Factors Associated With Managerial Innovation in Public Human Service Organizations

ABSTRACT

Contextual changes affecting human service organizations have challenged human service managers to adapt through innovation. Yet no research has examined innovation along the spectrum of lower- to upper-level managers in public human service organizations. This study analyzed survey data of 466 public human service managers to examine the relationship between individual characteristics and managerial innovation. Results showed that 38% of managers took an innovative approach to their work, and characteristics of perceived responsiveness to change and evidence-informed practice network involvement were significantly associated with managerial innovation. Managerial innovation could be promoted through the development of evidence-based networks and communities of learning.

KEYWORDS:

• Communities of learning
• evidence-based networks
• human service organizations
• innovation
• management

Funding

Support for this research for the first author was provided by the National Research Service Award Pre-Doctoral/Post-Doctoral Traineeship from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality sponsored by the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Grant No. T32-HS000032.

Additional information

Funding

Support for this research for the first author was provided by the National Research Service Award Pre-Doctoral/Post-Doctoral Traineeship from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality sponsored by the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Grant No. T32-HS000032.