Boundary spanning roles and related intellectual capital factors accomplishing innovations within and between public sector organizations: A boundary spanned explorative case study

Prior research teaches that public sector organizations (PSOs) utilize social capital to innovate, in order to anticipate on societal challenges and increasing complex demands. However, the usage of this (potential) social capital is disturbed through the presence of several boundaries. Organizations depend on individual actors known as boundary spanners to use this (potential) social capital. This study aims to find what roles boundary spanners employ to foster social capital within (intra-)and between (inter- )PSOs, which boundaries they encounter, and which related human and organizational capital factors are deployed to cope with these boundaries. By conducting a rich qualitative case study at the Netherlands Fire Service and its supporting Institute for Physical Safety, it was found that they act as entrepreneur/innovator, messenger, reticulist and facilitator. While they all encounter cultural and organizational boundaries, the latter two also encounter institutional boundaries. The utilization of intellectual capital theory allowed us to provide unique theoretical contributions to both boundary spanning -as innovation management literature. Practically, these findings can be used by these and other PSOs aspiring to cultivate both intra- as inter-organizational innovations.