ORGANIZATIONAL-CHANGE AND BARRIERS TO INNOVATION - A CASE-STUDY IN THE ITALIAN PUBLIC-SECTOR

This study describes the introduction of a new working organization in an administrative office of the Italian public sector. Staff members actively contributed and realized their ideas to improve service and i ncrease organizational flexibility. These improvements resulted in a p aradox: they went unrecognized by the staff members themselves who mor eover sabotaged them to reproduce the organizational malfunctions exis tent prior to the changes. This study aims to understand both why staf f members rejected the changes that they themselves had proposed and w hy they sought to return to their previous situation. The analysis see ks to shed light on the importance of individual recognition for the p ublic employee and how this variable influences both barriers to, and opportunities for, innovation in the public service organization.