Identifying Effective Leadership Styles and Professional Development in Public Administration

Running head: EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP 1
EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP 13
Identifying Effective Leadership in Public Administration and
Supporting with Professional Development
Student’s Name
Walden University
Identifying Effective Leadership in Public Administration and
Supporting with Professional Development
It can be easily agreed upon that leadership is essential for the
success of organizations in any field. However, the style of
leadership must be tailored to the organization based on many
factors, including the field in which the organization is in, the
culture of the organization, and the duties that are required of
the leader in order to meet organizational goals and accomplish
day to day tasks (Burke, 2011). There are many leadership
styles that are often demonstrated within the field of public
administration. Though the concept of leadership is a topic that
has a significant amount of research devoted to it, the number
of studies on various leadership topics can be overwhelming

(Van Wart, 2013). With so many leadership styles, which ones
are most effective within the field of public administration?
Additionally, how can these styles be developed?
Leaders within the field of public administration face many
unique challenges (Bowling & Wright, 1998; McGinnis, 2006;
Nalandian, O'Neill, Wilkes, & Kaufman, 2013). These
challenges include ever-changing responsibilities and problems
(McGinnis, 2013), addressing revolutions in technology,
transportation, and communication (Nalandian, O’Neil,Wilkes,
& Kaufman, 2013), adhering to federal mandates,
implementation of policies, and dealing with fiscal pressures
(Bowling & Wright, 1998). To meet these challenges brought
on with the advances in technology and changes to modern
society, leadership styles have also had to change with the
times. Bowling & Wright (1998) outlined changes that have
occurred in leadership within public administration in the last
four decades. They found that leaders within state agencies
today demonstrate more diversity with regard to age, race,
gender, and experience compared to forty years ago. Leaders
today are also more educated than in the past (Bowling &
Wright, 1998).
According to literature, it is important for leadership style to
match the challenges that lie in the field of public
administration (McGinnis, 2013). To address challenges within
the civil service system such as difficulty in attracting and
retaining qualified personnel, inadequate training, and poor
management (Underhill & Oman, 2007), some authors
recommended drastic reforms to the civil service system, such
as implementation of merit pay, the creation of performance
standards, and the creation of a list of mandatory firing
offenses, which were rationalized on the basis of national
security (Brook & King, 2007). Other challenges within the
public administration and civil service system lie in the area of
decision-making. Kellis & Ran (2013) noted the controversy
surrounding nonelected public leaders making decision related
to public administration policies. Their study examined survey

data from the 2006, 2008 and 2010 Federal Human Viewpoint
Survey and concluded that distributed, transformational, and
authentic leadership approaches were predictive of outcomes
within agencies, ranging from job outcomes, leader outcomes,
and organizational outcomes.
Burke (2011) noted that leadership must be tailored to the
organization and responsibilities of a leader in order to be most
successful. This idea is echoed in Demiroz & Kapucu’s (2012)
article related to leadership roles in emergencies. The authors
argue that successful emergency management requires skills
that are dependent on the environment, nature of the disaster,
and the specific organization that an individual is leading.
What leadership characteristics are most important in public
administration and how do we foster them? With regard to
leadership skills, Radin’s (1980) study of 62 women in upper,
middle, and entry level public management positions identified
the ability to self-educate as the most important leadership skill.
The study also found that, according to respondents, existing
career training and development programs did not fully address
the training needs of individuals within the public service field.
Literature exists that discusses the importance of leadership
characteristics that are specific to the organization to which one
belongs (Demiroz & Kapucu, 2012; McGinnis, 2006). There is
also literature available that notes the need for additional
training opportunities and leadership development within the
public administration field (Radin, 1980). However, less
literature is available related to specific leadership
characteristics that are perceived as important and necessary for
successful leadership within the public administration field that
also encompasses how to foster and develop these skills. This
information can be useful for those in the human resources
departments within public administration organizations and
those responsible for planning training and professional
development opportunities at both the state and local level.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the leadership styles

that are perceived as effective in the field of public
administration as well as to address training and professional
development to foster such skills. Few studies were found that
addressed effective leadership styles and characteristics that
also addressed how to foster them specifically within the field
of public administration. This study will address the central
research question of discovering which leadership
characteristics are most effective in the field of public
administration. Subquestions addressed by this study will
include an investigation of leadership styles that fit best with
characteristics identified as well as an investigation of how said
leadership characteristics and styles can be fostered within
organizations to promote positive leaders through training and
professional development. In order to accomplish this research
goal, employees currently employed in the field of public
administration will be interviewed regarding their perceptions
of the effectiveness of those who lead their organizations.
Individuals will participate in structured interviews with
researchers and will also complete surveys regarding the
effectiveness of leadership within their organizations.
Participants from five different organizations in three cities will
be interviewed. Information related to training opportunities
will also be collected and presented. Participants will be
interviewed at a neutral location that is close to their place of
employment.
Importance of Research
By examining perceptions of effective leadership styles and
characteristics from those currently in the field of public
administration, the author hopes to gain knowledge that can be
useful to those interested in increasing efficiency and
effectiveness of leaders in the public administration field. This
information may also be useful during hiring practices. By
exploring various methods of fostering leadership styles and
characteristics that are discovered to be effective within the
field, training programs and professional development seminars
can be crafted to support these traits and thereby strengthen

leaders within organizations by further supporting leadership
styles and characteristics that are identified as effective.
Fostering strong leaders and providing them with training to
support their leadership styles helps build value into those
currently working in the field of public administration, which
may increase their loyalty to their organizations (Burke, 2011).
Generating information on how organizations can help nurture
the leadership qualities within those currently in their
organizations can help create a new generation of leaders who
are even better equipped to handle the ever-changing and
increasingly complex social responsibilities of work within the
field of public administration.
References
Bowling, C. J., & Wright, D. S. (1998). Change and continuity
in state administration: Administrative leadership across four
decades. Public Administration Review, 58(5), 429-444.
Bowling and Wright (1998) acknowledge the challenges
related to public administration, including adhering to federal
mandates, implementation of policies, and fiscal pressures.
Their essay examines the changes in leadership that have
occurred in public administration in recent decades. Based on
data collected, the authors note that leaders within state
agencies today are more educated and are more diverse with
regard to age, gender, and race compared to four decades ago.
Leaders today are also more educated compared to those in
1964; sixty percent of respondents in 1994 earned a graduate
degree, compared to 40 percent of respondents in 1964. The
result of these changes in leadership is structural shifts in
administrative organization as well as a change in personal
characteristics of leaders related to age, gender, race, and
education level. The authors conclude the essay with a question
of whether the changes that have occurred in leaders in public
administration prepare state agencies to effectively address
challenges within the field in the twenty-first century.
Rationale: This essay was selected because it notes changes that
have occurred in leaders over the course of four decades. These

changes include increased diversity in age, gender, race, and
education. This article supports my current research because it
can be referenced as a base for current characteristics of leaders
within public administration. The argument that leaders have
changed in certain aspects can be made based on the
information from this essay. However, this essay does not
discuss the effectiveness of leaders within the public
administration field, nor does it discuss the effectiveness that
elements such as more education have on success as a leader.
Brook, D. A., & King, C. (2007). Civil service reform as
national security: The Homeland Security Act of 2002. Public
Administration Review, 67(3), 399-423.
This article is not included as part of the 8 annotated
sources.
Burke, W. W. (2011). Organization change: Theory and practice
(3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
This book was cited in the introduction and is not part of
the 8 annotated sources.
Demiroz, F., & Kapucu, N. (2012). The role of leadership in
managing emergencies and disasters. European Journal of
Economic & Political Studies, 5(1), 91-101.
The authors of this article note that leaders must possess
specific skill sets in order to successfully manage disasters and
emergencies, but that the necessary skills are dependent on
several factors. These factors include the environment the
leaders work in, the nature of the disaster, and the specific
organizations that they lead. The purpose of this article is to
provide an overview of traits needed for successful disaster
management in both natural disasters and other types of
emergency situations. The overall them and conclusion of the
article is that effective leadership makes dealing with
emergencies more successful. The authors also note that
ineffective leadership can impede successful handling of
emergency situations.
Rationale: This article seems like it would be a good addition to
the literature review as the topic begins to narrow from

leadership in general to leadership within the public
administration field or in fields such as emergency management
and disaster preparedness. It may also be a good segue to
McGinnis’s (2006) article that further explores leadership
characteristics and traits that were implemented during disasters
such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
Kellis, D. S., & Ran, B. (2012, November). Modern leadership
principles for public administration: time to move forward.
Journal of Public Affairs, 13(1), 130-141.
The authors acknowledge the controversy which surrounds
nonelected public officials engaging in decision-making within
public administration. The authors examine the characteristics
from three leadership theories which include distributed
leadership theory, transformational leadership theory, and
authentic leadership theory and attempt to create a new
leadership theory that is applicable in today’s public
administration field. The new theory is tested through three
separate administrations of the Federal Human Capital Survey.
Survey data from 2006, 2008, and 2010 is analyzed. Results
indicated that all three leadership approaches were predictive of
aspects of outcome measurements. The authors recommended
further research be conducted on the development of new public
leadership theory in order to meet the changing needs of today’s
public administration field.
Rationale: This article may provide a good foundation for the
introduction of my current research as it discusses current
research on leadership within the public administration field.
The authors also note within the article the need for additional
research and development of new public administration
leadership theories to address changes. Though the study notes
the leadership characteristics of three main leadership theories
and how they predict job, organizational, and leadership
outcomes, it does not give information about specific leadership
styles and characteristics and how they impact specific areas of
public administration, such as homeland security.
McGinnis, P. (2006). Tougher challenges -- And leadership to

match. Public Manager, 35(1), 7 10.
This essay addresses the problem that government leaders
are being required to handle increasingly challenging and ever-
changing problems. As challenges are increasing, so are
responsibilities of these leaders. The author notes recent
examples of disasters, including Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11
attacks. The theme of the essay is that leaders need to be
prepared to handle these increasing challenges and
responsibilities and outlines traits that are necessary to do so.
It concludes with emphasizing the importance of successful
leadership development, commenting on key characteristics
such as communication, teamwork, and establishing positive
relationships with others. Self-knowledge and the identification
of core personal values were also noted as essential in
leadership development.
Rationale: This article was selected because of its relationship
to Radin’s (1980) article about leadership training for women in
state and local government positions. This article broadly
discusses leadership traits and characteristics and concludes
with comments on the importance of leadership development,
but does not explicitly discuss how to develop personal
leadership skills. This article will provide an appropriate segue
for the use of information from Radin’s (1980) article that
discusses leadership training more thoroughly.
Nalbandian, J., O'Neill, R., Michael Wilkes, J. J., & Kaufman,
A. (2013). Contemporary challenges in local government:
Evolving roles and responsibilities, structures, and
processes. Public Administration Review, 73(4), 567-574.
doi:10.1111/puar.12059
This article addresses the problem of communication,
transportation, and economic revolutions having a negative
impact on connecting what is acceptable from a political
standpoint to what is sustainable from an administration
standpoint, arguing that a connection between the two is
essential for successful governance. The purpose of the article
is to generate conversations related to modern leadership

challenges in local government. The conclusion of the article is
that challenges in local government fall into three categories:
challenges related to roles and responsibilities, challenges
related to structures, and challenges related to processes.
Authors note that insights on modern challenges in local
government from research serves as the foundation for
additional research to examine roles of future public managers,
structures, and processes of governance.
Rationale: This article is useful because it outlines the
challenges that leaders in local government are likely to face
today. Though the article outlines specific challenges, it fails
to discuss specific ways to address these challenges. This gap
in information helps build the argument for more research
related to specific leadership traits and styles that are beneficial
in the public administration field to accommodate challenges
related to modern governance.
Radin, B. A. (1980). Leadership training for women in state and
local government. Public Personnel Management, 9(2), 52.
In this study, the author recognizes that women are
underrepresented in state and local government jobs and often
experience many challenges, including lack of support for
female leadership (Hooyman & Kaplan, 1976) and challenges
related to the leadership differences between men and women
(Luthams & Chapman, 1975). The purpose of the study is to
examine the skills perceived as most important for women to
possess as leaders as well as to address the identification and
definition of training and development opportunities for women
in public administration positions. The participants for the
study included 62 women in upper, middle, and entry level
public administration positions. The participants were surveyed
and asked to rate skills that were required for success in order
of importance. They were also interviewed and asked to note
problems that they had encountered as women in management
and to describe the training opportunities that were available to
them. Results indicated that the ability to self-educate was
ranked as the most important skills by the largest number of

respondents across levels. Non-intentional discrimination was
ranked highest as a problem they had encountered. Finally,
with regard to training and development opportunities, the
author concluded based on the responses that existing career
and training programs available to respondents did not fully
address the career needs of women.
Rationale: This study was chosen because it notes skills that
women in public administration perceive as important to
successful leadership within the field. It also highlights some
information related to training programs that are available as
well as their perceived effectiveness. This study can be used in
support of my research because it helps contribute to
background information related to necessary skills and traits
needed for success in leadership roles within public
administration. However, it does not specify specific roles the
participants held within public administration, other than the
fact that they comprised upper, middle, and entry-level
management positions. More information is needed related to
leadership in specific areas of public administration.
Underhill, J., & Oman, R. (2007, December). A critical review
of the sweeping federal civil service changes. Review of
Public Personnel Administration, 27(4), 401-420.
The authors critique the changes that have been proposed
to the civil service system within the Department of Homeland
Security, including the introduction of merit pay, creation of
performance standards, and proposals to create a list of
mandatory firing offenses. The purpose of the article is to
provide a critique of the changes proposed in an effort to
address some of the challenges in the civil service system,
including difficulty in attracting and maintaining qualified
employees, inadequate training, and poor management. The
authors acknowledge that the civil service system is not without
its problems that need to be addressed, but argue that the system
does not need drastic changes to address these problems. The
authors recommend using employee participation to find
solutions to the problems.

Rationale: This article discusses several challenges and
problems that the authors identify that occur within the civil
service system within the Department of Homeland Security.
However, little detail is given to how to address these problems,
other than noting that utilizing employee participation to solve
problems is important. Though this article thoroughly discusses
the challenges, it fails to note how leadership within the
Department of Homeland Security can be used to address these
challenges proactively, making it a viable option in a literature
review to help point out gaps in literature and build a
foundation for the need for more research in this area.
Van Wart, M. (2013). Lessons from leadership theory and the
contemporary challenges of leaders. Public Administration
Review, 73(4), 553-565. doi:10.1111/puar.12069
The author notes that leadership theories can be
overwhelming and difficult to understand due to complex
terminology and the vast number of articles on the topic. The
purpose of this article is to review the major findings in
literature on the topic of organizational leadership and to
present a clear outline of five leadership theories, including
classical management theory, transactional leadership theory,
transformational leadership theory, horizontal or collaborative
leadership theory, and ethical leadership theory. The author
concludes that specific challenges of leadership change over
time, but general principles remain constant. Challenges in
today’s leadership arena, especially related to public
administration, include fiscal pressure, working with fewer
resources, increased responsibilities, and changes in
communication and technology.
Rationale: This article nicely complements the article by
Nalbandian et al. (2013), but provides more detailed
information on five specific leadership styles. Overall, it may
serve as a good addition to the literature review and can serve
the purpose of providing general background information
regarding some specific leadership theories that are common in
public administration. However, the article does not mention

leadership development, or how to foster leadership skills.
Lesson 4 Punctuation and Sentence Style Speedback Assignment
(10 points)
Pronoun Reference and Agreement
1.
If you constantly criticize a roommate, it will only make her
angry.
correct
incorrect
2.
The Russian army engaged the German army, and they were
pushing them back.
correct
incorrect
3.
George shouted at Tom as he was leaving the building.
incorrect
correct

Shifts:
4.
General McArthur faced a unique and disturbing challenge; it
was crunch time and the chips were down and he had to decide
the proper way to handle the dilemma.
incorrect
correct
5.
If a student is going to become a better writer, you will need to
write more.
correct
incorrect
6.
You should purchase a bike unless one plans on walking
everywhere.
incorrect
correct
7.
She picked up her purse, winked at the waiter, and walked out
the door.

correct
incorrect
Indicate whether the sentences below correctly or incorrectly
exemplify parallel structure, shifts, or pronoun reference and
agreement. Consider how you might correct those that are
incorrect.
Parallel Structure:
8.
Most people desire love, freedom, and want to be recognized.
correct
incorrect
9.
Alice enjoys watching the dogs as much as petting them.
incorrect
correct
10.
I enjoy watching movies, reading books, and to study birds.
incorrect

correct
Lesson 5 Punctuation and Sentence Style Speedback Assignment
(10 points)
Choose the answer option that has the correct placement of
apostrophes in the following sentences.
1.
Teds parents are so rich; they have seven TVs and hundreds of
DVDs.
TV’s and DVD’s
Ted’s and parent’s
Ted’s
Ted’s, TV’s, and DVD’s
The sentence is correct as is
2.
Susan explained her financial philosophy: “Whats mine is mine,
and whats yours is mine, too.”
what’s yours
What’s mine and what’s yours

What’s mine
What’s mine and what’s your’s
3.
Tyler Donovan and Dan Beckhams new album includes
everyones favorite rockabilly songs.
Beckham’s and everyone’s
Donovan’s and Beckham’s
Beckham’s
everyone’s
4.
Its too early to know if the cat will take care of its paws well
enough for them to heal.
It’s too and it’s paws
It’s too
it’s paws

Indicate whether the underlined words in the sentences below
have used capital and lowercase letters correctly or incorrectly.
5.
On tuesday I’m leaving for the northwest to climb Mt. Rainier
with the president of the corporation.
all correct
some or all incorrect
6.
I am currently a freshman majoring in biology—hoping to
graduate in the spring, four years from now, and continue on to
graduate school.
all correct
7.
My Mother, a Professor of English, and my sister, a Professor
of Linguistics, got into an argument about the English language
while traveling north on the highway.
all correct

Indicate whether the following sentences are using quotation
marks, punctuation, and mechanics correctly or incorrectly.
8.
“Don’t be such an idiot, Margo”, Fred scolded. “That moth isn’t
going to kill you.”
correct
incorrect
9.
Abraham Lincoln said, “This nation, under God, shall have a
new birth of freedom.” He ended by promising that this freedom
“shall not perish from the earth” (57).
correct
incorrect
10.
William Hazlitt declared “We talk little if we do not talk about
ourselves.” (qtd. in Hood 28)
correct
incorrect
Lesson 11 MLA Speedback Assignment
1.
Which of the following in-text citations has an effective signal

phrase?
In a recent blog post, web critic Nicholas Carr argues
convincingly that “schools have long had a tendency to buy first
and ask questions later” (Carr).
Sometimes educators get so excited about new technology that
they “buy first and ask questions later” (Carr).
When it comes to new technology, “schools have long had a
tendency to buy first and ask questions later” (Carr).
Some say that when it comes to new technology, “schools have
long had a tendency to buy first and ask questions later” (Carr).
2.
When should you “block” a quote (that is, “omit the quotation
marks, and indent the entire quotation one inch from the left
margin of your text”)? (Hint: Look in chapter 17 for the answer
to this one.)
When quoting three or more lines.
When quoting Shakespeare.
When quoting four or more lines.
Whenever you feel like it.
3.
Which of the following represents the correct order in which
you put information for a scholarly journal article accessed
through a database?

Surname, First name. “Article Title.” Journal Title volume.issue
(year): pages. Database. Medium of publication. Access date.
Surname, First name. Database. “Article Title.” Journal Title
volume.issue (year): pages. Access date. Medium of
publication.
Surname, First name. (year). “Article Title.” Journal Title
volume.issue: pages. Database. Medium of publication. Access
date.
Surname, First name. “Article Title.” Journal Title volume.issue
(year): pages. Access date. Medium of publication.
4.
Which of the following works cited entries for a blog post is
correct?
Carr, Nicholas. “E-Textbooks Flunk an Early Test.” 12 May
2011. Web. 4 June 2011.
Carr, Nicholas. “E-Textbooks Flunk an Early Test.” Rough
Type. 4 June 2011.
[http://www.roughtype.com/archives/2011/05/etextbooks_flun_1
.php]
Carr, Nicholas. Rough Type. “E-Textbooks Flunk an Early
Test.” 12 May 2011. Web. 4 June 2011.
Carr, Nicholas. “E-Textbooks Flunk an Early Test.” Rough
Type. 12 May 2011. Web. 4 June 2011.
http://www.roughtype.com/archives/2011/05/etextbooks_flun_1.
php

5.
Consider the following passage from Reading in the Brain by
Stanislas Dehaene:
“Although we now know that reading acquisition systematically
converges onto the same region of the cortex, the reason for this
precise localization is still shrouded in mystery.”
Which of the following passages from a student paper is NOT
patchwritten by the student?
Cognitive neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene writes that although
we know that reading converges in the brain in the cortex, the
reason for this is still enveloped in mystery (164).
Though the experts know that reading acquisition converges in
an orderly manner on the same area of the cortex, it is
mysterious why this localization takes place (Dehaene 164).
It is not yet clear why reading acquisition systematically
consolidates onto one region in the brain—specifically, the
cortex (Dehaene 164).
Cognitive neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene points out that
though we know from neuroimaging the exact location in the
brain where letters, words, and sentences are comprehended, we
still don’t know why it happens there (164).
6.
When listing a selection from an edited book in print, you must
include the page numbers for the selection.
true
false

7.
Which of the following works cited entries is correct?
Shipley, David and Will, Schwalbe. Send: Why People Email So
Badly and How to Do it Better. Rev. Ed. NY: Knopf, 2008.
Print.
Shipley, David, and Will Schwalbe. Send: Why People Email So
Print.
Shipley, David, and Will Schwalbe. Send: Why People Email So
Shipley, David and Will Schwalbe. Send: Why People Email So
Print.
8.
If there is more than one author, you MUST add et al. after
listing the first.
true
false
9.
Multiple answer. Choose all of the following in-text citations
that are correct:
As Shipley and Schwalbe argue in Send, “never do anything
electronically that you would want others to do to you in
person” (53).

Some commentators have argued that when it comes to email,
there are still some things more appropriately performed face to
face (Shipley and Schwalbe 53).
A good rule of thumb with email is to “never do anything
electronically that you would want others to do to you in
person” (Shipley and Schwalbe 53).
10.
What is the name of the video game Rebecca Moore Howard
uses as an example of how to cite video games on your works
cited page?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Rock Band 2
Portal 2
Lesson 14 Design Principles Speedback Assignment (10 points)
1.
Which of the following are sans-serif fonts?
Times New Roman
Cambria Math
Arial Narrow

Verdana
2.
What color is analogous with red? Choose all that are correct.
Red-violet
Blue-violet
Violet
Red-orange
Yellow-orange
Orange
3.
You should use 3-D effects when making charts or graphs.
true
false
4.
Type and font are not the same thing, though they are often used
as synonyms.
true
false
5.

According to Howard, to create a “softer, more harmonious
look” with the color blue, which color combination would you
want to use? Choose all that are correct.
Yellow
Green
Blue-green
Orange
Red-orange
Yellow-green
Red-violet
Blue-violet
6.
You do not need to cite images if you cut and paste them from
Google Image.
true
false
7.
What does multimodality mean?
Composing an argument with more than one reason.

Composing an argument using a popular mode.
The ability to write with both hands.
Composing an argument using more than alphabetic text.
8.
Which typeface would be inappropriate to use on a printed
funeral program: Comic Sans MS or Garamond?
Comic Sans MS
Garamond
9.
The cardinal rule of design is always remember your audience.
false
true
10.
What is the complementary color for red?
___________________
Blue
Orange
Yellow
Green

Identifying Effective Leadership Styles and Professional Development in Public Administration

Identifying Effective Leadership Styles and Professional Development in Public Administration

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