The capacities needed by local authority chief executives

Abstract

Research was commissioned to identify the competences that are required by local authority chief executives in the UK. It emerged that the “competence approach” was inappropriate for their needs. Instead, “capacity” – a concept originating in psychoanalytic theory – was adopted as one which reflected better the reality of the chief executive’s role. Through a qualitative research approach with a sample of chief executives, five capacities were identified. These were seen as central to the effective performance of the chief executive’s role. The research suggests that policies concerned with the development of chief executives should not be based on an orthodox competence approach. It recommends the use of “capacity” as a better way of conveying chief executives’ capabilities to “hold” many interconnected, dynamic and paradoxical dimensions in their work.

Citation

Broussine, M. (2000), "The capacities needed by local authority chief executives", International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 13 No. 6, pp. 498-507. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513550010356520