TY - JOUR
T1 - Innovation in developing countries
T2 - examining two decades of research
AU - Lema, Rasmus
AU - Kraemer-Mbula, Erika
AU - Rakas, Marija
N1 - Funding Information:
This work is based on the research supported in part by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (grant number 118873). The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the funders.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2021/9/2
Y1 - 2021/9/2
N2 - This article examines how the literature on innovation in developing countries has developed in the social science-related disciplines over the last two decades. While increasing fourfold in the last decade compared to the decade before, the bulk is on middle-income emerging economies. These emerging economies, especially China, increasingly shape the thematic orientation of the literature. In this respect, low-income countries remain marginal, and research on them is rather fragmented. Furthermore, new disciplinary fields that did not exist or were small 20 years ago have been central in the literature's overall advance. Yet, it is mainly informed by theoretical concepts developed in the rich world and outside innovation and development studies. However, we argue that the innovation and development research community is well positioned to inform this increasing interest in innovation in developing countries. To do so, it should strengthen its core with grounded theory building, seek complementarities with other theoretical traditions, and endorse openness and collaboration with development research in domains such as agriculture, energy and health. This may strengthen the ability of the community to better inform policies for societal change.
AB - This article examines how the literature on innovation in developing countries has developed in the social science-related disciplines over the last two decades. While increasing fourfold in the last decade compared to the decade before, the bulk is on middle-income emerging economies. These emerging economies, especially China, increasingly shape the thematic orientation of the literature. In this respect, low-income countries remain marginal, and research on them is rather fragmented. Furthermore, new disciplinary fields that did not exist or were small 20 years ago have been central in the literature's overall advance. Yet, it is mainly informed by theoretical concepts developed in the rich world and outside innovation and development studies. However, we argue that the innovation and development research community is well positioned to inform this increasing interest in innovation in developing countries. To do so, it should strengthen its core with grounded theory building, seek complementarities with other theoretical traditions, and endorse openness and collaboration with development research in domains such as agriculture, energy and health. This may strengthen the ability of the community to better inform policies for societal change.
KW - Innovation studies
KW - innovation and development
KW - literature survey
KW - developing countries
KW - low- and middle-income countries
KW - bibliometric analysis
KW - TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY
KW - TECHNOLOGICAL-INNOVATION
KW - TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
KW - ENVIRONMENTAL-REGULATION
KW - SERVICE DELIVERY
KW - CHINA
KW - CREATIVITY
KW - EFFICIENCY
KW - REDUCTION
KW - ADOPTION
U2 - 10.1080/2157930X.2021.1989647
DO - 10.1080/2157930X.2021.1989647
M3 - Article
SN - 2157-930X
VL - 11
SP - 189
EP - 210
JO - Innovation and Development
JF - Innovation and Development
IS - 2-3
ER -