scholarly journals relationship between research and innovation in the public sector – an analysis of five cases from labour and welfare services

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (Special issue) ◽  
pp. 46-69
Author(s):  
Magnus Gulbrandsen ◽  
Gry Cecilie Høiland
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Public Agencies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Public Sector Innovation ◽  
Innovation Activities ◽  
Knowledge Codification ◽  
Set Up

Many public agencies promote renewal in the public sector through projects that require a productive combination of research and innovation activities. However, the role of research in innovation processes is a neglected theme in the public sector innovation literature. We address this gap through an analysis of five cases from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration. We find few examples of innovations based directly on research, but several examples of research on innovations and on more complex co-evolutionary processes of the two activities. Research seems to be particularly important for the diffusion and scaling up of innovations. We find that research has an impact on innovation in later phases of the innovation process through the formalisation of practice-based and unsystematic knowledge, codification of experiences, and legitimation to ensure political support and funding. This new conceptualisation contributes to the public sector innovation literature and may help improve policies that set up a rather limited role for research.

scholarly journals Innovation in the public sector: Towards an open and collaborative approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Bekkers ◽  
Lars Tummers
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Network Governance ◽  
Civil Servants ◽  
Collaborative Approach ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Innovation ◽  
Open Process

Innovation in the public sector is high on the agenda of politicians, civil servants and societal organizations. This attention in practice is mirrored in an increasing number of scholarly articles. In this introduction to the special issue on public sector innovation, we discuss how the scholarly perspectives on innovation have changed. Previously, it was assumed that innovation could be organized within organizations: if your organization had the necessary resources, innovation could happen. Nowadays, innovation in the public sector is seen as an open process of collaboration between stakeholders across various organizations. This change towards open and collaborative approaches has consequences for studies on innovation, for instance, it becomes important to analyse how to activate stakeholders to join the innovation process. Next to this, scholars interested in innovation should connect their research with other literature streams, such as those focused on network governance, leadership and design thinking. In such ways, innovation scholars can develop research that is relevant to society.

scholarly journals Illuminating the Gender Divide in Public Sector Innovation: Evidence From the Australian Public Service

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wouter van Acker ◽  
Jan Wynen ◽  
Sophie Op de Beeck
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Length Of Service ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Innovation ◽  
Public Sector Employees ◽  
Red Tape ◽  
Innovation Climate

Like many other aspects of the work environment, “innovation” is a gendered term that creates a barrier to women taking part in innovation processes and, in particular, in male-dominated and “masculine” industries. This article looks into the role of gender, as well as other potential determinants, in explaining differences in the perceived innovation climate for public sector employees. This innovation climate depicts the opportunities and support employees receive with creating, promoting, and implementing innovative ideas in the workplace. Even though the public sector is often regarded as a more “feminine” work environment, our results show that women feel less encouraged in the innovation process when compared with men. Moreover, length of service and red tape appear to have a detrimental effect on individuals’ experiences of the innovation climate.

scholarly journals Containers, facilitators, innovators? The role of cities and city employees in innovation activities

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teemu Makkonen ◽  
Maria Merisalo ◽  
Tommi Inkinen
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Market Potential ◽  
Innovation Activity ◽  
Regional Innovation ◽  
Development Activity ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Innovation ◽  
Innovation Activities

Innovation has long been considered one of the key engines of economic growth, and patents as important incentives for research and development activity. Particularly in terms of intellectual property rights (IPR), however, little is known about how cities contribute to regional innovation: are they containers, facilitators or innovators? This is investigated here through empirical material derived from 27 interviews with top departmental management in three Finnish cities (Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa). The results show that local city governments (LCGs) consider cities as facilitators of innovation activities but also admit that there are limits (time constraints and lack of resources) to the influence of LCGs over the innovation environment. Still, many of the public sector innovations (especially social innovations) that do not necessarily have a clear market potential would not have been created without the active role of LCGs as innovators. City employees are innovative – the seeming lack of public sector innovation is actually a result of measurement issues that favour (patentable) technological innovations rather than those more common to LCGs, meaning service and organisational types. Therefore, LCGs can be seen as highly innovative organisations. There are, however, barriers to innovation in the public sector, such as the cost of innovation activity, the lack of incentives for it and a working culture that does not support it. Lastly, the results show that LCGs have not really fully considered the possibilities and potential of owning their own IPR; to be specific, potentially lucrative opportunities should be explored.

Insights into Kenya’s public sector innovation: the case of managers

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Evans Agolla ◽  
Jacobus Burger Van Lill
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Middle Managers ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Innovation ◽  
Innovation Activities ◽  
The Status ◽  
Innovation Outcomes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess innovation in public sector organisations (PSOs) from the middle managers’ perspectives. Several studies have been conducted on innovation drivers in organisations; however, such studies are limited when it comes to the public sector. Innovation is a term that has been synonymous with the private sector, until of late when public sector organisations adopted the terminology. Design/methodology/approach The present study adopts a qualitative approach. The findings are based on a sample of selected 16 middle managers from two PSOs in Kenya. The study relies on focus group discussions (FGDs) to collect data. The data are analysed thematically, based on categorisation. Findings First, the results identified drivers, barriers, strategies to overcome barriers, innovation outcomes/indicators and the status of innovation in Kenya’s public sector. Second, the study points to policy directions, theory and practice. Research limitations/implications The study suggests that innovation drivers in the public sector greatly depend on government and top management, particularly the way they craft policies and provide support for innovative behaviours. The current findings are limited to innovation activities of the public sector in Kenya, specifically the two organisations. Originality/value The findings from this research can aid the understanding of the nature of innovation in PSOs given that it is empirically based on middle managers’ insights.

scholarly journals Living Labs for Public Sector Innovation: An Integrative Literature Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Lars Fuglsang ◽  
Anne Vorre Hansen ◽  
Ines Mergel ◽  
Maria Taivalsaari Røhnebæk
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Innovation ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Living Labs ◽  
Elusive Concept

The public administration literature and adjacent fields have devoted increasing attention to living labs as environments and structures enabling the co-creation of public sector innovation. However, living labs remain a somewhat elusive concept and phenomenon, and there is a lack of understanding of its versatile nature. To gain a deeper understanding of the multiple dimensions of living labs, this article provides a review assessing how the environments, methods and outcomes of living labs are addressed in the extant research literature. The findings are drawn together in a model synthesizing how living labs link to public sector innovation, followed by an outline of knowledge gaps and future research avenues.

Research from China finds no significant difference in impact of public service motivation (PSM) in public and private sectors

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Intention To Leave ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The authors assumed PSM would be higher in the public sector, but they set up a trial to find out if this was the case. Design/methodology/approach To test their theories, the authors conducted two independent surveys. The first consisted of 220 usable responses from public sector employees in Changsha, China. The second survey involved 260 usable responses from private sector employees taking an MBA course at a university in the Changsha district. A questionnaire was used to assess attitudes. Findings The results found no significant difference between the impact of public sector motivation (PSM) on employee performance across the public and private sectors. The data showed that PSM had a significant impact on self-reported employee performance, but the relationship did not differ much between sectors. Meanwhile, it was in the private sector that PSM had the greatest impact on intention to leave. Originality/value The authors said the research project was one of the first to test if the concept of PSM operated in the same way across sectors. It also contributed, they said, to the ongoing debate about PSM in China.

scholarly journals Analysis of Cutback Management Strategy in Financial Sustainability in the Public Sector in Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 04 (09) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafiqah Humaira ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Financial Sustainability ◽  
Public Agencies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Cutback Management ◽  
Directorate General

There are many literature reviews that write about the causes and expected consequences of an environmental, social, and economic crisis. It should be remembered that the role of the public sector is critical to overcoming crises, to promoting sustainable development and to managing the balance between supply and demand for public services. This qualitative research takes a case study approach to public agencies under the Ministry of Finance, namely the Directorate General of Customs and Excise. This study aims to explain financial sustainability in public bodies during the COVID-19 pandemic, and explain cutback management strategies indicated through refocusing carried out by government agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as explain the relationship between cutback management and financial sustainability which is significantly directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the analysis show that there are differences in the financial sustainability of Customs and Excise during the pandemic, namely in terms of state revenues, it certainly changes (decreases) in terms of tax revenues, import duties, and excise. Then identified indicators of cutback strategies at Customs and Excise, and there is a conceptual link between financial sustainability, the COVID-19 pandemic and cutback management strategies.

Extending the Information-Processing View of Coordination in Public Sector Crisis Response

2012 ◽  
pp. 326-345
Author(s):  
Rafael A. Gonzalez ◽  
Alexander Verbraeck ◽  
Ajantha Dahanayake
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Public Agencies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Emergent Coordination

Coordinating the response of multiple public agencies to a large-scale crisis is a challenge that has been studied predominantly according to the information-processing view. In this paper, the authors extend this view with the notion of emergence giving special attention to information and communication technology (ICT). The extended framework is applied in a case study of crisis response exercises in the public sector. The findings suggest that current practices concentrate on standards and hierarchy, but mutual adjustment and emergent coordination also occur and are susceptible to analysis and equally relevant to understand coordination practices. In addition, ICT can provide information processing capabilities needed for coordination but may also create information processing needs by increasing the volume of data and the interconnectedness of responders. Applying the extended framework improves the understanding of coordination and forms the basis for its future use in designing ICT to support coordination in crisis response and e-government.

Measuring the Benefit of Interoperability

2011 ◽  
pp. 321-338
Author(s):  
Eleni Zampou ◽  
Stelios Eliakis ◽  
Katerina Pramatari
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Business Process ◽  
Activity Based Costing ◽  
Public Agencies ◽  
Traditional Use ◽  
Business Process Modelling ◽  
The Public ◽  
Government Services ◽  
The Mean

Governments started e-government strategies to renew the public sector and eliminate existing bureaucracy and therefore reduce costs. Interoperability appears as the mean for accomplishing the interlinking of information systems, applications and ways of working not only within governments but also in their interaction with the administration, enterprises and public sector. The main source of administration costs is the traditional use of paper as the linkage element between public agencies. Integrated electronic processes between public agencies can be the solution to reduce these costs and create a more efficient public sector. This paper proposes an approach for measuring the benefit of incorporating interoperability in e-government. This approach is based on the identification and analysis of certain processes (business process modelling) and on the activity based costing method. In particular, this approach concerns the measuring of benefit of applying interoperability in e-government services.

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