Public sector innovation and entrepreneurship: Case studies from local government

Abstract

This article draws together the literatures around innovation and entrepreneurship in the public sector and presents a detailed discussion of the nature of public entrepreneurship based upon 12 case studies of innovation in local government. The article identifies two important and distinctive aspects of public entrepreneurship which relate to the independent roles of a 'champion' and their 'sponsor' and which combine to constitute entrepreneurial government. The analyses suggest that it is useful to distinguish between at least two types of entrepreneurial government which focus upon external public needs and internal managerial empowerment respectively. The article concludes by considering how each of these models deals with the conflict and risk which we see as necessarily associated with innovation in the public sector and how each of them is differentially responsive to different stakeholders, both inside and outside of the innovating organisation.