2025 AOM Annual Meeting: Public Leadership and Sustainability

Societal issues, such as climate change, put a high demand on public institutes and organizations to find new ways of cooperating and developing managerial practices to make an impact.

This panel, organized and chaired by Professors Janka Stoker and Harry Garretsen, explores the role that leadership of and within organizations can play in addressing these issues. The symposium brings together diverse perspectives on public leadership, trust, and organizational purpose, offering insights into how public institutions can effectively address pressing challenges, such as climate change. By examining the interplay between government actions, citizen responses, and internal organizational dynamics, the panel aims to shed light on the mechanisms that can drive collective action and foster resilience in public organizations.

The first three presented papers focus on the external leadership of public organizations in motivating climate action among citizens. They explore the roles of public leadership, trust, and individual public leaders in enhancing citizen engagement in climate efforts. The subsequent presented papers shift the focus inward, examining how shared purpose and effective onboarding processes within public organizations can foster trust, collaboration, and successful change implementation. Together, these studies provide insight into how public leadership can be used to tackle societal challenges and enhance the effectiveness of public sector governance.