Abstract
This chapter provides an examination of the landscape of entrepreneurship within public administration, focusing on the integration and implications of digital technologies. It begins with the historical evolution of public sector entrepreneurship, identifying milestones and shifts towards more inclusive and innovative practices. The chapter transitions to the emergent field of digital entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, underscoring the transformative potential of digital technologies in public organizations. The chapter presents concepts, theoretical frameworks, and definitions for understanding the dynamics of digital entrepreneurship within the public sector. Emphasis is placed on the roles of digital public entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, whose efforts are pivotal in navigating challenges and seizing the opportunities from the digital era. The chapter concludes by presenting the strategic importance of fostering a culture of innovation and adaptability within public institutions, aiming to enhance service delivery and public value creation in an increasingly digital world.
TopIntroduction
In an era of digitalization, public sector organizations are increasingly recognized as pivotal actors for innovation and transformation. Academics are advocating for the development of new theoretical approaches taking those changes into account (Hinings et al., 2018). This chapter sets out to explore the dynamics of digital public intrapreneurship and digital public entrepreneurship, key processes reshaping the landscape of public sector innovation against a backdrop of technological upheaval and evolving societal needs.
On one hand, digital public intrapreneurship refers to an unsolicited use of digital technologies and innovation methods by public servants at any level within public organizations to create public value (Moore, 1995; Bozeman, 2007; Talbot, 2009; Benington, 2011; Cui & Osborne, 2021). On the other hand, digital public entrepreneurship refers to any entrepreneurial action initiated in the public sector by a public servant in a management position based on its organizational strategy. Digital public entrepreneurship aims to leverage opportunities presented by digital technologies and innovation to create value for the public. Both phenomena (digital public intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship) are driven by a combination of technological, motivational, social, and institutional factors that enable and constrain the potential of public innovation in the digital age.
This chapter aims to demonstrate that entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship within the public sector can no longer be understood solely as a management role but as a collective and cooperative effort within the organization. This chapter will provide to scholars and practitioners in the field of digital government a better understanding of this orientation to foster digital innovation and to seize technological opportunities for the benefit of the public and the organization. This chapter is structured to meet three main objectives.
Firstly, it aims to provide an overview of entrepreneurship in the context of public administration, covering its historical evolution, current implementations, and potential future directions. This foundation is intended to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of entrepreneurship's significance and effects within this field.
Secondly, the discussion extends to an examination of digital entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship in public organizations, focusing on the integration processes of digital innovations, the challenges encountered, and the opportunities available. This section highlights how these practices contribute to the transformation of public service delivery and the internal dynamics of organizations.
Finally, the chapter provides definitions and theoretical frameworks for those interested in the digital government area, aiming to deepen the analysis of entrepreneurial activities in this sector. It specifically focuses on the identification and description of digital public entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, offering insights into the innovative concepts that are pivotal for exploring digital entrepreneurship in the public sector. Central to this exploration is the theoretical approach of these concepts, informed by a critical review of existing literature and augmented by contemporary empirical insights.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Street-Level Bureaucrats: frontline public service workers (e.g., police officers, teachers, social workers) who directly implement government policies and interact with citizens. They hold considerable autonomy in decision-making, significantly influencing policy outcomes and public service experiences. This concept emphasizes their pivotal role in bridging policy directives with real-world applications and challenges.
Generative AI: artificial intelligence systems designed to create content, including text, images, audio, and video, that mimics humanlike creativity. These systems learn from vast datasets to generate new outputs that can be original and contextually relevant, based on the patterns, styles, and information they have been trained on.
Principal-Agent Theory: explores the relationship between a delegating party (principal) and a performing party (agent), highlighting issues like differing goals and information asymmetry. It focuses on aligning the agent's actions with the principal's interests through incentives, contracts, and monitoring to mitigate self-serving behaviours.
AI of Things (AIoT): merges AI with the internet of things (IoT) technologies, enabling smarter, autonomous systems that can analyze data, predict outcomes, and make decisions, thus enhancing efficiency and functionality of IoT applications.
New Public Governance (NPG): paradigm in public administration that emphasizes collaboration across government, private, and civil sectors to tackle societal challenges, prioritizing participative, inclusive approaches over market-driven models. It focuses on democratic engagement and co-production of services, aiming for holistic and network-based governance solutions.
Public Value (PV): encapsulates the creation of societal benefits through sustainable and legitimate public management strategies, marking a shift from organizational efficiency to focusing on the external societal impacts of public services.
New Public Management (NPM): paradigm in public administration that introduces private sector practices into the public sector, aiming to increase efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness through market-based mechanisms, decentralization, and a focus on results and customer service. It marks a shift from traditional bureaucracy to a more businesslike approach to governance.
Intelligent Robots: machines equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) that can learn from their environment and experiences, make decisions, and perform complex tasks autonomously or with minimal human intervention. They combine sensory data, processing power, and algorithms to navigate, understand, and interact with the world around them, adapting their actions based on the outcomes of previous behaviours.