Orchestrating public sector innovation processes for digitalization

Purpose While research on innovation is extensive, less is known about public sector innovations (PSI) as distributed processes based on both internal and external knowledge. Research has shown that the public sector often imitates private firms’ innovation processes, particularly when introducing new solutions such as digital processes. This occurs despite the fact that the public sector’s goal is not profit, but rather the provision of quality services. In this paper, we explore the consequences of such imitation for PSI processes related to digitalization, with a particular focus on how innovation orchestration functions in these settings. Design/methodology/approach Empirically, the paper is based on a regional government initiative that used orchestrators to intermediate innovation processes. Interviews and focus groups were the main data source, complemented by internal documents from the initiative. Findings The study develops five propositions that highlight the paradoxical nature of PSI orchestration: the need for top management involvement, which can also stifle innovation; the necessity of orchestrator engagement in implementation, which limits their boundary-spanning role; the benefits of organizing innovation away from daily routines, which simultaneously hampers implementation; the tendency for collaborations among diverse stakeholders to emerge as outcomes rather than drivers of the process; and how the public culture orients the process to resources rather than value. Originality/value The paper contributes to previous research by addressing PSI. More specifically, it does so by integrating such research with innovation orchestration. The paper highlights how these processes differ substantially from those in the private sector, particularly with regard to the ability to orchestrate relational aspects as an antecedent to innovation.