Description
A proposed research project on innovative gender that combines roles of women and men with a process of innovativeness and creativity. Through learning about special aspects of female and male innovativeness it is possible to discover new sources of progress and competitive advantages, also through elimination of the existing barriers. The project objectives is to identify and measure the concept of innovative gender. The project aims to identify and measure the concept of innovative gender as a new dimension of gender mainstreaming, and to examine the role of innovative gender as a contribution to smart growth based on knowledge and innovations. The project also aims to provide a methodology to assess effectiveness of public policies in the context of innovative gender. Among target groups we identify social scientists, researchers, students, policy makers, as well as women entrepreneurs and innovators. A model of the influence of innovative gender on social progress and innovation based growth will be elaborated. The project will also deliver efficient methods of policy evaluation, that could be use to assess effectiveness of public policies in the context of innovative gender. All partners will produce a 30h workshop, open seminar presentations and a conference.
Summary of project results
The objective of the project was to find how a gender-diversified approach to innovativeness can reveal new resources and contribute to socio-economic development. The project was needed due to a major research gap, as well as missing statistical information concerning innovation and gender. Alsos et al. (2013) conducted studies searching for articles in scientific journals from the Scopus database devoted to innovation and gender. While they were able to find 106,994 articles that included the word “innovation” in the title, abstract or as a keyword, when they combined the word “innovation” with the word “gender” the number of articles fitting the criteria decreased to 615. In the project we focused on the relationship between the process of innovation, gender, and entrepreneurship. As a results of the project two books were published, and one of them was a result of the cooperation with the Norwegian partner. There were ten articles already published in international peer-reviewed journals, with an additional three currently under review. Then there are seven articles published by the national, peer-reviewed journals, with another 5 under review. All together 66 papers were presented at national and international conferences. There were three workshops, one seminar and one conference organized during the project, all of them were international events. At the final conference there were papers accepted from nine countries, including Nigeria and the United States. As the result of our project we claim that the gender perspective is missing in policies towards entrepreneurship and innovation. This gap needs to be filled in, and some results of the research could be helpful. First, the results of studies that used different databases: Polish LFS (talent occupations), Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (gender disparity in access to and in compensation for wage employment), survey data for Polish innovative firms, Household Budget Surveys data for Poland (contribution of men and women to household income). Further results were the genomic integrated gender model of open innovation, followed by the cluster analyses of institutional solutions promoting women’s and men’s innovative activities within enterprises. In another study we introduce gender specificity into the endogenous growth model to provide insights on the consequences of gender inequality in access to jobs in R&D sector. These results could also serve as a base for further research.
Summary of bilateral results
The bilateral cooperation was very inspiring. With regards to gender equality Scandinavian countries, and especially Norway, are leaders. The Norwegian experiences are very helpful while considering the direction of changes necessary in Poland. Comparative studies concerning good practices allowed to highlight the institutional gaps in Polish policies: employment, educational, scientific, innovation and economic. It also allowed to elaborate the plan for solutions (e.g. the bundle of policies supporting R & D and innovative activities designed for women and men). During the project three workshops, one seminar and international conference were organized. During each of these events the Norwegian partner was represented by at least one participant. One of the workshops was organized in Norway, where the Norwegian economic system, as well as instruments regarding gender equality were presented by academic representing many universities and research institutes from Norway. This meeting resulted in the attempt to present a panel at the Gender, Work and Organization conference (our presentations were included in the open stream panel). Our Norwegian partner presented the project at a number of meetings in Norway at different levels: • NUPI (Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute ) 14.01.2016 • Ministry of Finance, Oslo, 22.01 and 31.03. 2016 • Norwegian Research Council, Oslo, 1.03.2016 • EEA& Norway Grants outrage event in Brussels, House of Norway, 10.06.2016, Belgium • Nordic Economic History Network, 24-26.08.2016, University of Lund, Sweden • Participation in meetings “Breakfast with the county chairman”, presentation of local business entrepreneurs and firms, local initiatives &projects, in the Town Council in Halden, event open for public Tuesday once in a month. Our partnership is a long-term one. We have successfully completed two research projects: Compete and InnoGend, and we are currently working on another application that would allow us to continue this partnership.