• English (United Kingdom)
  • Russian (CIS)
Innovation linkages in societies with a high power distance

Author:

Danil V. MIREA — Russian Technological University, Moscow, Russia

Abstract.

Innovation linkages are one of the important conditions for innovative development of the country. A confirmation of this is the calculation methodology of the Global Innovation Index, which takes them into account. The article explores the problem of innovation linkages formation in societies with a high power distance, which are characterised in tolerance for social inequality. The methodological basis of the study embraces the concept of stakeholders and the theory of inter-organizational networks in combination with the approach of cross-cultural research of power relations. To describe the structure and influence of power distribution on innovator’s behaviour the researcher uses the method of classification of innovation linkages’ participants into actors and actants. To identify societies with a high power distance and which are relatively successful in innovative development the author draws on the comparative analysis of countries. Using the cases of some of them (China, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates) the author shows the mechanisms of formation and development of innovation linkages: 1) exclusive (or external) development through the use of foreign innovation infrastructure; 2) informal linkages based on the values of humanism and paternalism; and 3) co-optation of institutional centers of responsibility for change. The study may be of interest both to enterprises for developing strategies to promote their innovative solutions, and to government agencies that solve the problem of weak innovation linkages.

Keywords: innovative development; innovation; Global Innovation Index; innovation linkages; power distance; stakeholders; innovation network; actor-actant relations.

Download article

For citation: Bashmakov D. V. (2020). Innovatsionnye svyazi v obshchestvakh s vysokoy distantsiey vlasti [Innovation linkages in societies with a high power distance]. Journal of New Economy, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 45–59. DOI: 10.29141/2658-5081-2020-21-2-3