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The Importance of Man Within the System: Defining and Measuring the Human Factor in Innovation, a Review

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  • George Martinidis

    (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)

Abstract

Innovation, in the modern sense, is a complex process that depends on a whole system involving a wide range of factors. Yet, it remains an inherently human endeavour, with human capital in its centre. Major benchmarking indices define and measure the human factor in innovation in terms of education, but often do so in a superficial way because of a lack of data or methodological restrictions. In addition, they tend to disregard the other important human dimension of innovation: culture. Innovation culture refers to values, attitudes and behaviours that can be vital for innovation output but are even more difficult to define and measure than education. Despite these difficulties, the need to effectively understand and assess the impact of human factor on innovation, through both culture and education, is extremely important in order to reinforce the innovation capacity of countries or regions and thereby increase competitiveness and economic growth worldwide. The article provides some rough suggestions, based on the review, about creating a new index that might complement existing ones by assessing culture and education in greater depth.

Suggested Citation

  • George Martinidis, 2017. "The Importance of Man Within the System: Defining and Measuring the Human Factor in Innovation, a Review," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 8(2), pages 638-652, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:8:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s13132-016-0406-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s13132-016-0406-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. G. Martinidis & N. Komninos & E. Carayannis, 2022. "Taking into Account the Human Factor in Regional Innovation Systems and Policies," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(2), pages 849-879, June.
    3. Elena Casprini & Tommaso Pucci & Gino Vitale & Lorenzo Zanni, 2020. "From Individual Consumption to Venture Development: the Role of Domain Passion in the Videogame Industry," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 11(4), pages 1470-1488, December.
    4. Edeh, Jude & Prévot, Frédéric, 2024. "Beyond funding: The moderating role of firms' R&D human capital on government support and venture capital for regional innovation in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    5. George Martinidis & Arkadiusz Dyjakon & Stanisław Minta & Rafał Ramut, 2022. "Intellectual Capital and Sustainable S3 in the Regions of Central Macedonia and Western Macedonia, Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-17, August.

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