Collaborative Leadership and Organizational Performance: Assessing the Structural Relation in a Public Service Agency

• Author: Jun Yi Hsieh,Kuotsai Tom Liou
• Published date: 01 March 2018
• DOI: 10.1177/0734371X15623619
• Date: 01 March 2018
• Subject Matter: Articles

Review of Public Personnel Administration

2018, Vol. 38(1) 83 –109

© The Author(s) 2016

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DOI: 10.1177/0734371X15623619

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Article

Collaborative Leadership

and Organizational

Performance: Assessing the

Structural Relation in a Public

Service Agency

Jun Yi Hsieh1 and Kuotsai Tom Liou2

Abstract

Collaborative leadership has been widely discussed in the theory of public-sector

leadership and public collaborative governance studies. Based on the survey data of a

public service agency in Taipei City Government, Taiwan, this study used path analysis

to test the effect of four dimensions of collaborative leadership on the perceived

organizational performance, and applied multidimensional scaling (MDS) method to

estimate the dimensions of collaborative leadership and their structural relations.

Findings of the empirical analyses support our hypotheses about the dimensions and

influence of collaborative leadership and contribute to the theories of public-sector

leadership. Public employees’ collaborative leadership skills facilitate their acceptance

of organizational rules and their perceived organizational performance. Implications

of these findings are presented in the discussion and conclusion.

Keywords

public-sector leadership theories, collaborative leadership, leadership behavior and

dimensions, perceived organizational performance

Introduction

Public administration scholars have emphasized the study of public-sector leadership

behaviors to understand the influence of leadership theories and to improve the

1University of Taipei, Taiwan

2University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA

Corresponding Author:

Jun Yi Hsieh, Department of Social and Public Affairs, University of Taipei, 1, Ai-Guo West Road, Taipei,

10042, Taiwan.

Email: jh04e@utaipei.edu.tw

623619ROPXXX10.1177/0734371X15623619Review of Public Personnel AdministrationHsieh and Liou

research-article2016

84 Review of Public Personnel Administration 38(1)

performance of public organizations (e.g., Fernandez, 2005; Terry, 1995; Tummers &

Knies, 2014; Van Wart, 2003; Wright & Pandey, 2010). These scholars have recog-

nized the lack of theoretical leadership studies in the traditional literature of public

administration compared with studies in other disciplines (e.g., Hansen & Villadsen,

2010; Trottier, Van Wart, & Wang, 2008). They emphasized the need to conduct empir-

ical studies to test contemporary leadership theories because public managers need to

understand these theories and their related challenges if they are to become effective

leaders (e.g., Van Wart, 2003, 2013; Wright & Pandey, 2010).

Van Wart (2013) identified five leadership theories for public administration schol-

ars and managers. Traditional leadership theories focus on the manager’s high expec-

tations. Transactional leadership theories stress the involvement of followers in

decision making. Transformational leadership theories facilitate changes in the mis-

sion, vision, value, and culture. Collaborative leadership theories emphasize working

with groups inside and outside the organization. Ethical leadership theories promote

integrity and leading through service and sacrifice (Van Wart, 2013). Finally, other

research found the relationship between empowerment and leadership may be nothing

more than a recycled version of Theory Y and people-oriented leadership (Pitts, 2005).

Collaborative leadership is considered the most popular and dynamic leadership

theory because of its connection to collaborative or network governance studies (e.g.,

Agranoff & McGuire, 2001; O’Leary, Gazley, McGuire, & Bingham, 2009; Quick &

Feldman, 2014). Public administration scholars recognize that public agencies have to

work together, formally and informally, to solve problems in multi-organizational net-

worked arrangements that cannot be readily solved by any single organization. To

offer better public service, public managers have to work with their counterparts in the

private sector, concerned citizen groups, and public and nonprofit organizations to

understand management challenges and opportunities (e.g., Bryson & Crosby, 1992;

Chrislip & Larson, 1994; Herman, 1994). Collaborative leadership helps organizations

to reduce conflict, facilitate employees’ involvement, foster commitment to new initia-

tives, and accomplish a shared purpose (Archer & Cameron, 2009). Public administra-

tion scholars are interested in studying the leadership’s role in the collaboration process

among organizations, networks, systems, or communities (Quick & Feldman, 2014;

Van Wart, 2013).

Recognizing its importance, public administration scholars have emphasized the

need for more empirical research about collaborative leadership and its related factors

in different contexts. For example, they suggested testing the leadership theories in

public-sector jurisdictions, administrative levels, and different contexts to see if the

outcomes vary by area and culture (e.g., McGuire & Silvia, 2009; Van Wart, 2003,

2013; Wright & Pandey, 2010). In response to this need, this study examines the

dimensions of collaborative leadership and their effects on organizational performance

in a public service agency in Taipei City, Taiwan. Previous similar research has noticed

the increasing interests in studying collaborative governance concepts and strategies

in East Asia (Brown, Gong, & Jing, 2012; Lee & Liu, 2012; Walker & Hills, 2012). In

Taiwan, the Taipei city government has adopted many new collaborative governance

concepts, such as client-oriented principles, collaborative practices within and among