Administrative Professionals and the Diffusion of Innovations: The case of citizen service centres

TY - JOUR

T1 - Administrative Professionals and the Diffusion of Innovations

T2 - The case of citizen service centres

AU - Bhatti, Yosef

AU - Olsen, Asmus Leth

AU - Pedersen, Lene Holm

PY - 2011/6

Y1 - 2011/6

N2 - This article examines how administrative professionals affect the diffusion of one-stop shops in the form of integrated citizen service centres (CSC) in a Danish local government setting. CSCs are an example of a new organizational form: functionally integrated small units (FISUs). The diffusion of the CSCs among municipalities is used to analyse how administrative professionals act as drivers in the process of organizational level innovation. Furthermore, it is examined how institutional, political and economic characteristics of municipalities influence the likelihood of adoption. The findings highlight that a high concentration of administrative professionals indeed make the adoption of CSCs more likely. Additionally, the findings confirm three commonly stated hypotheses from the diffusion of innovations literature, namely that need based demands, wealth and the regional supply of CSC increase the likelihood of its adoption.

AB - This article examines how administrative professionals affect the diffusion of one-stop shops in the form of integrated citizen service centres (CSC) in a Danish local government setting. CSCs are an example of a new organizational form: functionally integrated small units (FISUs). The diffusion of the CSCs among municipalities is used to analyse how administrative professionals act as drivers in the process of organizational level innovation. Furthermore, it is examined how institutional, political and economic characteristics of municipalities influence the likelihood of adoption. The findings highlight that a high concentration of administrative professionals indeed make the adoption of CSCs more likely. Additionally, the findings confirm three commonly stated hypotheses from the diffusion of innovations literature, namely that need based demands, wealth and the regional supply of CSC increase the likelihood of its adoption.

U2 - 10.1111/j.1467-9299.2010.01882.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1467-9299.2010.01882.x

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0033-3298

VL - 89

SP - 577

EP - 594

JO - Public Administration

JF - Public Administration

IS - 2

ER -