Work

Lead by Relationship: The Behaviors of Relational Leadership in Regional Collaborative Governance

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Leadership is at the heart of the public administration mission, but existing research on boundary-spanning leadership has not addressed the issue of micro-level behaviors. The study investigates relational leadership behaviors (RLBs) in regional collaborative governance (RCG) based on the empirical evidence from China. Using grounded theory, it identifies three types of collaborative leaders: formal leaders in network administrative organizations, informal leaders in specialized collaborative departments, and cross-regional exchange leaders. The study categorizes RLBs into four types: relational initiative, reconciliation, catalysis, and linkage. These behaviors significantly enhance the perceived effectiveness of RCG by fostering trust, managing conflicts, and integrating diverse interests. The research highlights that RLBs are influenced by the collaborative context, including system context, leader types, task complexity, and cross-temporal nature. The findings contribute to the theoretical framework of RCG by integrating relational leadership elements into the dynamic process of regional collaboration, offering practical insights for improving governance effectiveness in RCG.

Source: Systems

DOI: 10.3390/systems14010095

Authors: Hua Xing, Lin Luo, Bo Feng

Institution: Central University of Finance and Economics

Language: English

Topic: Public Policy and Administration Research

Subfield: Public Administration

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896

Funder: Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China