Local public innovation: an analysis of its perceived impacts on public performance
| DOI | 10.1177/0020852320963214 |
| Published date | 01 June 2022 |
| Date | 01 June 2022 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
Local public innovation:
an analysis of its
perceived impacts on
public performance
Yoann Queyroi
National University Institute Champollion, France
David Carassus
Universit
e de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, France
Christophe Maurel
Angers University, France
Christophe Favoreu
TBS Business School, France
Pierre Marin
Universit
e de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, France
Abstract
This article explores public innovations implemented by local authorities, which con-
sider them as a key means of improving their performance in response to a restrictive
context. The authors thus propose to grasp the impacts of these innovations in terms
of perceived performance from a global and multidimensional point of view. Based on a
quantitative study conducted among French local authorities, this research first
presents the results obtained from a theoretical point of view, providing insight into
the multiple impacts of implementing innovations within the public sector. Then, at the
managerial level, the study identifies specific impacts for each type of public innovation,
the aim being to structure the innovation portfolio of public organisations.
Corresponding author:
YoannQueyroi, Institut National Universitaire Champollion, LGCO, Avenue du DoyenRobert Poplawski Pau
64012, France.
Email: yoann.queyroi@univ-jfc.fr
International Review of Administrative
Sciences
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DOI: 10.1177/0020852320963214
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2022, Vol. 88(2) 493–510
International
Review of
Administrative
Sciences
Points for practitioners
An increasing number of innovations are being introduced in the public sector.
However, the impact of these innovations on public performance is often not assessed.
That is why by focusing our research on French local authorities, we guide managers
both in analysing this influence by distinguishing several types of innovation and perfor-
mance, and in building a portfolio of innovations in line with the internal resources of
their local authority, as well as the public service provided in response to the needs of
the territory.
Keywords
impacts, local authorities, public innovation, public performance
Introduction
In a particularly restrictive context, innovation today plays a fundamental role at
the international level, being very much in the spotlight of public organisations (De
Vries et al., 2018). For example, innovation is heralded as a means of boosting the
efficiency of public action (Damanpour and Schneider, 2006), and of improving
the quality of public services (Boyne et al., 2005; Jung and Lee, 2016). Under these
conditions, innovations, which are polymorphic and multidimensional in nature
(De Vries et al., 2016), are deployed by local authorities seeking to adapt to
changes in their environment.
However, while local public innovations may be presented today as the solution
to the difficulties facing the public sector, we question here their effects in terms of
public performance. The fact is that a lot of the research has focused on the
dynamics and determinants of public innovations, as well as their processes of
adoption and dissemination (Boyne et al., 2005; Damanpour and Schneider,
2006, 2008; Walker, 2006, 2007), but few studies specifically analyse the impacts
of these innovations, or they sometimes simply address some of their benefits for
public organisations (Hartley and Rashman, 2018; Torugsa and Arundel, 2016;
Walker, 2006, 2007). Moreover, when they are studied, these impacts are stated in
general terms (performance improvement, economic growth or organisational
change), without being demonstrated or as being specific to different types of
public innovation.
As this field of research is relatively unexplored in the public sector, this study
thus aims to explore the perceived impacts of local public innovations in terms of
local public performance. The originality of this study lies in the choice of a multi-
dimensional approach not only to the impacts in terms of local public perfor-
mance, but also to public innovation in the broad sense. This issue is addressed
by means of a national quantitative study in the French context, enabling us to
study the relationships between the types of innovation rolled out and the
494 International Review of Administrative Sciences 88(2)
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