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Loose Cannons and Rule Breakers, or Innovative Leaders?

Loose Cannons and Rule Breakers, or Innovative Leaders?. As interpreted by Erin Turcot PA 302 Spring 2006. Let’s hear what the entrepreneurial opposers say…. Enjoy the brief film. And the supporters?. How about another?. The Study .

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Loose Cannons and Rule Breakers, or Innovative Leaders?

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  1. Loose Cannons and Rule Breakers, or Innovative Leaders? As interpreted by Erin Turcot PA 302 Spring 2006

  2. Let’s hear what the entrepreneurial opposers say…. Enjoy the brief film

  3. And the supporters? How about another?

  4. The Study • Sandford Borins examined the finalists of the Ford Foundation-Kennedy School of Government Innovations in American Government Awards Program • 1991-1994 (207 semi-finalists) • 1995-1998 (104 semi-finalists)

  5. Why these? • They showed: 1. Where innovations were initiated in an organization 2. Nature of the innovations 3. Factors leading up to the innovations 4. Where innovators received support 5. Obstacles faced and how they were overcome

  6. Who are the innovators? • 1990-1994: 48 % Middle managers/front-line staff 23 % Agency Heads 18 % Politicians *Interesting that we elect politicians to initiated change…

  7. 1995 Innovators A bit more specific: 43 % Middle Managers 28 % Agency Heads 27 % Front-line 27 % Politicians *if a sole initiator, likely to be the middle manager. If a pair, likely to be middle manager and front-line worker

  8. Nature of Innovations • Holism-look at the whole system, wk w/other agencies: 85%/ 61% • New technology: 30% • Process improvement: 35% • Empowerment of communities or citizens: 17%/34% • Use of private sector to achieve public purpose: 30%/117% *Do these results challenge the rule-breaker image?

  9. Time for an activity • Here is a list of the most recent Ford Foundation Government innovations in American Government Awards • Get into groups of three/four • Answer: who are the innovators? What is the nature of their innovation? Do you see similarities between the 90s and now?

  10. Factors leading up to innovations • Politicians: innovation through crisis • Agency Heads: innovation through new appointments/leadership • Public Servants: innovation through internal problems or through technology * esp. with public servants, they innovate in areas that aren’t on the political agenda, and are efficient in that they take advantage of technology

  11. Support Public Servants: support from supervisors Agency Heads: support from politicians Politicians: support from public *Everyone went through correct channels, supporting due process

  12. Obstacles to innovations • 1st group: w/in Bureaucracy (turf wars, unions, enthusiasm of employees) • 2nd group: w/in political environment (inadequate funds, regulatory constraints, political opposition) • 3rd group: w/outside environment (public doubts, private sect. interests) * Only 1% of obstacles dealt w/opposition to acting entrepreneurial

  13. We will overcome #1: Persuasion-showing benefits, demonstrating results #2: Social marketing/cooptation-involving interested parties in governance, compensating the loser Least used tactic: Power Politics-going behind co-workers to appeal to superiors

  14. Final Questions • Whose side do you think the author was on? • Bigger question: Do we relax centralization forces to allow more experimentation? • How do we train/education middle managers to be aware of the ethical dilemmas they may face?

  15. Conclusion • Sanford B. writes articles for the ASH Institute (in support of innovations…social services, Canada, technology) • Innovation can be a great way to take advantage of new efficiencies • Ethical training encouraged to create an innovative, yet responsible public administrator

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