Innovation and Public Service Organizations

Jiyao Chen, College of Business, Oregon State University

Richard M. Walker, Department of Public Policy, City University of Hong Kong

Mohanbir Swahney, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

1. Introduction2. Existing models of innovation

Private sector orientation A service-dominant logic Collaborative innovation Public value Internal characteristics of typologies

3. Defining public services innovation4. Developing a typology of public service

innovation5. Propositions6. Conclusions

structure of presentation

Innovation in government widely studied by the academic and policy community

Innovation is dynamic: accentuated by service economy, transparency of government and growth in co-production

Number of typologies of public service innovation but no agreed typology: Bloch and Bugge (2013), Damanpour and Evan

(1984), Light (1997), Moore (1995), Walker (2006, 2008), Windrum (2008), Wu, Ma and Yang (2013).

introduction

Contribution: present integration framework and typology

Draw on service-dominant logic, collaborative innovation and public value to specify a new typology of public service innovation Typology ensures public services innovation can

be identified, measured and quantified: As a DV: what types of innovations are adopted?

How are they diffused? What are the innovative organizational characteristics?

As an IV: performance impacts, questions of organizational design

introduction

Two implications: Orientation to the private sector

Production of goods, creating shareholder value Innovation focus primarily on technological

innovation type (or at best product and process) Existing typologies:

Bloch and Bugge (2013) adaptation of the OECD’s private sector innovation to the public sector to identify product and process innovation

Private sector production origins: “how” (product or service) and “how” (organizational process) innovations in Walker (2006)

existing models of innovation: private sector orientation

Generic management literature on service-dominant logic recently adapted to public services: public service-dominant logic (Osborne, Radnor, Nasi 2012)

Services are: Intangible at the point of delivery Production and consumption are simultaneous Users are co-producers or intimately involved in the

delivery of the service Existing typologies:

Adapt product to service (Damanpour and Evan 1984; Light 1997; Walker 2006)

Lack a citizen dimension (Bloch & Bugge, 2013; Moore 1995; Walker 2006; Windrum 2008, Wu et al. 2013)

existing models of innovation: service orientation

Collaborative innovation (Ansell & Torfing 2012, Hartley et al. 2014) Public sector: intra-organizational NPM to

collaboration and networks Borins (2014) notes large growth collaboration

Existing typologies: Internal orientation (Moore 1995) Passing reference to collaborative (ancillary)

innovation types in Damanpour and Walker

existing models of innovation: collaborative

System for public sector innovation has to be public value

Drawing upon Bozeman (2007) and Moore (1995) We define public value as: The principles on which policies and governance

are defined that lead to improvements in the rights, benefits and welfare of citizens

Existing typologies Moore (1995) is explicit about public values Focus on public services and implicitly on public

values, seen least in work of Windrum (2008)

public value

Classification scheme/taxonomy Mutually exclusive, discrete decision rules,

empirically derived Typology

Mutually exclusive, exhaustive, conceptually derived

Prior typologies don’t meet all these criteria None deal with SDL, public value and collaboration Walker (2006) and Wu et al. (2006) are mutually

exclusive unlike Bloch & Bugge (2013): process innovation includes organizational processes while organizational innovation comprises of processes.

Windrum(2008) offers taxonomy with no decision rules

developing a typology: innovation type frameworks

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definition of public sector innovation

The development and implementation by a public organization of a novel idea to create or improve public value and change its relationship(s) with ecosystem partners Characteristics

1. Novelty (new idea)2. Development and implementation3. Relationship(s)4. Ecosystem5. Public value

New typology based on two dimensions: From the service-dominant literature and

public value we identify focus From the collaborative perspective and the

service-dominant logic we identify locus

dimensions of a new typology:

dimensions of a new typology:focus

Strategy: The authorizing process that actors in public service organizations use to engage in and to balance the needs of various stakeholders to define the organization’s mission and its guiding principles

Capacity: The instituting process that provides a public service organization the administration, structure, management, technology, and the resources necessary to accomplish its mandated mission

Operation: The operational process that results in a public service organization concretely putting strategic decisions and policies into action for the sake of the mandated mission

dimensions of a new typology:locus

Locus directs activity:

Inward: Defining its purpose and creating the

infrastructure and programs to implement those intentions

Outward: Partner with other organizations and actors in

order to leverage their infrastructures and competencies, or co-create public value

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public service innovation classified by focus and locus

    Innovation locus

    Intra-organizational

Inter-organizational

Innovation

focus

Strategy

Capacity

Operation

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public service innovation typology

    Innovation locus

    Intra-organizational

Inter-organizational

Innovation

focus

StrategyMission

innovationPolicy

innovation

Capacity Management innovation

Partnership innovation

OperationService

innovationCitizen

innovation

definitionsMission The introduction of a new worldview, mission

or purpose for the organization as a whole

Policy The introduction to the stakeholders of new benefits and obligations for the organization as a whole

Manage-ment

The introduction of a new management practice, process, structure, or technique to improve the organization’s ability to further organizational goals

Partner The establishment of new partnerships to improve the organization’s ability to further organizational goals

Service The Introduction and delivery of new services to achieve organizational goals

Citizen The establishment of new platforms to facilitate citizen collaboration to achieve organizational goals

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comparison among innovation typologies

Chen, Walker, Swahney

Moore (1995)

Walker (2006)

Windrum (2008)

Bloch & Bugge (2013)

Mission Strategic  - Conceptual - 

Policy  -  - Policy - 

Manage-ment

Adminis-trative

Organiza-tional

Process

Adminis-trative & Organiza-

tional

Organiza-tional

Partner -  Ancillary Systemic - 

Citizen -   - -  Communica-tion

Service Policy or Program

Service Service, Service Delivery

Product, Process

Level of government1a: Mission and policy innovations will be more

prevalent in higher levels of government.1b: Partnership, service and citizen innovation

are more prevalent at levels of government that provide services to citizens.

1c: Management innovations will be found across all levels of government.

Relationships between innovation types2: There are synchronous relationships

between different innovation types that will lead public organizations to implement a number of innovation types

propositions

Size3: Larger organizations will implement high

levels of management and partnership innovations

Administraitve capacity4: Public service organizations with high levels

of adminsitrative capacity will successfully develop and implement a range of innovations

propositions

Relationships with organizational performance

5a: Mission, policy and partnership innovations will have a weaker relationship with organizational performance than management, service and citizen innovations

5b: Management innovation will have the strongest impact on the performance dimension of efficiency, service innovation on effectiveness and citizen innovation on responsiveness, effectiveness and equity.

propositions

Typology advances our understanding of the literature and speaks with the relevant literature to provide new insights

From the framework Service dominant logic Public value Collaboration

From the innovation types Mission innovation Citizen innovation

research implications

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management implications

Visualize: Map “innovation positioning” strategy

Align: Create common understanding of the organization’s innovation strategy

Brainstorm: Explore new opportunities for innovation

Benchmark: Compare innovation profiles of the organization within areas as well as across areas

Prescribe: Suggest vectors along which the organization should focus its innovation strategy

Visualize

Align

Brainstorm

Benchmark

Prescribe

Developed and presented a new typology of public services innovation

Built new typology from the weaknesses of prior studies, a focus on public services (public value) and the shift towards service-dominant logic, collaborative innovation and public value

Believe typology can play a strong role in: Generalizing the findings from public service

innovation studies Opening up new research directions

conclusions

Thank you!Questions?