INNOVATION AS A TOOL FOR IMPROVING PUBLIC SERVICES QUALITY

The aim of the article is to diagnose citizens' expectations regarding innovations implemented in the public services sector. The authors present the results of survey research conducted among students of Krakow universities. Respondents answered questions about the need for innovation in the public sector and the purposes they should serve. Based on the obtained results, the conclusion was drawn that an increasing number of citizens expect innovative activity in the public services sector. Therefore, the action of demand factors can be observed, although the mechanisms of their influence on the course of innovative processes in this sector are different from those in companies. The empirical research presented in the article was preceded by a theoretical introduction in which the authors describe the essence of innovation in the public sector, the conditions for their implementation, and the importance of citizens' participation in this process.