Facilitating Public Sector Organisatonal Culture Change Through the Processes of Transformational Leadership

Abstract

The management of change is increasingly important in the public sector. Legislative change and the demands of society are presenting new challenges to a sector that is, perhaps, noted more for its bureaucracy than its adaptability. The change goes deeper than the normal addition of statutory responsibilities and has a significant impact on the managerial philosophies and organisational cultures. There is a growing requirement for all levels of organisation to think strategically, to lead are well as to manage. If the public sector is to meet these challenges, and to enable service provision in an effective and efficient manner, then it must adapt to meet changes in the environment. Change manifests itself in different ways for particular services. For example, in education, LEAs are experiencing a high degree of turbulence because of a variety of Government initiatives such as ’Opting Out’, Local Management of Schools, and the changing roles of advisors, inspectors, head teachers and governors. Social Services continue to digest the implications of Care in the Community, often together with major reorganisations involving the creation of devolved or area structures. However, despite these differences, the common theme is one of ever-increasing change demanding an organisational response that is frequently nothing less than a radical transformation.