Public Agency Leadership: The Impact of Informal Understandings with Political Appointees On Perceived Agency Innovation in Taiwan

Abstract

In Taiwan`s post-democratization, public managers reduced their leadership and initiative-taking, thereby creating concerns about public sector leadership. This article defines the concept of informal ‘executive initiative understandings` (EIUs) between political appointees and career executives, and examines how such understandings affect public managers` efforts and agency leadership. Based on an in-person survey of Taiwan central government executives, findings show that: (1) about half of senior career executives agree that they have an informal understanding with appointees` about their initiative-taking; and (2) having an EIU significantly and strongly increases executives` efforts and perceptions of agency innovation. This study also finds (3) that EIUs are associated with executives` public service motivation, perceptions of appointees` competence, and executives and appointees having similar political views. This article concludes with suggestions for increasing executive initiative-taking in public agencies.