Assessing the role of leadership mechanisms for inter-agency collaboration and information sharing success in Indonesia

Abstract

Previous studies have identified leadership as an essential factor influencing interagency collaboration and information sharing in government settings. This study argues that some unique characteristics of inter-agency information sharing (IIS) initiatives across different jurisdictions and levels of government call for particular types of leadership. Specifically, this study uses data from in-depth interviews with fifteen public officials in Indonesia to better understand the role of leadership in inter-agency collaboration and information sharing initiatives. Findings from the interviews support two leadership mechanisms influencing IIS in Indonesia: Executive involvement and exercise of formal authority, whereas the role of informal leaders seems to be less important in this case. It seems that in some developing countries such as Indonesia, informal leaders are not as influential to the success of IIS initiatives as formal ones, due to the influence of organizational culture.