The path ahead for integrative public leadership: a systematic review and call for future research

Abstract

PurposeThe study aims to review integrative public leadership (IPL) scholarship, identify trends and suggest future research. The paper answers the question, “How has the field of study of integrative public leadership developed, and what gaps should future research address?”Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review (SLR), utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 protocol, was conducted over the period 2000–2023. The preliminary database returned 497 articles; however, 55 articles remained after the screening phase. Three themes were addressed: the conceptualization of IPL (what it is), the study characteristics (how and where it was completed) and what has been studied (what we know about IPL).FindingsIPL differs from its related concepts: “shared” and “distributed leadership.” Cross-boundary behaviors are one of IPL’s pillars. Most studies focus on the local level and center on upper-echelon leaders. IPL has been linked to leadership training and positive outcomes, such as organizational and network performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis review focused on articles in refereed journals, excluding books.Practical implicationsThis work provides a twofold contribution in that it: (1) sharpens the concept of integrative public leadership, establishing the boundaries with similar concepts and (2) provides an overview of the field, identifying relevant areas for future research.Originality/valueThis work provides a twofold contribution in that it: (1) sharpens the concept of integrative leadership, establishing the boundaries with similar concepts and (2) provides an overview of the field, identifying relevant areas for future research.