Innovation-Oriented Culture in the Public Sector: Do managerial autonomy and result control lead to innovation?

Wynen, Jan; Verhoest, Koen; Ongaro, Edoardo; van Thiel, Sandra and in cooperation with the COBRA netwo (2014). Innovation-Oriented Culture in the Public Sector: Do managerial autonomy and result control lead to innovation? Public Management Review, 16(1) pp. 45–66.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2013.790273

Abstract

This article examines the effect of specific new public management (NPM)-related characteristics to explain innovation-oriented culture within public sector organizations. According to NPM doctrines, an enhanced managerial autonomy combined with result control will stimulate a more innovation-oriented culture in such organizations. Using multi-country survey data of over 200 public sector agencies, we test for the influence of organizational autonomy, result control and their interactions, on innovation-oriented culture. High levels of managerial autonomy and result control have independent and positive effects. However, the interaction between high personnel management autonomy and high result control has a negative effect.