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This special issue of The Leadership &Organizational Development Journal adoptsas its theme, ''Public sector leadership''.Many would argue that the turbulence thatcurrently characterises the operatingenvironment of public sector organizationshighlights a need, more than ever before, foreffective leadership

Absenteeism from work may be viewed as a viral infection which adversely affects, and is affected by, the overall health of the organisational system. Thus it is argued that in developing an effective treatment for this bug, it is essential that the underlying causes of the condition are highlighted, and their effects on the health of the organisation be explored. Based on the findings of a study into employee absenteeism within local government organisations in Northern Ireland, it is argued that in order to effectively treat infections which cause and are caused by employee absence, organisations must adopt an approach which is holistic and systemic. The latter is likely to foster the creation of more healthy work organisations which are well placed to deal effectively with the challenges presented by hostile and turbulent operating environments.

In common with other elements of the public sector, local government organisations are being required to achieve ever increasing performance targets. Responding effectively to such demands is likely to be influenced by, and to influence, the underlying state of health of the organisation. Employee absence is considered to represent one indicator of organisational health, and is frequently cited as being a costly problem for organisations. Based on the findings of a study into employee absenteeism within local government in Northern Ireland, it is argued that organisations must adopt a holistic approach towards the management of attendance. The latter is likely to foster the creation of more healthy work organisations which are well placed to deal effectively with the challenges presented by hostile and turbulent operating environments.

This paper argues that many Next Steps agencies have been forced to embark upon far reaching programmes of strategic change in an attempt to satisfy externally imposed demands for enhanced levels of efficiency and effectiveness. However, it would seem that the management of the entire change process has been problematic, and has been characterised by disintegration in the form of a series of disjointed organisational initiatives. Focusing upon the experience of one Next Steps agency, it is argued that a root cause of the problem may lie in a rigid adherence to an outmoded value system symbolised by allegiance to 'Apollo' the Greek god of order. Thus, to effect successful strategic change within government agencies it is suggested that they must, in the first instance, seek to foster allegiance to a new and more dynamic figure in the form of the Greek god 'Zeus'.

Focusing on one of the "Next Steps" agencies, explores the difficulties which many organizations experience in relation to the process of strategy implementation. States that agentization has created a need for public sector organizations to embark on strategic change. However, adherence to an outmoded set of cultural values and a panic‐crazed obsession with efficiency often lead to a series of ill‐conceived, disjointed initiatives; these may contribute to a disintegrated approach adopted towards strategy formulation. Argues that, to effect successful strategic change, there is a need for organizations to promote integration between the content and the process of strategic management.

Organizations are being forced to contend with an increasingly
diverse range of influential factors which have implications for their
efficiency and effectiveness. Such factors are likely to create a
cumulative spiral of pressures for organization members and render them
susceptible to the adverse effects of stress. Increased prevalence of
work stress among employees, coupled with its harmful effects for the
operation of companies, prompted an investigation of managerial
attitudes to stress at work in the clothing industry. Structured
interviews were carried out with managers from 44 companies. Of the
respondents 70.5 per cent believed that employees in their company
experienced stress at work. Many identified a range of causes and
effects, and 81.4 per cent acknowledged that stress is a problem for
individuals and organizations. However, few companies had any mechanisms
for identifying and helping stressed employees. Highlights a need for
companies to take cognizance of the costs of stress within organizations
and to take corrective action.

Although the healthy organisation has attracted the attention of researchers over the last decade and beyond, the concept remains poorly defined. Nonetheless, there would appear to be an underlying acceptance that health is a desirable state, and is one which is likely to enable the organisation to cope effectively with the challenges presented by its environment. Using financial measures as one index of the economically healthy organisation, this paper explores organisational health within two financially healthy and two financially unhealthy clothing companies in Northern Ireland. Statistical analyses reveal that each of the organisations was unhealthy for different reasons and in different ways. Furthermore, the findings suggest that "wealth" does not necessarily mean "health", and it may in fact be indicative of organisational myopia rather than Utopia.