Font Size:     

Today’s complex and competitive work environment has urged organizations both public and private for revisiting their practices, management styles and attitudes for improved performance. There is a great realization that when an organization adopts innovativeness, creativity and sate of the art practices in all of its dimensions, it becomes successful. Literature on this subject also reveals that public sector organizations universally suffer from bureaucratic behaviors, centralized systems and rigid practices and therefore, needs more of such innovativeness through reinventing their existing ways, behaviors and systems (Moghaddam et al., 2015, Osborne and Gaebler 1992). This study towards its attempt towards reinventing the public sector organization aims to access how organizational innovativeness impacts the performance using University of the Punjab as a case in point. The study sample consisted of 50 head of departments. The study used a modified instrument that measures both innovative orientation, which is based on the extensively tested Covin and Slevin (1989) scale and innovation management, which is based on Stevenson’s (1983) conceptualization of innovation as a set of opportunity-based management practices. Performance is multi-dimensional in nature; therefore, both financial and non-financial performance indicators have been used. Relationships between these constructs have been analyzed through PLS-SEM (Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling). The results demonstrate that a greater strategic orientation and better reward philosophy positively influence organizational performance and satisfaction. Limited evidence was found about the direct relationship between innovative orientation and financial performance. The results indicate that there is limited innovative orientation and innovation management in University of the Punjab which has theoretical and practical implications. The study offers recommendations for reinventing public sector through bringing in innovativeness, efficiency and agility towards improved organizational performance.