Governing gendered understandings of innovation: a discourse analysis of a national innovation policy programme

Trine Kvidal-Røvik; Birgitte Ljunggren

Research Handbook on Gender and Innovation

Research Handbooks in Business and Management series

Edited by Gry A. Alsos, Ulla Hytti and Elisabet Ljunggren

Innovation is seen as one of the main engines of economic growth creating prosperous nations and enabling technological development within industries and sectors This Handbook contributes to the field of innovation by providing a wide range of studies from different analytical and methodological perspectives and from various regional and industry contexts in order to pave the way forward. The multidisciplinary contributors discuss topics such as gender and innovation in new and small businesses, and growth businesses; addressing innovation in different organizational contexts ranging from public sector health care to mining and forestry; researching gender in innovation policy.

Handbook

Published in print:: 30 Sep 2016

ISBN:: 9781783478118

eISBN:: 9781783478132

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781783478132

Pages:: c 296

Show Summary Details

You do not have access to this content

Chapter 10: Governing gendered understandings of innovation: a discourse analysis of a national innovation policy programme

Trine Kvidal-Røvik and Birgitte Ljunggren

Handbook Chapter

Published:: 30 September 2016

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781783478132.00018

Pages:: 189–213 (25 total)

Collection: Business 2016

Abstract

This chapter deals with gendered understandings of innovation, and distribution of power and influence in the innovation arena. Based in a perspective in line with governmentality and discourse theory, the chapter analyses the innovation concept as articulated by the Norwegian Programme for Regional R & D and Innovation (VRI), and discusses gendered consequences of these understandings. Findings point to how articulations of innovation in VRI policy are framed by a neo-liberal governmentality, reproducing essentialist gender assumptions. Women are legitimized as participants in innovation mainly by means of being different from men. The understandings of innovation in VRI represent a type of theoretical path-dependency that brings policy into a ‘lock-in’, shutting off other premises for inclusion as well as alternative perspectives on why it might be good to innovate.

You are not authenticated to view the full text of this chapter or article.

Elgaronline requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books or journals. Please login through your library system or with your personal username and password on the homepage.

Non-subscribers can freely search the site, view abstracts/ extracts and download selected front matter and introductory chapters for personal use.

Your library may not have purchased all subject areas. If you are authenticated and think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.