Multidimensional Innovation in the Public Sector: An Analysis at the Work Group Level

Using a large-scale sample of Australian public service employees and a multivariate probit model, we explore the effect of idea sources, innovation barriers, personal motivation and workplace support for innovation on five dimensions of the workplace’s most significant innovation (policy, service, service delivery, administrative and organisational, and conceptual). Correlations of the error terms show that many innovations have multiple dimensions. Innovation draws on many sources of ideas, but the breadth of these sources is subject to diminishing returns. All but one innovation barrier is positively associated with innovation dimensions. Greater employee motivation and workplace support for innovation are associated with greater innovation success at the work group level.