UC Berkeley

Contextual changes affecting human service organizations have challenged human service managers to adapt through innovation. Yet no research has examined innovation along the spectrum of lower- to upper-level managers in public human service organizations. This study analyzed survey data of 466 public human service managers to examine the relationship between individual characteristics and managerial innovation. Results showed that 38% of managers took an innovative approach to their work, and characteristics of perceived responsiveness to change and evidence-informed practice network involvement were significantly associated with managerial innovation. Managerial innovation could be promoted through the development of evidence-based networks and communities of learning.