The influence of personality traits on regional innovation capability

Do individual characteristics of the Big Five personality patterns have an impact on the development of innovation in structurally disadvantaged regions? Leonie Reher, Dr Jörg Thomä (both ifh Göttingen) and Dr Petrik Runst (Thünen Institute for Innovation and Value Creation in Rural Areas) analyse this question in their policy brief "Patterns of personality: An explanatory approach to innovation in lagging regions?". They conclude that the correlation between the aggregated Big Five personality traits and regional innovation capability depends on the type of region.

In the innovation process of lagging regions, which are typically characterized by low levels of private research and development (R&D) and the absence of large firms, interactive learning within and across regional borders serves as an important compensatory mechanism for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

An analysis of the role of aggregated personality traits for regional innovation capacity sheds light on this issue. Theaut find that extraversion has a positive effect on patenting in German regions. This effect is particularly pronounced in lagging regions.

Weitere Informationen:
https://www.ifm-bonn.org/fileadmin/data/redaktion/publikationen/policy_brief/dokumente/policybrief-06-24.pdf