About the Author

Rainer Kattel is professor and deputy director at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose. Wolfgang Drechsler is honorary professor at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose and professor of governance at the Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance at TalTech, as well as associate at Harvard University’s Davis Center. Erkki Karo is associate professor and head of department at the Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance at TalTech.

Reviews

“The ghost of Max Weber hovers over this thought-provoking volume. . . . Kattel, Drechsler, and Karo take us on a journey that spans time and geography to explore the seeming oxymoron of innovative bureaucracy. . . . The book holds particular relevance in the current moment.”—Ron Adner, Administrative Science Quarterly

“Provides a fresh, thought-provoking, and unique perspective on the relationship between bureaucracy and innovation, setting it apart from other books in the field. . . . Will undoubtedly stand as a valuable resource.”—Alexandre de Ávila Gomide, Max Weber Studies

“An important contribution to public administration and innovation studies.”—H. Deligöz, Farabi Journal of Social Sciences

Winner of the George R. Terry Book Award, sponsored by the Academy of Management

“For too long state bureaucracies have been associated negatively with stasis, inertia, complexification, and resistance to change. But in fact—as this pathbreaking book shows—bureaucracies can be shaped creatively and in doing so become the key to dynamism, innovation and creativity. . . . We need to think bigger—and what better book for bigger thinking?”—Mariana Mazzucato, author of The Entrepreneurial State

“This book uses history to radically change the meaning of bureaucracy, from inertial and stiff to agile and innovative. It’s precisely the change that current government structures must make to face the challenges of climate change and inequality in the Information Era. A must read for anyone interested in building a better future.”—Carlota Perez, author of Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital

“This important book breaks new ground by arguing that not only is the state not deleterious to entrepreneurship, but it actually is a pre-requisite for igniting a robust and dynamic entrepreneurial society. This book will change thinking about the fundamental roles of government, business and society.”—David B. Audretsch, author of The Entrepreneurial Society

“Defying timeworn stereotypes of bureaucracy, Kattel, Drechsler and Karo offer a fresh perspective on the state’s pivotal role in societal progress. Their pioneering book will be essential to both those who want to understand, and those who want to realize the great transformations of our time.”—Caspar van den Berg, Leiden University

“Bureaucracy plays a dual role in creating innovation in society and business. On the one hand, the bureaucracy is required to be an enabler in various changes in society through various policies and activities, on the other hand the bureaucracy must also be able to change itself in the midst of various regulatory rigidities. This book is very good at telling these two things and being an inspiration for practitioners, academics and students who are deep in bureaucracy.”—Eko Prasojo, University of Indonesia