Toward a Theory of Public Entrepreneurship

This paper explores how management theories can be extended and applied to innovation, experimentation, and creativity in the public domain. Researchers in various disciplines have studied public entrepreneurship, but there is little research specifically on the management of organizations to innovate in the public interest. We begin by extending concepts of the entrepreneur to the public domain, and then turn to the role of the entrepreneur in fostering institutional change. The conclusion refines the institutional theory of the state to incorporate the role of entrepreneurs in organizing public and private institutions