Policy entrepreneurship in context: Understanding the emergence of novel policy solutions for services innovation in Finland and Ireland

Policy entrepreneurs have been identified as playing an important role in the emergence of public policies for innovation. Despite the growing number of studies, the role of context has only recently begun to be explored in detail. This article contributes by investigating the interplay between the institutional context and the strategies of policy entrepreneurs, in the successful introduction of new policy ideas for services innovation. Building on insights from institutional theory, it argues that policy entrepreneurs are embedded in a multidimensional context of field-level conditions, multi-level standard operating procedures for policy development, and the social position of actors. It explores the activities of policy entrepreneurs in two countries—Finland and Ireland—and finds that differences in the institutional context help explain why some entrepreneurs are able to develop and implement new policies, while others fail. The article draws on comparative case study evidence including documentary analysis and interviews.