Purpose In public management research, the focus in the public value debate has been on public administration organizations’ broader societal outcomes. Public value describes how public administrations form a vital part of the social context in which people develop and grow. However, there has not yet been an analysis of how public administration contributes to happiness in society. Design/methodology/approach In this study, we empirically analyze the relationship between people’s happiness and the public value of public administration. Our approach is based on a unique Swiss survey dataset comprising 870 individuals. Findings We find a positive relationship between public administration’s public value and happiness. We also find preliminary evidence with a moderation analysis that the relationship between a value-creating public administration sector and self-reported happiness is stronger for public administration employees. Research limitations/implications While correlation studies cannot claim causal explanations and common method bias may additionally limit any research in social science, we took a number of measures to mitigate related problem. We tested our model in two samples and took both several procedural techniques and a survey design minimizing common method bias. Practical implications The paper discusses implications for public sector performance measurement for public management and practitioners. Social implications This study calls for a more positive view on the multiple functions public administration performs for society. After an era of critical voices, our study helps reclaim public administration as a positive force for society at large in times of grand challenges, such as climate crisis, demographics and digitization. Originality/value This study has highlighted the importance between public administration’s public value and happiness in Swiss public service organizations. The study also showed that an employment in the public administration contributes to the happiness of individuals and beyond to society.

The Leipzig Leadership Model (LLM) connects theory and practice. Building on actor-world relations and insights from motivational psychology (actor-action relations), the LLM proposes a holistic framework able to integrate the existing plethora of leadership theories and styles. This opens up a new perspective on a comprehensive understanding of leadership roles. With its four leadership orientation dimensions of purpose, entrepreneurial spirit, responsibility, and effectiveness, the LLM enables leaders to identify and reflect on relevant leadership competencies. In order to facilitate future research on the LLM and its dimensions, we report on two studies that are developing and validating a 32-item LLM-based scale. We applied oblique bifactor target rotation in a bifactor Exploratory Structural Equation Model within CFA approach in a German sample (N = 309) with robust WLSMV-estimates to fit an LLM-based model to the data. The results suggest a good fit. Furthermore, as ECV, PUC and ARPB support the multidimensional nature of the scale, we report the appropriate bifactor statistical indices. After parallel back translation, an English version of the scale was tested in a second sample (N = 311) to replicate our earlier findings. This study facilitates future empirical research by providing a concise and integrative self-rating measure of leadership orientations. We further strengthen the scientific foundation of the LLM by empirically testing its conceptually developed four-factor structure. The scale provides a starting point for further research into leadership orientations (also as standalone subscales), and offers an applicable guideline for self-reflection and decision-making.

In diesem Plädoyerbuch geht es um nichts weniger als einen "Neuanfang" der Führung in den höchsten (deutschen) Chefetagen.

Der Begriff „Purpose“ hat sich als Anglizismus in der deutschen Sprache etabliert; er umschreibt gleichermaßen Absicht, Zweck und Bestimmung für das Dasein eines Unternehmens; gesamthaft wird damit die Frage der Existenzberechtigung und Sinnstiftung von Organisationen berührt, die sich eben gerade nicht allein aus dem Geschäftszweck heraus ergibt. Eine attraktive Antwort auf die Frage nach dem Warum und Wozu hat vielfältige wünschenswerte Konsequenzen, wie motivierte Mitarbeitende (inkl. Führungskräfte/Topmanagement), vom Anbieter überzeugte Kundinnen und Kunden sowie nicht zuletzt ein gesellschaftliches Umfeld, in dem die Leistungsfähigkeit Anerkennung findet.