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Eleven sides to the Minister of the Crown

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British Politics Aims and scope

Abstract

Although shrouded in convention and mystery, the Minister of the Crown is critical to the effective functioning of the British political system. To date, studies determining the role and contribution of the Minister have drawn heavily from the political science perspective, particularly concerning ministerial responsibility and accountability, their relationship with parliament and the ‘first among equals’ inter-relationship between Ministers. With such findings in mind, this article undertakes a qualitative, in-depth analysis of the ministerial position examining operational tasks and accountabilities and also the institutional and political leadership necessary to effectively realise policy outcomes. Within the framework of transactional and transformational leadership, the emerging evidence clearly highlights minister's strong orientation for transactional, short-term accomplishment against an incapability for transformational leadership. The article concludes that tailored leadership development for Ministers of the Crown is urgently required if the pressing challenges facing government are to be appropriately addressed.

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Kakabadse, A., Kakabadse, N. Eleven sides to the Minister of the Crown. Br Polit 6, 345–378 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1057/bp.2011.7

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