Innovation Capacity in Courts: A Theoretical Framework and Research Agenda

Abstract

Innovation in the public sector is a subject that has attracted increasing interest of public managers, policymakers, and scholars, encompassing a possible response to the complex and uncertain context experienced by governments worldwide. In the same way, the search for efficiency and effectiveness has driven the development and adoption of innovations in courts given the influence that these institutions have on the social and economic development of countries. In this sense, understanding what influences the innovation capacity in courts is an important topic for investigation. This paper contributes to this matter, using the Resource-Based View and Dynamic Capabilities approach, by analyzing the recent scientific literature on innovation capacity in the public sector, which allowed the identification of six main factors: Leadership, Team Behavior, Collaboration, Organizational Resources, Knowledge Management, and Information Technology. This leads to the proposal of a theoretical framework of the main factors associated with innovation capacity in courts. The theoretical and practical implications of the framework are discussed, and six propositions to drive a research agenda are presented.