Foreign Workers Are Associated with Innovation, But Why? International Networks as a Mechanism

Abstract

While there is a wealth of empirical research examining the potential relations and effects of foreign workers, immigration and cultural diversity on wages, employment, economic growth, and—in recent years—innovation, very little of this research has provided a convincing empirical demonstration of the mechanisms through which foreign workers would affect innovation. Most accounts hypothesize that foreign workers provide a different perspective that contributes to a diversity of ideas in the firm, while some also add the idea that foreign workers might help a firm build international networks. Nonetheless, these mechanisms have for the most part remained entirely theoretical, with few attempts being made at uncovering the intermediary relationships. This article contributes to filling this gap by focusing on the second of these mechanisms, asking whether firms that employ foreign workers also have broader international networks and whether this may, in turn, promote innovation through access to new knowledge. This article builds on survey data from approximately 500 firms in Norway, with more than ten employees, covering all sectors and regions. We find evidence that firms with highly educated foreign workers collaborate more frequently with international partners and that there is a positive relation between having a variety of international partners and the probability of product innovation and new-to-market product innovation.