Abstract

This article consolidates the empirical state-of-the-art on academic research on public sector innovation. Done by the method of a systematic review of the literature (1990-2014), 158 articles and books are analysed, based on the themes of the 1) definition of innovation, 2) innovation types, 3) objectives, 4) influential factors to the innovation process (including the adoption and diffusion stage) and 5) outcomes. Results shows that most studies do not pay attention to the outcomes of the innovation process. Furthermore, more quantitative studies are welcome, given the qualitative dominance in the field. Based upon the systematic review, an overall empirical based model is presented regarding the potential influential factors, types and outcomes of innovation in the public sector. Directions for future research are proposed that address various methodological, theoretical and empirical gaps.

Keywords: • Systematic review • Public sector innovation • Diffusion • Adoption

, , ,
The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement No. 320090 (Project Learning from Innovation in Public Sector Environments, LIPSE), Socioeconomic Sciences and Humanities. LIPSE is a research program under the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme as a Small or Medium-Scale Focused Research Project (2011-2014). The project focuses on studying social innovations in the public sector (www.lipse.org).
hdl.handle.net/1765/76041
Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences

de Vries, H., Bekkers, V., & Tummers, L. (2014). Innovation in the Public Sector: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1765/76041