ABSTRACT
Today, the public sector is increasingly under significant pressure due to new challenges and sophisticated public demands. Thus, significant improvements to public services can be achieved through innovative public sector approaches. Although Australia is ranked one of the most innovative nations in the world, this chapter serves as an indication of the Australian government capacity in providing the infrastructure and human capital to support or encourage innovation in the public sector. In addition, this chapter can help decision-makers/public servants identify the most favourable behaviours and characteristics that foster a culture of innovation. This chapter addresses innovation strategies and the most favourable leadership characteristics that can promote innovation across six states and two territory governments of Australia. The findings on innovation and leadership in the literature are predominantly aggregated, and this study for the first time identifies the disaggregated data across all Australian states and territories.
