Knowledge Management for a Postmodern Workforce: Rethinking Leadership Styles in the Public Sector

This paper explores the nexus of knowledge management and contemporary leadership theory within the public sector. The postmodern values embraced by the replacement cohorts (Millennials and Generation X) for the retiring Baby Boomers are in direct conflict with traditional leadership theories, thereby reducing the attractiveness of governmental employment. Today, the federal government, as a bureaucracy, is very rigid in its methodology. Yet, the postmodern workforce thrives better in a flexible, fluidic environment. Two leadership styles, bureaucratic and transformational, are evaluated to determine which is preferred in dealing with the public knowledge management system in the 21 century. The paper concludes with a discussion that highlights strategic implications for researchers and practitioners. The study is significant because a massive organizational shift will happen globally in the near future. This effort contributes to further exploration into the application of leadership competencies in the public sector.