Public value theory as a game changer for political leadership

The public value perspective is a game changer in studies of public governance and political leadership. As soon as we begin to focus on the production of public value rather than delivery of public service or formulation and... [ view full abstract ]

The public value perspective is a game changer in studies of public governance and political leadership. As soon as we begin to focus on the production of public value rather than delivery of public service or formulation and execution of policy, it becomes clear that the definition and creation of what counts as public value is not a matter for the public sector only (Meynhardt, 2009; Benington and Moore, 2011). Other sectors, organizations and actors may potentially play a key role in producing and promoting public value. This recognition further stimulates the interest in co-creation among public administration practitioners and scholars and raises the question of how co-creation can strengthen the political leadership of elected politicians. Answering this pertinent question will help us to advance the discussion of co-creation beyond the narrow confines of public service production and public management. We aim to bring together theories of public value, theories of co-creation and theories of political leadership in order to define the concept of interactive political leadership as a strategic effort of elected politicians to engage members of the political community in interactive policy processes that result in an authoritative and legitimate definition and co-creation of public value. Interactive political leadership offers an alternative to the traditional notion of sovereign political leadership that is more attuned to the emerging reality of interactive governance and assertive citizens. Our paper will identify and discuss the analytical dimensions of interactive political leadership and draw out its institutional and democratic consequences. To add flesh and blood to the concept of interactive political leadership we will provide illustrative examples from the POLECO-project, which aims to analyze new forms of political leadership in Denmark and Norway, and has identified several cases of interactive political leadership. The paper is structured as follows: The first section presents our main claim namely that the public value perspective is a game changer not only for the public sector but also for the theory and practice of political leadership. The second section review the literature on public value and argues that public value is a game changes that highlights the importance of co-creation as a mode of governance. The third section looks at how elected politicians and their exercise of political leadership may benefit from engaging in the co-creation of public value and defines the notion of interactive political leadership. The fourth section scrutinizes the concept of interactive political leadership, compares it with other concepts of political leadership, draws out its institutional and democratic implications and reflects on its scope conditions. The fifth section provides and compares a number of empirical examples of interactive political leadership. The conclusion summarizes the findings and points to some future research avenues.