This exploratory study surveys the public service leadership literature from a selection of leading public administration journals over a 25-year period (1987-2012). Patterns in methods used to study public leadership are explored, along with how those methods vary across settings within the public service sector and the treatment of leadership in the analysis. While the number of empirical studies of public service leadership has grown, the diversity of theoretical approaches, methods and measures challenges the ability to synthesize findings in order to advance the knowledge base on this topic. This article provides a map of leadership studies within the field of public administration over time and offers prescriptions for future research.

Interorganizational collaboration is an essential function of public health agencies. These partnerships form social networks that involve diverse types of partners and varying levels of interaction. Such collaborations are widely accepted and encouraged, yet very little comparative research exists on how public health partnerships develop and evolve, specifically in terms of how subsequent network structures are linked to outcomes. A systems science approach, that is, one that considers the interdependencies and nested features of networks, provides the appropriate methods to examine the complex nature of these networks. Applying Mays and Scutchfields's categorization of "structural signatures" (breadth, density, and centralization), this research examines how network structure influences the outcomes of public health collaboratives. Secondary data from the Program to Analyze, Record, and Track Networks to Enhance Relationships (www.partnertool.net) data set are analyzed. This data set consists of dyadic (N = 12,355), organizational (N = 2,486), and whole network (N = 99) data from public health collaborations around the United States. Network data are used to calculate structural signatures and weighted least squares regression is used to examine how network structures can predict selected intermediary outcomes (resource contributions, overall value and trust rankings, and outcomes) in public health collaboratives. Our findings suggest that network structure may have an influence on collaborative-related outcomes. The structural signature that had the most significant relationship to outcomes was density, with higher density indicating more positive outcomes. Also significant was the finding that more breadth creates new challenges such as difficulty in reaching consensus and creating ties with other members. However, assumptions that these structural components lead to improved outcomes for public health collaboratives may be slightly premature. Implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.

Given the complexity of today’s social and political dilemmas, a common method of program and policy implementation is surfacing in the form of interorganizational, cross-sector goal-directed networks. This article applies the “Core Dimensions of Connectivity” framework to analyze how the increasing inclusion of nonprofit organizations in public health goal-directed interorganizational networks is associated with goal achievement. Variables related to sector-based resource contributions and mission alignment were analyzed in their relation to outcomes in 177 networks. The findings indicate that significant differences exist across sectors. Compared to public and for-profit organizations, nonprofit organizations bring a greater number and diversity of resources to public health networks, and are perceived by their public and for-profit partners as having the strongest support of the network’s mission. We also find that resource contributions and mission alignment affect outcome achievement. This article discusses practical challenges networks face and informs techniques for effectively managing interorganizational goal-directed networks.

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