Original
Paradoxical tensions as catalysts: a phenomenon-based study of employee-driven innovation in the civil service
Abstract
The paradox of innovation in civil service contexts lies in the simultaneous need for both innovation and risk avoidance within government operations. Our qualitative study, involving 125 Irish civil servants, explores employee-driven innovation (EDI) through a paradox lens to unveil four continua of opposing forces: stability vs. change; bureaucracy vs. flexibility; hierarchical control vs. individual empowerment; and siloization vs. integration. We evidence how managers act as agents to reconcile these tensions to facilitate employee-driven innovation, thus rendering tensions as catalysts for innovation rather than mere contextual factors. We discuss the implications for both theory and practice of EDI.
中文
悖论性张力作为催化剂：基于现象的公务员系统员工驱动型创新研究
摘要
公务员情境中的创新悖论在于政府运作中同时需要创新与规避风险。我们的定性研究以125名爱尔兰公务员为对象，从悖论视角探讨员工驱动型创新（EDI），揭示出四组对立力量的连续谱：稳定与变革；官僚制与灵活性；层级控制与个体赋权；部门孤岛化与整合。我们证明管理者如何作为行动主体调和这些张力，从而促进员工驱动型创新，使张力成为创新的催化剂而非仅仅是情境因素。我们讨论了其对EDI理论与实践的意义。
关键词
员工驱动型创新、公务员、悖论视角、公共部门创新、组织张力、管理者、定性研究、爱尔兰