Effects of different kinds of trust and leadership on outputs of collaborative processes: the case of personal social services in Israel
International Journal of Public Sector Management
ISSN: 0951-3558
Article publication date: 21 January 2021
Issue publication date: 14 May 2021
Abstract
Purpose
This paper contributes to the literature on performance management by offering an inside look at a collaborative process that worked to define outcomes in the field of personal social services. It asks if different kinds of trust and leadership have an effect on the outputs of a collaborative process that aims at defining outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses an exploratory case study based on mixed method analysis. Using a practitioner-researcher method, it first presents the collaborative process implemented to bring stakeholders together to define the desired outcomes. It then explores findings from a participants survey and focuses on the effect of different kinds of trust and leadership on the collaborative process outputs.
Findings
The findings show a unique collaborative effort aimed at defining outcomes in the field of personal social services. They reveal the importance of organizational trust to learning outputs and suggest the significance of “shared leadership”.
Research limitations/implications
Given the study's exploratory nature, the findings cannot be generalized to a larger population, but the study aimed at transferability. On a practical level, the findings can help mangers identify preferred conditions to implement collaborative initiatives aimed at performance measurement.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the theoretical and empirical literature on performance management and collaborative governance. It pinpoints the importance of organizational trust and shared leadership as bridging mechanisms between participants in collaborative arrangements.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the editors of this special issue of the International Journal of Public Sector Management and the anonymous reviewers for their suggestions and important feedback. We also extend our thanks to the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, and Social Services for its support and approval and to the participants in the study for their time. Last, we would like to thank Olga Denisenko, for her help concerning the quantitative methods.Funding: The research was partly funded by the Ministry of Labor, Social Services and Social Affairs; the funding mainly comprised the collection of the survey data.
Citation
Lahat, L. and Sabah, Y. (2021), "Effects of different kinds of trust and leadership on outputs of collaborative processes: the case of personal social services in Israel", International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 336-355. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-03-2020-0064
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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