Identifying mechanisms influencing the emergence and success of innovation within national economies: a realist approach

Paul Jackson (), Jochen Runde (), Philip Dobson () and Nancy Richter ()
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Paul Jackson: Edith Cowan University
Jochen Runde: University of Cambridge
Philip Dobson: Edith Cowan University
Nancy Richter: Alexander von Humboldt-Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft

Policy Sciences, 2016, vol. 49, issue 3, No 2, 233-256

Abstract: Abstract This paper uses data from recent OECD (OECD Science, technology and industry scoreboard. OECD Publishing, Paris, 2013b) and Cornell University et al. (The global innovation index 2014. World Intellectual Property Organization, Fontainebleau, 2014) national innovation reports to explain Australia’s poor innovation performance. We adopt a realist approach and apply the technique of retroduction to identify potential causes. While our account is only preliminary, we contend that this technique provides the resources to uncover plausible causes for further, more detailed, causal analysis. We conclude that the retroductive method is one that can be applied to aggregated statistics more generally and could be used by analysts and policy makers in any jurisdiction.

Keywords: Critical realism; Innovation efficiency; Innovation policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11077-015-9237-6

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