The Conceptual Framework of Leadership in a Public Private Partnership

The Conceptual Framework of Leadership in a Public Private Partnership by Mary Ellen Ludden MBA, Husson University, 2011 BS, University of Southern Maine, 1997 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University March 2016 Abstract Partnerships between public and for profit organizations are increasing in frequency and scope due to scarce economic resources to support and deliver social programs. However, little is known about the characteristics of a successful partnership versus the characteristics of a failed partnership. The purpose of the study was to explore the leadership characteristics that were exhibited by the management team of a public-private partnership (PPP) that suffered a significant failure at the onset of the partnership, but recovered successfully over a period of time. The research question explored which leadership characteristics existed within the public and for-profit leadership teams that impacted the project team’s ability to deliver the program requirements. A qualitative case study approach was utilized with the theoretical framework leveraging both Greenleaf’s servant leadership philosophy and Burn’s transformational and transactional leadership styles. A purposive sampling strategy identified 9 people who played a key role in the PPP, experienced the repercussions of the failure, and participated in the remediation efforts. All data were inductively coded and then subjected to a constant comparative method of analysis. The analysis revealed a strong relationship between servant leadership attributes exhibited by the leadership team and the project team’s ability to traverse the partnership challenges. Data analysis indicates the necessity of effective servant leadership, specifically the attributes of understanding and empathy.Partnerships between public and for profit organizations are increasing in frequency and scope due to scarce economic resources to support and deliver social programs. However, little is known about the characteristics of a successful partnership versus the characteristics of a failed partnership. The purpose of the study was to explore the leadership characteristics that were exhibited by the management team of a public-private partnership (PPP) that suffered a significant failure at the onset of the partnership, but recovered successfully over a period of time. The research question explored which leadership characteristics existed within the public and for-profit leadership teams that impacted the project team’s ability to deliver the program requirements. A qualitative case study approach was utilized with the theoretical framework leveraging both Greenleaf’s servant leadership philosophy and Burn’s transformational and transactional leadership styles. A purposive sampling strategy identified 9 people who played a key role in the PPP, experienced the repercussions of the failure, and participated in the remediation efforts. All data were inductively coded and then subjected to a constant comparative method of analysis. The analysis revealed a strong relationship between servant leadership attributes exhibited by the leadership team and the project team’s ability to traverse the partnership challenges. Data analysis indicates the necessity of effective servant leadership, specifically the attributes of understanding and empathy. Implications for positive social change from this study may lead to improved partnership delivery outcomes and better utilization of taxpayer funds to administer social programs. The Conceptual Framework of Leadership in a Public Private Partnership by Mary Ellen Ludden MBA, Husson University, 2011 BS, University of Southern Maine, 1997 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University March 2016 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my Mom and Dad who never stopped believing that their daughter would accomplish all of her dreams once she set her mind to it. To my sons, Christopher, Channing, and Corey, you continue to be the lights of my life and I am very proud of each of you. Lastly I would like to dedicate this dissertation to Billy, who has patiently awaited the publication of this document and supported my pursuit of this goal in neverending ways. I love you all. Acknowledgement I would like to thank my committee chair, Dr. Paul Rutledge, for his commitment to my scholarly journey and guidance throughout the process. This dissertation simply would not have happened without you Dr. Rutledge. To Dr. Anthony Fleming, who served on my committee, I thank you for your support and guidance throughout the process as I navigated my way through the ebbs and flows of the doctoral journey. My thanks to my URR, Dr. Robert Schaefer, whose recommendations throughout the process helped me achieve my goal and strengthened the overall project. My thanks to each of you for being members of the best committee I could have worked with for the last few years. To my work family, I thank you all for your encouragement and your patience with my never ending talks about qualitative research. I would be remiss in not acknowledging all of my brother’s and sister’s who have long supported my goal and been steadfast in their belief that I could achieve it. Finally, my thanks to each of my participants for sharing their experience.