Gender gap in innovation: an institutionalist explanation

Abstract

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to contribute to knowledge on innovation from a gender perspective, and to investigate how environment affects the process of innovation by women. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical study uses a Structural Equations Model of a Partial Least Squared (PLS) technique. Data of 40 countries from around the world were collected from 2008. Findings – Institutional environment matters for innovative activity by women. An innovative thinking is required for integrating the gender perspective in innovative milieus in order to enrich, diversify and promote stronger innovation activities, mobilising unexploited opportunities for managers in the business sector, and for policy makers in the public one. Research limitations/implications – A new sex-disaggregated dataset will allow us to enlarge and improve upon this study. A longitudinal study would be extremely useful, but for the moment, there are no available data of this kind. Practical implications – Policies designed to reduce the gap for women in innovation activities have to fight against gender segregation in the job market and gender differences in education and training. They must increase flexibility in the workplace, provide more help to conciliate family and working lives, and reduce the gap in family responsibilities taken on by women. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the cross-over of knowledge between innovation and gender, and reduces the lack of information on how external factors may impact innovative behaviour by gender.

Influence of stages of economic development on women entrepreneurs' startups

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Institutional Surrounding of Innovative Activity – Based on Opinions of Women and Men Engaged in the Process of Innovation

“…Particularly that it is crucial to consider a group of institutional solutions, not separate ones. The results concerning solutions promoting innovative activity are to some extent reflecting those obtained by Carrasco (2014), like flexibility in the workplace, but the role of the state in shaping community preferences is also underlined, and that reflects Whalen (1996) perspective that institutions matter. The analysis of institutional surrounding of innovative activity in the respondents' opinions -men and women employed in the Polish innovative enterprise sector -enables the following conclusions to be drawn: (1) the differences and similarities of women's and men's opinions regarding desired institutional solutions promoting innovative activities are present, and (2) the possibility of use of the same group of institutional solutions in order to support innovative activities both by women and men is considered.…”

A systematic review of women's entrepreneurship and internationalization literature

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