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From too little to too much innovation? Issues in measuring innovation in the public sector

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  • Arundel, Anthony
  • Huber, Dorothea

Abstract

Interviews with 37 branch level managers in the Australian Federal Government were conducted to determine how managers understood the concept of innovation and their familiarity with different types of innovations. A follow-on survey found that 91% of branches introduced an innovation in the previous two years. This high rate suggests that many of the innovations could be minor. Extensive cognitive testing found that public sector managers can provide high quality estimates of the amount of person months expended on innovations and on other measures of the significance of an innovation. Using this information, the share of branches that introduced a significant innovation is approximately 60%. Although suggestive, there is no statistically significant difference in the time required to develop innovations derived from ideas provided by upper management or by lower level staff. These and other results are relevant to the design and interpretation of public sector innovation surveys.

Suggested Citation

  • Arundel, Anthony & Huber, Dorothea, 2013. "From too little to too much innovation? Issues in measuring innovation in the public sector," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 146-159.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:streco:v:27:y:2013:i:c:p:146-159
    DOI: 10.1016/j.strueco.2013.06.009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lars Fuglsang, 2010. "Bricolage and invisible innovation in public service innovation," Journal of Innovation Economics, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(1), pages 67-87.
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    5. Jean Hartley, 2005. "Innovation in Governance and Public Services: Past and Present," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(1), pages 27-34, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fred Gault, 2019. "User Innovation in the Digital Economy," Foresight and STI Governance (Foresight-Russia till No. 3/2015), National Research University Higher School of Economics, vol. 13(3), pages 6-12.
    2. Don Kusalani De Silva ˆ—, 2016. "Developing Service-Oriented Government Agencies: Observations On The Divisional Secretariats In Galle, Sri Lanka," International Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Dr. Mohammad Hamad Al-khresheh, vol. 2(5), pages 165-171.
    3. Niki Derlukiewicz & Anna Mempel-Sniezyk & Dominika Mankowska, 2021. "Development of Innovation Economy - Activity of Local Government in Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 175-195.
    4. Cinar, Emre & Demircioglu, Mehmet Akif & Acik, Ahmet Coskun & Simms, Chris, 2024. "Public sector innovation in a city state: exploring innovation types and national context in Singapore," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(2).
    5. Arundel, Anthony & Bloch, Carter & Ferguson, Barry, 2019. "Advancing innovation in the public sector: Aligning innovation measurement with policy goals," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 789-798.
    6. Demircioglu, Mehmet Akif & Audretsch, David B., 2017. "Conditions for innovation in public sector organizations," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(9), pages 1681-1691.
    7. Razul Ikmal Ramli & Norihan A.Hassan & Aini Suzana Arifin & Adibah Najihah Jasmi, 2017. "Factors Influencing Public Sector Innovation Performance in Malaysia: Structural Equation Modelling Approach," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 7(2), pages 629-645, February.
    8. Arundel, Anthony & Casali, Luca & Hollanders, Hugo, 2015. "How European public sector agencies innovate: The use of bottom-up, policy-dependent and knowledge-scanning innovation methods," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(7), pages 1271-1282.
    9. Gault, Fred, 2018. "Defining and measuring innovation in all sectors of the economy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 617-622.
    10. Aurelio Bruzzo, 2016. "Theoretical references for the territorial delimitation of Regions," Argomenti, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics, vol. 3(3), pages 1-26, January-A.
    11. Mehmet Akif Demircioglu & David B. Audretsch, 2019. "Public sector innovation: the effect of universities," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 596-614, April.
    12. Iuliia Iliashenko & Fragkoulis Papagiannis & Patrizia Gazzola & Nataliia Cherkas & Daniele Grechi, 2023. "Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Organisational Propensity to Innovate in a Public-Sector Context," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 32(1), pages 111-156, March.
    13. Gaut, Fred, 2015. "Measuring innovation in all sectors of the economy," MERIT Working Papers 2015-038, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    14. Laurin Buchheim & Alexander Krieger & Sarah Arndt, 2020. "Innovation types in public sector organizations: a systematic review of the literature," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 70(4), pages 509-533, November.
    15. Torugsa, Nuttaneeya (Ann) & Arundel, Anthony, 2017. "Rethinking the effect of risk aversion on the benefits of service innovations in public administration agencies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(5), pages 900-910.
    16. Irena Dokic & Ivana Rasic & Suncana Slijepcevic, 2021. "Innovation in the public services at the local and regional level," Working Papers 2101, The Institute of Economics, Zagreb.

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