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Exploring success conditions for innovative performance through Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): does job autonomy matter?

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Abstract

In recent years, innovation has become a major concern for public sector organizations. In higher education institutions, new public management (NPM) is increasing the expectations of individual output, results and efficiency. This requires academic staff to be increasingly innovative in research and teaching. Based on an enabling work environment (an activity analysis approach), this article examines the relationship between professional autonomy and innovative performance. A qualitative study was conducted among French universities, and a qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) was conducted to explore the resource configurations leading to innovative performance. More specifically, we show how professional autonomy combined with various resources (individual, social and organizational) can lead to innovative performance.

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Nande, F., Weber, ML. & Bouchet, S. Exploring success conditions for innovative performance through Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): does job autonomy matter?. Public Organiz Rev 22, 1257–1277 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-021-00573-x

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