Leadership in public administration amid crisis: a meta-analysis of leadership styles and crisis management related outcomes

Strong leadership is essential for efficient crisis management within public administration throughout global poly crises to alleviate the crisis's effect on individuals and bolster organizational resilience. This meta-analysis examined the correlations between leadership styles and crisis management outcomes in the context of public administration. Following the PRISMA guidelines, the study conducted a systematic search of the eight databases for studies published till December 2025. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools. The final analysis included 50 studies, resulting in 72 effect sizes, 26 leadership styles, and representing 21815 participants. A random-effects model was employed to conduct the main meta-analysis, moderator analyses, and publication bias tests. The findings discovered that transformational leadership is the prevalent style in public administration amid crisis management. The meta-analysis revealed that leadership styles exhibited a significant positive correlation with crisis management outcomes, including crisis phases, sense-making, meaning-making, and learning-related outcomes. The moderating effects of the administrative subfields, administrative continent, types of crises, and hierarchy level significantly influence the nexus between leadership styles and crisis management outcomes. No substantial publication bias was detected (Egger's test, p = 0.29). This meta-analysis highlights the significance of leadership in crisis management within public administration and shows the necessity for context-specific leadership strategies adapted to the crisis environment and institutional framework. Systematic review registration: https://osf.io/qt98p/overview , Open Science Framework (OSF).