The Heterogeneous Impact of Gender Diversity on Technological Evolution

Abstract

This study examines how gender diversity affects innovation outcomes and how countries' formal and informal institutional context impacts this relationship. We argue that societies' written and unwritten rules determine the extent of cognitive differences between men and women and lead to greater diversity in their perspectives and knowledge, particularly in societies where traditional gender role attitudes are dominant. Such increased disparity results in greater returns from gender diverse teams in countries where gender equality is relatively less emphasized by their institutions. Data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), World Bank's survey on Women, Business and the Law, and GLOBE cultural practice survey allow an inclusive and generalizable conceptualization of the impact of gender diversity on innovation. The findings indicate that increased gender diversity results in better innovation outcomes, and institutional context moderates this relationship. These findings suggest that it is necessary to consider institutional structures related to gender role attitudes in order to understand the impact of gender diversity on the technological influence of inventions.