Evolution of organizational ambidexterity in the public sector and current challenges of innovation capabilities

Abstract

This theoretical article aims to analyze the underlying challenges to the development of innovation capabilities in public sector organizations. Several papers have examined the specific barriers to innovation in the public sector. However, little is known about the root causes of these barriers. To fill this gap, we apply the concept of organizational ambidexterity, which refers to the ability of the organization to balance exploitation and exploration and resolve the resulting tensions. Based on a literature review of the development of innovation in the public sector (116 references), we trace the evolution of the ambidexterity of public organizations, following a three-period analysis. Our findings highlight the relevance and usefulness of the exploitation– exploration question, which underlies the development of innovation capabilities, and show that contemporary public organizations are meeting particular challenges regarding innovation.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 47 citations exist upstream.