May 2017 - Promises and paradoxes of public leadership

WHY STUDY PUBLIC LEADERSHIP?

The French civil service currently employs 5.4 million people. Of these, around 21,500 [1] (category A+ agents), i.e. 4% of the agents in the public sphere, are responsible for managing the major administrations, operators and local authorities of the three public services: the State, local authorities and hospitals. These managers are responsible for translating and implementing public policies. It is also up to them to involve their staff in the large-scale reform and modernisation of French public administrations, whether this is decreed by an organic law or a general review, stimulated by a shock of simplification, expected by the citizen or forced by greater sobriety.

In the very particular context of the public sphere and its modernisation, how do those who are responsible for engaging public agents in an unprecedented transformation and the responsibility of making this modernisation a success, while at the same time fulfilling public service commitments, safeguarding the well-being and efficiency of agents and reducing public expenditure?

This study, part of a scientific research project on leadership started in 2014, explores for the first time the leadership of male and female leaders in the public sphere [2], after having conducted similar work in the private sphere (Petit & Delanghe, 2015).

Its objective is simple: in the context of legislative elections where the future of the public service is being debated, the authors wish to offer agents, citizens, political decision-makers and public HRDs precise knowledge and an operational roadmap to support and activate the potential of those who play and will play a key role in the future of the French administration and the conduct of public policies in the coming years.

[1] Source : DGAFP, 2014

[2] La méthodologie de cette étude est présentée à la fin de ce document