Estudos internacionais sobre inovação no setor público: como a teoria da inovação em serviços pode contribuir?

The article puts in perspective the current discussion about public sector innovation in international journals, in comparison with the theory of innovation in services, aiming to identify research opportunities. Articles reviewed were retrieved from the science direct basis for the period 2006 to 2010. The articles review was based on six categories of analysis that served to reveal the authors approaches. We conclude that the authors of the sampled studies have limited interaction with the literature of innovation in services. Innovation is approached as a change imposed from the top down in contrast with an approach of innovation as an interactive process intrinsic to public administration. It identifies opportunities for more detailed research at the organizational level and at the micro level which recognize the specificities of the public sector.