Psychological Drivers and Barriers of Innovation in Public Sector Universities: Evidence from Punjab, Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29145/jmr.132.02Keywords:
higher education, innovation, organizational behavior, psychological barriers, psychological drivers, Public Sector UniversitiesAbstract
Innovation in Public Sector Organizations (PSOs), particularly in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), has been recognized as a critical factor for their effectiveness and sustainability. However, innovation in Public Sector Universities (PSUs) of developing context emerges not merely through structural conditions but is also shaped by underlying psychological dynamics that generally remain underexplored. The purpose of this study was to explore critical psychological drivers and barriers which influence innovation trajectory in PSUs in Pakistan. The study was guided by the proposition that innovation in PSUs is influenced by dynamic interaction of psychological factors and institutional structures. Following a qualitative research design, data was collected through interviews from 42 participants comprising senior administrative leadership from PSUs across Punjab, Pakistan. The findings revealed that innovation is perceived as a continuous, context-specific, and adaptive phenomenon. Furthermore, the process is supported by intrinsic motivation, willpower, and leadership behavior, simultaneously constrained by fear of failure, career risks, authority concerns, and resistance to change. These behavioural dynamics are reinforced by institutional factors, such as bureaucratic rigidity, policy misalignment, and reliance on outdated administrative structures. The study concluded that innovation in PSUs is not merely a technical or policy driven phenomenon, rather a psychological and contextual trajectory determined by dynamic interaction of psychological drivers, barriers, and institutional structures. By integrating psychological and institutional perspective, the study contributed to the literature on Public Sector Innovation (PSI) while offering a practical model of fostering innovation in PSUs of Pakistan.
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