Question

Borins presents three ideal types of innovation in the public sector. Describe the ideal type you think is found most in the public sector. Why do you think these three ideal types of innovation are not found more often in the public sector?

Answer 1

Innovative ideas come from inside and outside the organization and also from all levels ie from the middle , bottom and top layers of the organization.The largest number of innovations are initiated by middle managers and front line staff, but 10 to 20 percent are initiated by politicians and above 25 percent by agency heads (Borins 1998,2001) However propensity to innovate is greater by politicians and agency heads. Politicians were innovators when there was a crisis as when there is crisis in the public sector ,the expectation of the citizens is on the politicians.Again when there is poor performance on the part of public sector agency, the citizens expectation turn towards the politicians to appoint new agency. Finally middle managers and front line staff are responsible for initiating innovation when there is internal problem or a new technology problem.These are the 3 ideal types .

Innovations initiated by politicians had the support of the president, the governor,the legislatures,the media and the general public.So this s the ideal type found most in the public sector.

These three ideal types of innovation are not found in public sector because if political leadership does not have trust on bureaucracy , innovation will be stopped and again if political leadership has good relation with bureaucracy, innovation will be encouraged.So politicians may either support innovation or stop innovation.