Effective leadership in BPM implementations: A case study of BPM in a developing country, public sector context

Abstract

Public sector organizations across the globe have shown a keen interest in adopting BPM, yet research studies have identified many obstacles impeding successful BPM outcomes. While leadership has been emphasized as critical for BPM to succeed, it is still an under-researched area in BPM. The limited discourse on BPM leadership is a-theoretical and provides few guidelines on what effective BPM leadership is. This paper views BPM leadership from a Complexity Leadership Theory (CLT) perspective and applies the Actor Network Theory (ANT) to assist in understanding the complex social networks in leading continuous process improvement. Employing an in-depth single case, this study explores a successful BPM initiative in a Sri Lankan public-sector organization. The study results provide a rich understanding of leadership actions that support BPM success, which can be applied by practitioners to support BPM-leadership practice, and for future research investigating the role of leadership within BPM contexts.