MANAGING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INNOVATION STRATEGIES IN PUBLIC SERVICE ORGANISATION — HOW MANAGERS MAY SUPPORT EMPLOYEES INNOVATIVE WORK BEHAVIOUR

Abstract

This paper examines which management strategies public managers may use to enhance innovative behavior among their employees. We focus on the implementation of a politically ambitious innovation strategy in a large Danish municipality. Based on a survey distributed to 1292 employees and 113 managers, we conduct a multi-level analysis focusing on how different management strategies (reported by the managers) and perceived management behavior (reported by the employees) affect the public employees’ perceived idea generation, idea promotion, and idea realization. The results show that knowledge of the innovation strategy, encouraging management, a risk-tolerant culture and autonomy are important management tools, whereas strategic management communication and economic rewards do not correlate with any of the phases in innovative work behavior. We contribute with new evidence on how innovation is supported by public managers in the different phases of the innovation process, and we conclude by discussing the practical implications of the findings.