Bureaucratic Rigidity, Risk Aversion and Knowledge Generation and Utilization in the Public Sector: Reality or Illusion?

Abstract

Management scholars and practitioners contend that Knowledge generation and Utilization enables organizations to remain competitive. In the public sector, knowledge generation and utilization is seen as leveraging public service delivery. This is because of its potential to enhance effective public policy, problem solving and problem prevention. Amidst this realization, it is evident that the public sector still grapples with challenges of bureaucratic rigidities and risk aversion. This paper set out to conceptually examine how the public sector can circumvent the vivid bureaucratic rigidities and the risk aversion culture so as to harness optimally benefits of knowledge generation and utilization.