Service innovation challenges in UAE government entities: Identification and examination of the impact of organizational size and excellence model implementation

Government entities face unique challenges in public service innovation, often overlooked in research focused on the private and broader public sectors. To address this gap, an empirical study was conducted to identify and rank these challenges and assess the extent to which these challenges are impacted by organizational size and the adoption of the Government Excellence Model (GEM). Through expert consultation and questionnaires, 22 challenges were identified and categorized, with ten highlighted as critical, half of which relate to innovation culture. The study found that organizational size has no significant impact, while GEM-adopting entities perceive six challenges as less significant. These findings provide valuable guidance for policymakers in the UAE and similar contexts to overcome the challenges of public service innovation.