Key drivers and barriers to senior public managers’ engagement in digital service innovative behaviour: a qualitative study

This article examines the underlying mechanism by which both internal and external drivers affect public managers’ innovative behaviour within digital service organisations.Twenty-three semi-structured interviews with senior managers from various Israeli government organizations form the basis of the study. A thematic analysis yielded four themes two related to internal factors: 1. The discourse on innovation, and 2. Organizational politics and cost-benefit, and two related to external factors: 1. Role models and 2. Citizens’ inquiries for digital services. The findings underscore the need to consider the boundaries and agency for innovation in the public sector political atmosphere.