ABSTRACT Nonprofits adapt through innovation, yet how stakeholder communication drives innovative change remains underspecified. We argue that nonprofit public value orientations (NPVOs)—community-serving and cause-commitment—mediate links between communication and innovations. Using survey data from U.S. nonprofit executive directors and structural equation modeling, we examine the mediating effects. External communication, particularly with volunteers and funders, is positively associated with NPVOs and, in turn, with higher innovation likelihood. Communication with funders is associated with both orientations, while communication with volunteers primarily supports the community-serving orientation. The findings reveal complementary value pathways connecting stakeholder communication to nonprofit innovation.

ABSTRACT Fukuyama’s Governance hypothesis suggests that excessive autonomy may become counterproductive, implying a curvilinear effect. Yet empirical evidence has been mixed, suggesting autonomy operates linearly or curvilinearly depending on outcomes and contexts. Building on this insight, this study uses panel data from Korean governments and two-way fixed-effects models to examine whether agency autonomy has an inverted U-shaped relationship with innovative behavior and whether transformational leadership moderates this relationship. Results show that autonomy initially promotes innovative behavior, but its positive effect diminishes and reverses at higher levels. Furthermore, transformational leadership attenuates this curvilinearity and, at high levels, shifts it toward a U-shaped pattern.

ABSTRACT Little research has explored the dark side of accountability systems in terms of their negative effects on public employee well-being. This study uses Job Demand-Resource theory to provide an integrated understanding of how accountability systems reflecting the paradigms of traditional bureaucracy, new public management, and public governance impact public employees’ well-being, with role clarity and job autonomy as moderating factors. Using responses from 584 public employees, we find that performance- and transparency-based accountability aggravate job stress and health, whereas ethics-based accountability does not, and that role clarity and job autonomy buffer these negative effects. Implications of these findings are discussed.

ABSTRACT Although public service logic (PSL) has emerged as a distinctive theoretical perspective in public service research, its theoretical foundations, drawing on both public administration and service research, have been subject to increasing conceptual scrutiny. Using a theory adaptation approach, this conceptual study extends and offers alternative perspectives on the analytical framing of public service logic. First, the paper examines the strengths and inconsistencies of applying preceding service marketing theories within public service contexts. Second, the viability of further customer-dominant frameworks adapted to public services is explored. Aligning with the recent theoretical developments in PSL, customer-dominant logic (CDL) is employed to acknowledge the holistic value formation that takes place outside co-creation in specific interaction between public service provider and customer. Furthermore, the adaptation of socially constructed customer value in capturing both service’s private and public value is highlighted, providing richer insight into the complexities of value creation in public service ecosystems.

ABSTRACT The high level of interest in public service logic has increased the number of studies using this research stream. However, the unclear position of public service logic presents challenges in delineating its role within public administration management research. Thus, this paper systematizes the existing research, identifies the main research themes, and proposes several future research directions. This research provides a structured synthesis of the literature on public service logic, mapping its key conceptual and thematic configurations. The results show that although public service logic integrates the concepts of service and service-dominant logic, it is configured as a unique, distinct logic.

ABSTRACT This study extends self-determination theory and research on value co-creation (VCC) in public services by providing fresh insights into the motives influencing parental VCC in public schools. Moving beyond prior work focused on institutional and resource-based enablers, we introduce ideological orientation as a novel moderator shaping how intrinsic and extrinsic motives translate into VCC. Drawing on survey data from 301 parents and employing SEM, we show that relationship and empowerment motives positively influence VCC, while status motives exhibit a comparatively weaker relationship. Parents’ left-wing orientation strengthens the impact of relationship and empowerment motives and weakens the role of status motives.

ABSTRACT This research systematically identifies the network of Olympic stakeholders as defined by the regulatory framework governing the Olympic Games. Through Social Network Analysis, it identifies primary stakeholders, maps their relationships, and assesses power dynamics across the network. Given the increasing importance of local support for the Games bidding, preparation and legacy, the positioning of local communities and public authorities relative to other dominant stakeholders is discussed, considering what this means for their capacity to represent public interests in the decision-making process and understand where local contexts are placed within the formalized structure that binds these stakeholders within the Olympic framework.

ABSTRACT Coproduction is essential for effective public service delivery, yet research on citizen coproduction motivations remains fragmented without a comprehensive framework. This study systematically reviewed publications from the top-ranked public policy and administration journals and developed a novel SPIENM framework. The framework categorizes motivations across three dimensions: Self-centred vs. Public-centred, Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic, and Non-material vs. Material. This results in six categories: SIN, SEN, SEM, PIN, PEN, and PEM, offering unprecedented nuance in understanding coproduction motivations. The framework advances theoretical understanding of coproduction motivations, provides a structured approach for empirical research, and offers practical guidance for designing targeted citizen engagement strategies.

ABSTRACT This study examines how organizational publicness—the balance between political oversight and economic autonomy—shapes digital innovation in public organizations. Comparing state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and quasi-governmental organizations (QGOs), we find innovation drivers vary by type. In SOEs with greater managerial discretion, younger leadership promotes innovation. QGOs respond more to performance feedback from authorities, reflecting stronger political accountability. Government funding fosters innovation in QGOs but not SOEs. Isomorphic pressures – pressures to conform to institutional norms – encourage digital innovation across both types. These findings suggest that digital innovation is shaped by distinct institutional logics along the publicness spectrum.

ABSTRACT Co-production has been widely advocated for integrating democratic values into public service delivery, yet passive co-production – mainly driven by external forces – remains under-explored. This research redefines passive co-production through the lens of policy implementation and compliance, developing a theoretical model grounded in the Institutional Analysis and Development framework. Using a design combining survey with survey experiment, the model was tested in both crisis (pandemic prevention) and routine (garbage classification) scenarios in China. Results reveal that government deterrence and social norms significantly drive passive co-production under crisis scenario, whereas only social norms matter in routine setting. Additionally, the interaction between deterrence and social norms varies across scenarios. By expanding co-production’s boundary to include passive forms across different settings, this study not only highlights the need to examine ethical concerns and long-term implications of passive co-production, but also calls for further testing of findings along the active-passive co-production continuum.