Public Sector Perspective Research Articles

Developing collaborative ecosystem platforms to trigger sustainable “place-based” value creation: a dynamic performance governance approach

PurposeThis paper aims to illustrate how service ecosystem governance may provide a suitable ground to pursue holistic resilience to “wicked” socio-economic and ecological problems, for enhancing “place-based” sustainable performance outcomes through an organizational, interorganizational and context setting.Design/methodology/approachThis work suggests the use of “place-based” collaborative ecosystem platforms driven by a dynamic performance governance approach as a setting where facilitated performance dialogue is carried out among networked stakeholders. This fosters a holistic view of performance sustainability where intangibles, inertial, cultural and behavioral factors play a key role in policy analysis.FindingsThe paper illustrates how different research streams framing stakeholder relationships under a business, hybrid organization and public sector perspective converge toward the “service ecosystem” construct, as a common field for sustainable “place-based” value creation. This performance governance perspective frames accountability for achieving sustainable outcomes through interconnected viewpoints, i.e. (1) time (short vs long-term), (2) subject (single organization, “theme-focused” service ecosystem and “place-based” service ecosystem) and (3) field (socio-economic, cultural and ecological).Originality/valueThis work has an interdisciplinary track. It recommends feedback and “stock-and-flow” modeling to enhance framing counterintuitive patterns of behavior of dynamic complex socio-economic, cultural and ecological subsystems within “place-based” collaborative ecosystem platforms. Combining an inside-out with an outside-in view triggers sustainable outcome-based dynamic performance governance through an organizational, interorganizational and context setting.

Government promotion and city image: visitor intentions in Macao

PurposeThis study aims to critically evaluate the impact of government tourism promotion methods on city image and visiting intentions and to explore the moderating effect of tourism experience on two of the conceptualized relationships, using Macao as a case study.Design/methodology/approachThe research analyzed responses from 407 Macao visitors during the pandemic to determine the effects of tourism promotion methods on the city’s image and visiting intention using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypotheses.FindingsThis study revealed that tourism promotion methods positively impact the city’s image and visiting intentions. City image also mediates the relationship between tourism promotion methods and visiting intentions. Furthermore, tourism experience moderates the relationships between promotion methods and city image and between promotion methods and visiting intentions.Research limitations/implicationsThe study’s findings on the effects of promotion methods utilized by local governments support and expand upon existing theoretical frameworks within the realm of nonprofit organizations’ management and marketing for destination marketing organizations (DMOs). However, the cross-sectional design limits causality, and findings may not be generalizable beyond Macao without further comparative research.Practical implicationsThis study provides valuable insights for policymakers and marketers to design promotional campaigns that deliver authentic and memorable experiences, aligning with their promotional promises, especially in postpandemic contexts.Social implicationsThis research contributes to the theoretical and methodological advancement of management and marketing for DMOs from a public sector perspective, highlighting the critical role of government involvement in urban tourism promotion.Originality/valueThe research offers valuable insights into how promotional activities influence visiting intentions, advancing tourism management and marketing for DMOs from a nonprofit perspective. The study validates theories and adds unique insights by focusing on Macao’s postpandemic recovery, offering practical implications for similar urban settings.

Fusing domain knowledge with machine learning: A public sector perspective

Machine learning (ML) offers widely-recognized, but complex, opportunities for both public and private sector organizations to generate value from data. A key requirement is that organizations must find ways to develop new knowledge by merging crucial ‘domain knowledge’ of experts in relevant fields with ‘machine knowledge’, i.e., data that can be used to inform predictive models. In this paper, we argue that understanding the process of generating such knowledge is essential to strategically develop ML. In efforts to contribute to such understanding, we examine the generation of new knowledge from domain knowledge through ML via an exploratory study of two cases in the Swedish public sector. The findings reveal the roles of three mechanisms – dubbed consolidation, algorithmic mediation, and naturalization – in tying domain knowledge to machine knowledge. The study contributes a theory of knowledge production related to organizational use of ML, with important implications for its strategic governance, particularly in the public sector.

Design principles for MOOC platforms: a public sector perspective

Purpose One impediment of e-government implementation is the lack of e-(government) competences among public officials, especially because foundational education programs fail to teach them. Therefore, this study suggests massive open online course (MOOC)-based continuous education. This study aims to design and evaluate a MOOC and MOOC platform for acquiring e-competence in the public sector and principles for such platforms to capture their inherent design knowledge. Design/methodology/approach This study uses design science research incorporating qualitative and quantitative methods and draws on established patterns of formulating design principles (DPs). Findings The core results are a physically instantiated MOOC platform and six DPs: DP of 1) easy access and easy use, 2) professional exchange, 3) protected space, 4) domain focus, 5) cooperation with higher education institutions and 6) promotion from higher government level. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to e-government research by extending the design knowledge for the construction of domain-specific MOOC platforms. Moreover, the study contributes to platform economics by discussing existing theses and outlining new opportunities. The research also entails limitations, as the authors have solely considered MOOCs and neglected complimentary offers to sustain learning success. Practical implications This study provides practitioners with design principles they can use in their efforts to construct education platforms for the public sector. Moreover, the study presents a working MOOC platform instantiating these DPs, and thus provides an exemplary reference. Social implications Not fulfilling expectations regarding digital public services comes with a risk of decreasing trust in public organizations and the overall government. The results of this study contribute to enabling public officials fulfilling stakeholders’ expectations and generating public value. Originality/value By linking e-government competence education with MOOC platform design, this research approximates an important research gap. Scholars previously investigated e-competences and focused on alone-standing MOOCs to convey those. The results of this study offer the potential to construct platforms to centralize such fragmented solutions, maximizing their impact among public officials.

Contribution of Cloud Accounting to Employment and Economic Growth: An Evaluation from Nigerian Public Sector

Statistically, the global unemployment rate has drastically reduced due to emergency of cloud accounting. This research therefore evaluates the contribution of cloud accounting to economic growth and employment creation from the Nigerian public sector perspective. Analyzing secondary data from 2016 to 2022, the study identifies several significant findings. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and time series data containing ordinary least square technique. The results highlight a positive and statistically significant correlation between the adoption rate of cloud accounting, the number of cloud accounting software providers, and the General Cloud Accounting Metric. These findings underscore the pivotal role of cloud accounting in fostering economic growth in Nigeria through job creation and facilitating informed decision-making with remote financial information. However, it's crucial to acknowledge that Nigeria's annual adoption rate of cloud accounting remains relatively low. Therefore, the study recommends concerted efforts to accelerate and improve the adoption of cloud accounting in Nigeria.

The Influence of Work Experience and Audit Expertise on Audit Quality in the Public Sector: The Moderating Effect of Professional Qualification

Purpose: This study analyses the degree to which audit experience and expertise affect audit quality through the moderating effect of Professional Qualification. 
 Design/Methodology/Approach: The study used a survey research design from a sample of about 400 audit staff of the Ghana Audit Service. 
 A conceptual framework was developed by adopting the framework for Audit Quality (2014) instituted by the International Auditing and Assurance Board (IAASB) and tested using PLS-SEM method of analysis.
 Findings: The study found that in the Public Sector, both audit expertise and experience influence audit quality.
 Furthermore, it was also established that professional qualification did not moderate the relationships between work experience, audit expertise and audit quality. 
 Professional qualification in audit quality was also found to be significant in the study.
 Implications/Research Limitation: The results of the study extend and add to the growing empirical research studies on audit expertise, work experience, and audit quality, as well as in the area of public sector auditing. However, the study was limited to only public sector auditors working with Ghana's Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), the Audit Service.
 Practical Implication: The study results have the prospect of encouraging top management to intensify the need to consciously institute and implement strategies that incorporate people with the requisite audit expertise and experience into the public sector to maximise and enhance audit quality.
 Originality/Value: This study is the first from a public sector perspective that directly examines how audit quality is influenced by audit expertise and experience and how professional qualification moderates this effect.
 Nonetheless, this research is distinct from other empirical studies on the basis of the method used and the context of the study.

Soft TQM Elements for Digital Transformation in the Public Sector

The digital transformation of the public sector requires not only advanced modern technology but also good strategy and effective use of human factors. Additionally, quality management plays a crucial role in improving the performance and service quality of government organisations. This raises the question of how quality management could benefit digitalisation efforts and help the government to adapt in the era of digital technologies. However, the extant literature mostly focuses on the practice of quality management and the antecedents of digital transformation from the context of a private organisation, and only rarely from a public sector perspective. Therefore, this research seeks to understand and identify the soft TQM elements that can be applied in a public organisation to propel its digital transformation. The analysis was conducted based on a review of relevant papers published in this field. Deductive thematic analysis was employed to identify appropriate themes for this study. The findings identify five soft TQM elements: top management commitment and leadership, training and education, employee involvement, citizen focus and continuous improvement, all of which could positively impact a public organisation’s digitalisation initiatives. The study aims to provide novel and relevant insights to assist government organisations in planning and carrying out digital transformations.

A revised digital media–arena framework guiding strategic communication in digital environments

PurposeThis paper refines the Digital Media–Arena (DMA) framework to address the diversity of stakeholders contributing to the production, (re)appropriation and (re)distribution of organisational messages in digital environments. It also presents a case analysis for the purpose of demonstrating the applicability of the revised conceptual framework to a critical situation.Design/methodology/approachGrounded in key public relations, corporate communication and strategic communication research, this study first extends the DMA framework by introducing six new forms of media-arenas. Next, the study takes a public sector perspective to analyse the revised framework against a critical situation involving the Finnish prime minister in summer 2022.FindingsThe application of the revised DMA framework to analyse the critical situation shows the importance of mapping and understanding diverse discourses across multi-arenas and their communication role in a rapidly unfolding scandal surrounding the prime minister of Finland. Findings also reveal the diversity of stakeholder voices forming their own versions of organisational messages and sometimes converging organisational messages within and across DMAs.Practical implicationsThe DMA framework can offer practical suggestions to guide communicators to make strategic choices in what, where, how and with whom they can communicate.Originality/valueThe revised DMA framework contributes expanding the field's knowledge of the strategic communicative use of the digital environment in typically highly volatile and multi-vocal situations by offering instrumental understanding of the conflicting challenge between subjugating and liberating organisational messages across the digital spectrum.

The costs and financing needs of delivering Kenya's primary health care service package.

For many Kenyans, high-quality primary health care (PHC) services remain unavailable, inaccessible, or unaffordable. To address these challenges, the Government of Kenya has committed to strengthening the country's PHC system by introducing a comprehensive package of PHC services and promoting the efficient use of existing resources through its primary care network approach. Our study estimated the costs of delivering PHC services in public sector facilities in seven sub-counties, comparing actual costs to normative costs of delivering Kenya's PHC package and determining the corresponding financial resource gap to achieving universal coverage. We collected primary data from a sample of 71 facilities, including dispensaries, health centers, and sub-county hospitals. Data on facility-level recurrent costs were collected retrospectively for 1 year (2018-2019) to estimate economic costs from the public sector perspective. Total actual costs from the sampled facilities were extrapolated using service utilization data from the Kenya Health Information System for the universe of facilities to obtain sub-county and national PHC cost estimates. Normative costs were estimated based on standard treatment protocols and the populations in need of PHC in each sub-county. The average actual PHC cost per capita ranged from US$ 9.3 in Ganze sub-county to US$ 47.2 in Mukurweini while the normative cost per capita ranged from US$ 31.8 in Ganze to US$ 42.4 in Kibwezi West. With the exception of Mukurweini (where there was no financial resource gap), closing the resource gap would require significant increases in PHC expenditures and/or improvements to increase the efficiency of PHC service delivery such as improved staff distribution, increased demand for services and patient loads per clinical staff, and reduced bypass to higher level facilities. This study offers valuable evidence on sub-national cost variations and resource requirements to guide the implementation of the government's PHC reforms and resource mobilization efforts.

Critical Review of the Increasing Complexity of Access and Benefit-Sharing Policies of Genetic Resources for Genebank Curators and Plant Breeders-A Public and Private Sector Perspective.

Plant breeders develop competitive, high-yielding, resistant crop varieties that can cope with the challenges of biotic stresses and tolerate abiotic stresses, resulting in nutritious food for consumers worldwide. To achieve this, plant breeders need continuous and easy access to plant genetic resources (PGR) for trait screening, to generate new diversity that can be built into newly improved varieties. International agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and the Nagoya Protocol recognised the sovereign rights of countries over their genetic resources. Under the CBD/Nagoya Protocol, countries are free to establish specific national legislations regulating germplasm access and benefit-sharing to be negotiated bilaterally. Consequently, access to PGR became increasingly restricted and cumbersome, resulting in a decrease in germplasm exchange. The ITPGRFA attempted to ease this situation by establishing a globally harmonised multilateral system (MLS). Unfortunately, the MLS is (still) restricted to a limited number of food and forage crops, with very few vegetable crops. Easy and continuous access to genetic diversity combined with equitable and fair sharing of derived benefits is a prerequisite to breeding new varieties. Facilitated access contributes to sustainable crop production and food and nutrition security; therefore, access to and, consequently, use of PGRFA needs to be improved. Thus, the authors recommend, among others, expanding the scope of the ITPGRFA to include all PGRFA and making them and all related information accessible under a Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) combined, if necessary, with a subscription system or a seed sales tax. Such a transparent, functional and efficient system would erase legal uncertainties and minimise transaction costs for conservers, curators and users of genetic resources, thus aiding plant breeders to fulfil their mission.

Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of seven treatment regimens in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC): A public payer perspective using network meta-analysis.

5081 Background: Recently several new drug treatment regimens have been approved in mHSPC state, building on using androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) alone. These include docetaxel + ADT (DA), Abiraterone Acetate + Prednisone + ADT (AAP), Apalutamide + ADT (AAT), Enzalutamide + ADT (ET), Darolutamide + Docetaxel + ADT (DAD) and AAP + ADT + Docetaxel (AAD). At present, there are no predictive biomarkers for choosing a specific drug regimen over the other. The goal of this study was to conduct an economic evaluation of FDA-approved standard of care drug regimens in the current management of mHSPC state to determine a cost-effective optimal treatment from the US public sector (Veterans Affairs-VA) perspective with a 10-year time horizon. Methods: We developed a partitioned survival model in which mHSPC patients (pts) transitioned between three health states (progression free, progressive disease to castrate resistance state, and death) at monthly intervals based on Weibull survival model estimated from published Kaplan-Meier curves using a network meta-analysis. A Bayesian network meta-analysis of seven randomized clinical trials included 7,208 mHSPC pts. The effectiveness outcome in our model was quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) with utility values obtained from published literature. Costs in our model included those associated with treatment regimens, subsequent therapies, terminal care, and for managing grade 3-4 drug related adverse events. Costs were obtained from the Federal Supply Schedule and published literature. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated for nondominated treatments. Results: Average 10-year costs ranged from $32,697 (ADT) to $649,622 (DAD). Mean QALYs ranged from 3.25 (ADT) to 4.57 (ET). Treatment with DAT, EAD, and DAD were eliminated due to dominance (i.e. they were more costly and less effective than other treatments). AAT was the most cost-effective strategy at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000/QALY (ICER = $70,150/QALY). Results from our analysis for all regimens are shown. Conclusions: Our CEA simulation model found AAT is an optimal cost-effective first-line treatment strategy in mHSPC state from a public (VA) payer perspective. [Table: see text]

Cost-effectiveness analysis of seven treatment regimens in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC): A public payer perspective using network meta-analysis.

268 Background: Recently several new treatment regimens have been approved for treating mHSPC, building on the previous standard of care using androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) alone. These include docetaxel+ADT (DA), Abiraterone Acetate+Prednisone+ADT (AAP), Apalutamide+ADT (AAT), Enzalutamide+ADT (ET), Darolutamide+Docetaxel+ADT (DAD) and Abiraterone+Prednisone+ADT+Docetaxel (AAD). There are no current predictive biomarkers for choosing any specific regimen. The goal of this study was to determine the cost-effectiveness of these new treatments from the US public sector perspective with a lifetime horizon. Methods: We developed a partitioned survival model in which mHSPC patients transitioned between three health states (progression free, progressive disease to castrate resistance state, and death) at monthly intervals based on Weibull survival model estimated from published Kaplan-Meier curves using a network meta-analysis. A Bayesian network meta-analysis of seven clinical trials included 7,208 patients. The effectiveness outcome in our model was quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) with utility values obtained from published literature. Costs in our model included those associated with treatment regimens and subsequent therapies, terminal care, and for managing grade 3-4 drug related adverse events, and were obtained from the Federal Supply Schedule and published literature. Results: Average lifetime costs ranged from $154,139 (AAP) to $770,848 (DAD) and mean QALYs ranged from 3.33 (ADT) to 5.08 (ET). All treatment strategies other than AAP and ET were eliminated due to dominance. Compared to AAP, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for ET was $484,943/QALY. Results from our analysis including all regimens are shown. Conclusions: Our simulation model found that ET in mHSPC state yielded the most QALYs and would be the most cost-effective option with a WTP threshold as high as $500,000/QALY. However, for a WTP threshold of $150,000/QALY, AAP was the most cost-effective treatment strategy. [Table: see text]

Determinants of Occupational Fraud in Government Procurement: Malaysia’s Public Sector Perspective

The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of occupational fraud related to government procurement. The examinations include assessments on whether ethical values, knowledge of fraud behaviour and abuse of power have a significant relationship with government procurement. This study employed quantitative method approach based on primary data, by using simple random sampling technique via survey questionnaire distributed to public servants that involved in government procurement activities. The result revealed significant relationship between ethical values and occupational fraud while knowledge of fraud behaviour and abuse of power resulted insignificant relationship with occupational fraud in government procurement. This study has limitation subject to responses received from respondents, who may or might not be honestly expressing their opinion, as well as the fact that it is restricted to the questionnaire provided. It also focused solely on perception from public servant that involve in the government procurement. The finding of this study can be used to further stimulate the research of occupational fraud within public sector with the aim of promoting cooperation between public and private sector while improving the effectiveness of government services.

Aligning sustainability and regional earthquake hazard mitigation planning: integrating greenhouse gas emissions and vertical equity

Concerns about the potential economic consequences of earthquakes have increased in recent years as scientifically based probabilities of future earthquakes in many large urban areas have risen. These hazards disproportionately impact low-income communities as wealth disparities limit their capacity to prepare and recover from potentially disastrous events. In addition to major economic losses, the activities related to building recovery result in significant greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change. This article develops a framework that quantifies the complex relationships between pre-earthquake retrofit activities and their economic, environmental and equity implications to promote informed decision-making, using the city of San Francisco, California as a case study. This research consists of two sections. In the first section, a bi-objective optimization model is proposed to identify optimal earthquake risk mitigation policies to minimize total earthquake-related economic and environmental costs, simultaneously. Decisions entail the seismic retrofit, combined seismic and energy retrofit or complete reconstruction of building-type groups. The benefits of increased energy efficiency of the upgraded buildings are incorporated to evaluate decisions from a holistic perspective. In the second section, the model is extended to address the issue of inequitable budget allocation from a public-sector perspective. Vertical equity considerations are incorporated as an optimization constraint to distribute available resources aiming to limit the discrepancy of expected losses as a fraction of income between households across income groups. The tradeoff between equity and economic efficiency is explored. Results show that life-cycle environmental impacts constitute an informative performance metric to regional risk mitigation decision-makers, in addition to the more customarily used monetary losses. Although construction costs primarily dictate optimal decisions from an economic perspective, energy considerations largely impact optimal decisions from an environmental perspective.

Making BOT Model Great Again: Revisiting the BOT standard concessions and exploring the expectations

Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model of public-private partnerships (PPPs) are among the most popular infrastructure delivery models used by governments across the globe. Yet, concession agreements are criticized for being dispute prone. This study identifies a few areas where BOT projects are often challenged and proposes further interventions. Interviews with the private developers and the transactions advisory provided the necessary evidence for exploring the expectations of revising the BOT Concessions. The study found interventions that the private sector stakeholders suggest. These interventions span over the procurement, construction, and operation phases of the infrastructure delivery and are argued to build a rubber wall that can absorb the impacts of risk events. The suggested interventions would be helpful to policymakers to understand the prevailing challenges and expectations of the private sector developers. Future BOT concessions can be less dispute prone by deliberating and effectuating a mutually beneficial bargaining power. This study did not focus on the public sector perspective and their challenges for not considering these alternatives. Future studies need to expand to make the results more amicable and implementable. BOT concession model is popular but ever evolving. This study challenges the status quo by identifying a few challenges to be considered for increasing its effectiveness.

Knowledge management practices: A public sector perspective

Using a qualitative approach, this study explores how knowledge management is conceptualised and implemented in the asset management departments of organizations in the Nigerian public sector. Applying systems thinking and organizational development theories, this study found that, while knowledge management practices are implemented, they are at the beginning stages within the various critical institutions and organizations investigated. This study is novel in that it uncovers how the sociocultural and demographic factors prevailing in the Nigerian context may influence the knowledge management process.

Effects of an e-health intervention ‘iSupport’ for reducing distress of dementia carers: protocol for a randomised controlled trial and feasibility study

IntroductionIn the UK, National Health Service (NHS) guidelines recommend that informal carers of people living with dementia should be offered training to help them develop care skills and manage their...

Intensive behavioural interventions based on applied behaviour analysis (ABA) for young children with autism: A cost-effectiveness analysis.

BackgroundThe economic and social costs of autism are significant. This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of early intensive Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)-based interventions for autistic pre-school children in the UK.MethodsA de novo economic analysis was developed in Microsoft Excel comparing early intensive ABA-based interventions compared with treatment as usual (TAU). The analysis used 15.5-year time horizon, with costs and benefits discounted a 3.5%. The model structure was based on cohort structure to capture changes in adaptive behaviour and cognitive ability over time. The analysis was informed by an individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis of available evidence.ResultsAdopting a public sector perspective, early intensive ABA-based therapies were associated with greater incremental costs and greater benefits. When pessimistic assumptions were made regarding the long-term effects of treatment incremental costs were £46,103 and incremental quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were 0.24, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of £189,122 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY). When optimistic assumptions were made about long-term effects, incremental costs were £39,233 with incremental benefits of 0.84 QALYs. The resulting ICER was £46,768 per QALY. Scenario analyses emphasised the importance of assumptions made regarding adult outcomes and type of school attended, both of which significantly affect the results of the analysis.ConclusionsThe results of this economic analysis suggest that early intensive ABA-based interventions are unlikely to represent value for money, based on a £20,000 to £30,000 per QALY threshold typically adopted to inform UK healthcare funding decisions. However, important gaps in the available evidence, limit the strength of the conclusions that can be drawn from the presented analysis. Further research, focusing on the trajectory of autistic children following intervention is likely to be highly beneficial to resolving some of these uncertainties.

Can Personalization or Creativity Reduce Banner Blindness?

<h3>Introduction</h3> Loneliness and social isolation have been identified as significant public health concerns, but improving relationships and increasing social participation may improve health outcomes and quality of life. The aim of the Project About Loneliness and Social networks (PALS) study is to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a guided social network intervention within a community setting among individuals experiencing loneliness and isolation and to understand implementation of Generating Engagement in Network Involvement (Genie) in the context of different organisations. <h3>Methods and analysis</h3> The PALS trial will be a pragmatic, randomised controlled trial comparing participants receiving the Genie intervention to a wait-list control group. Eligible participants will be recruited from organisations working within a community setting: any adult identified as socially isolated or at-risk of loneliness and living in the community will be eligible. Genie will be delivered by trained facilitators recruited from community organisations. The primary outcome will be the difference in the SF-12 Mental Health composite scale score at 6-month follow-up between the intervention and control group using a mixed effects model (accounting for clustering within facilitators and organisation). Secondary outcomes will be loneliness, social isolation, well-being, physical health and engagement with new activities. The economic evaluation will use a cost-utility approach, and adopt a public sector perspective to include health-related resource use and costs incurred by other public services. Exploratory analysis will use a societal perspective, and explore broader measures of benefit (capability well-being). A qualitative process evaluation will explore organisational and environmental arrangements, as well as stakeholder and participant experiences of the study to understand the factors likely to influence future sustainability, implementation and scalability of using a social network intervention within this context. <h3>Ethics and dissemination</h3> This study has received NHS ethical approval (REC reference: 18/SC/0245). The findings from PALS will be disseminated widely through peer-reviewed publications, conferences and workshops in collaboration with our community partners. <h3>Trial registration number</h3> ISRCTN19193075

Linking Tacit Knowledge Sharing to Employee Innovation with Job Thriving as a Mediational Factor: A Public Sector Perspective

Tacit knowledge sharing affects different employee-related outcomes, including job thriving and employee innovation. However, in public organizations, the bureaucratic constraints on knowledge sharing make its link to job thriving and innovation seem tentative. Besides, the contextual factors affecting the link between tacit knowledge and employee innovation are not fully understood. Hence, this study empirically examines the link between tacit knowledge sharing and employee innovation with job thriving as a mediator in a public organization in Delta State, Nigeria. Data from 169 mid-level staff at the Delta State Ministry of Health were collected and analyzed using the Partial Least Square (PLS) method to test the hypotheses. The study’s findings reveal that tacit knowledge sharing has a significant positive relationship with job thriving and employee innovation. Further, job thriving has a significant positive relationship with employee innovation, as well as mediating the significant positive relationship between tacit knowledge sharing and employee innovation. Importantly, practical implications for public organizations looking to improve tacit knowledge sharing, job thriving, and employee innovation emerge from these findings; principal among them is the need to foster a knowledge-sharing culture and supportive work environment.