Abstract | Abstract
The Leadership Pipeline model assumes that what it takes for managers to succeed differs for jobs at different organizational levels. This model has had an immense impact on leadership and talent development over the past decade. However, the research basis behind the model is thin. This article review relevant empirical research in relation to the central Leadership Pipeline assumption: that competences related to successful leadership vary across different levels in the organizational hierarchy. The article concludes that research literature provides evidence for assuming that job content and role demands differs for jobs at different organizational levels. Furthermore, new empirical research suggests that both continuity and discontinuity in competences is at stake during job transitions between organizational levels. However, more research addressing the Leadership Pipeline model specifically is needed.
In the conclusion we discuss the limitations in our research design and define the research questions that can be investigated further. In a broader perspective the article contributes with a new perspectives on what the Danish government leaders see that the task of management in the public sector requires. This article is an effort to provide answers to one of the most significant research challenges that arose in the wake of Minnowbrook III Conference: What is the specific nature, function and jurisdiction that characterizes public management?