Human resource practices, failure management approaches and innovations in Serbian public administration

Abstract

This paper responds to a recent call for research on public administration innovations as a necessity for the development of modern governance. In particular, this paper aims to examine the role of high-performing human resource practices in fostering the innovation of public administration. In addition, the study explores the mediating effect of failure management practices on innovativeness. A sample of 618 political appointees and civil servants from Serbian central administration was used to test the aforementioned hypotheses. The results indicate that high performing human resource practices have a positive effect on innovativeness. However, the magnitude of specific practices varies significantly.