Management innovation adoption in the federal government: Fad, fashion or strategic intent

Recent organizational performance studies identified an increase in the adoption of management innovations as more organizations seek to use innovation for competitive advantage. To better understand innovation adoption in the federal government, this study investigated the influence of select environmental, organizational, and individual factors on the adoption of 17 management innovations. Despite an abundance of literature on management innovations in the private sector, there has been little empirical research done to explain the adoption decisions of management innovations in the public sector, especially in the federal government.;This empirical study gathered data from 252 senior federal managers from 44 different executive departments and federal agencies. Statistical analysis confirmed that environmental, organizational, and individual factors influenced the adoption of management innovations. Organizational factors were more salient than environmental or individual factors. Specifically, the results indicated that external pressure, organizational slack, organizational risk-taking, and managerial socialization had positive and statistically significant ( p < .05) influence on the adoption of management innovations. Organizational size and organizational type also had positive and significant influence on management innovation adoption, with defense organizations adopting a greater number than non-defense federal organizations. Innovations were viewed as more successful when they were easier to use, had greater relative advantage, contributed to a positive image, and had higher management commitment.;Management innovation adoption patterns showed increased media attention on the innovations for about two years prior to their adoption by federal organizations. This lag in adoption could occur because federal executives wait to see if a management approach is successful prior to adopting it in their own organizations. Consequently, the adoption of an innovation may also be caused by bandwagon pressure to compete with private companies who have already adopted the innovation. Managers believed that the innovations were mandated, initiated as a result of political leadership changes, and would soon be replaced with something new. According to research by Abrahamson and others, organizations that continually adopt new management innovations may suffer negative consequences, including employee cynicism and reduced return on investment.