Innovation in the public sector: Dilemmas in the use of Ad Hoc processes

Thomas N. Gilmore and James Krantz
Additional contact information
Thomas N. Gilmore: Vice President, Wharton Center for Applied Research, and Adjunct Associate Professor, Healthcare Systems Department, The Wharton School, Postal: Vice President, Wharton Center for Applied Research, and Adjunct Associate Professor, Healthcare Systems Department, The Wharton School
James Krantz: Assistant Professor, Yale School of Management, Yale University, Postal: Assistant Professor, Yale School of Management, Yale University

Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 1991, vol. 10, issue 3, 455-468

Abstract: Increasingly, public sector executives are using ad hoc groups and processes-what we term “parallel processes”-as a vehicle for innovation. The central question is, however, when parallel processes are developmental and when they are bypasses that avoid critical issues. This paper reviews some potential weaknesses in the use of such groups by examining several cases that show how they can impede the actual implementation of the innovation. We propose a transitional perspective that regards parallel process as scaffolding, enabling new ideas and behaviors to grow strong enough to eventually allow their transfer to the permanent structure.

Date: 1991
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.2307/3325326 Link to full text; subscription required (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:jpamgt:v:10:y:1991:i:3:p:455-468

DOI: 10.2307/3325326

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Journal of Policy Analysis and Management from John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().