Leadership in the Victorian public sector: the promotability of managers into executive roles

This research project is about leadership and examines the leadership practices of executives that impact on the promotability of managers (followers) who are eligible to seek promotion to executive level in the Victorian Government Sector. The literature highlighted various leadership theories, ranging from behavioural and environmental leadership through to contemporary leadership underpinned by ethics and sustainability. Whilst the research makes a valuable contribution to the leadership literature, there was a dearth of literature on the subject of promotability and how executive (leadership) can assist the promotion of managers (followers) who are eligible for promotion. The literature is also not clear on the connection between leadership and follower confidence as it relates to employee promotability in the public and private sectors. This gap leads us to explore the research question: In what ways does executive leadership impact managers who are eligible for promotion within the Victorian State Government sector? Using the theoretical frameworks of Social Learning Theory (SLT) (Bandura, 1977) and Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995), this study has taken a complementary approach to establish the theoretical guidelines for responding to the research questions and data collection. SLT focuses on how people learn and imitate behaviours, and LMX focuses on how the leader–follower relationship impacts the capability and decision-making of the follower and together they offer a holistic lens to understand how the learning of a Victorian Public Sector 6 (VPS6) manager (follower) can be improved and therefore enhance their promotability. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, recruiting 20 executives (leaders) and 23 managers (followers) who were eligible to be promoted but had not yet pursued the promotion process. Through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, and the researcher’s reflective diary, data was collected, themed and analysed. This research explored what helps and hinders a VPS6 manager’s promotability and there were five keys findings. First, the study identified that managers (followers) had a limited understanding of how to develop policy and this directly impacted their promotability as it is a capability needed at the executive level. Second, executives (leaders) and managers (followers) had incongruent perceptions of their relationship. Executives (leaders) reported that they established ‘mature’ relationships which contributed towards managers’ (followers’) promotion goals, and managers (followers) reported that despite good intent, their line executives did not support them in their promotion goals. Third, the study revealed that there was a general lack of confidence from managers who were eligible for promotion. Executives and managers agreed that there were hierarchical and structural barriers contributing to a work environment that impacts managers’ abilities to develop self-concept, in turn impacting a manager’s confidence and hindering their promotability. Fourth the study revealed that decision-making for managers was difficult. Managers (followers) reported that they were rarely afforded the opportunity to take on executive level tasks, such as making decisions. Fifth, managers’ training and development needs to focus on the recruitment and selection process to support managers (followers) in confidently applying for roles, as a way of improving promotability. In addition, managers (followers) also need development in executive level capabilities specific to government environments, such as being politically savvy, and having a strategic outlook and strong communication skills. This research proposes an important contribution to the public sector literature by being the first study to examine VPS6 managers (followers) who are eligible for promotion into executive roles in a department within the Victorian Public Sector. The study has contributed to LMX research by unpacking the processes by which the leader–follower relationship contributes to a manager’s (follower’s) promotability, idendifying relationship building as a key promotability mechanism. SLT theory is also extended by understanding the processes by which leaders (executives) fail to offer adequate opportunities to followers (managers) for executive-level decision-making, impacting followers’ (managers’) confidence in undertaking executive-level tasks and, in turn, their promotability. Finally, a contribution is made to SLT and LMX research relating to how executive leadership impacts the confidence of managers who aspire to be promoted to executive level by exploring the self-concept through positive communications and how the self-concept of a follower (manager) translates to confidence to enact a new behaviour or make a decision at the executive level. From a practical perspective, the study found that executives (leaders) need to engage with policy development to be able to pass this knowledge onto managers (followers) to support their promotability. Finally, managers (followers) need an opportunity for exposure within the organisation that enables them to build connections and take part in executive-level decision-making. This may be faciliated through a series of executive roundtables where VPS6 managers actively participate in problem-solving at the executive level and broadening their connections