Barriers to innovative activity in the sustainable development of public sector organizations

Abstract

In today’s modern economy, and according to the growing economic, social, and environmental challenges, it is becoming more important for organizations to strive towards sustainable development. Any innovation is related to the sustainable development of an organization, and these innovations concern changes in the management, technological, and ecological activities. This applies both to enterprises and public sector institutions. Within the public sector, there are some specific and significant barriers that can have an impact on innovation, and in consequence, on the sustainable development of an organization.In the article the Authors attempted to answer two research questions: What are the main barriers to implementing innovation in public sector organizations? Do the innovations affect the sustainable development of an organization?The aim of the article is to present examples of barriers to innovation in organizations (identification and classification of barriers). For this purpose, the Authors conducted relevant literature reviews, inductive and deducting reasoning, and then presented the results of their research.The barriers in the public sector often do not just disturb but even stop the process of innovation. Therefore, organizations must have abilities to identify innovation process barriers and to develop the appropriate management instruments. On the basis of the conducted research, the barriers to innovative activity indicated by managers were divided into external and internal. Within internal barriers, there were distinguished organizational, human resources, communication, management, and financial barriers. Only one external barrier was identified - the lack of state policy in the field of supporting innovation in public institutions.There is a little scientific output (including theoretical and empirical studies) in the field of barriers to innovative activity in the sustainable development of public sector organizations. This article can therefore fill the gap and lead to further theoretical and empirical research. The results of the study may be useful to other researchers as well as executives in the studied organization and other public sector institutions.