Creativity of workers in public administration: a bibliometric study

Purpose The objective of this study is to analyze the intellectual structure of creativity research in public administration, identify key research streams that shape this field, and provide directions for future research through bibliometric analysis. Design/methodology/approach A bibliometric study was conducted using bibliographic coupling analysis to objectively identify the intellectual structure of this research field, complemented by a qualitative literature assessment to address the inherent methodological limitations of citation-based approaches. The study initially examined publications from the Web of Science database up to December 2024. From an initial sample of 120 articles, 21 were selected for the core bibliometric analysis following specific eligibility criteria and exploratory factor analysis. Recognizing that bibliometric methods may underrepresent emerging research streams and recent publications, we complemented this with a systematic qualitative assessment of 35 additional relevant articles. Findings The analysis identified five primary research streams: creative performance and adaptation, structural management and organizational impact, creativity management and measurement, behavioral dimensions, and organizational structure and leadership. The findings reveal how these streams interact to influence public servants' ability to generate novel and useful ideas, while highlighting areas needing further investigation. Originality/value This study makes two main contributions. First, it provides the first comprehensive mapping of creativity research in public administration, revealing both established theoretical bases and emerging research areas. Second, it offers a structured framework for understanding how organizational factors enable individual creativity in public organizations, while identifying promising directions for future research.