a particularly heavy toll on minority individuals and older adults, with older minority adults at especially high risk. Given the shockingly high rates of infections and deaths in nursing homes, staying in the community appears to be a good option for older adults in this crisis, but in order for some older adults to do so much assistance is required. This situation draws attention to the need for benevolent intervention on the part of the state should older adults become ill or lose their sources of income and support during the crisis. This essay provides a brief overview of public support and the financial and health benefits for older individuals who remain in the community during the pandemic. It reports the case example of Austin, Texas, a city with a rapidly aging and diverse population of almost a million residents, to ask how we can assess the success of municipalities in responding to the changing needs of older adults in the community due to COVID-19. It concludes with a discussion of what governmental and non-governmental leadership can accomplish in situations such as that brought about by the current crisis.