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Linking LGBT inclusion and national innovative capacity

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  • Trung V. Vu

    (University of Otago)

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between the social inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and technological innovation. It empirically establishes that LGBT inclusion helps foster human capital skills, thus strengthening national innovative capacity. Exploiting cross-country data, this research provides suggestive evidence that social tolerance towards homosexuality is positively correlated with the economic complexity index, a novel measure of cross-country differences in innovative capabilities. Individual-level analyses, based on data from the World Values Survey, reveal that surveyed respondents who self-report tolerance towards homosexual acts tend to have positive attitudes towards technological innovation, ceteris paribus. This lends credence to the international evidence. Further analyses indicate that the link between LGBT inclusion and innovation is partially mediated through the accumulation of human capital. The main findings suggest that the social exclusion of LGBT people, at least to some extent, impedes long-run economic development by hindering innovative activities.

Suggested Citation

  • Trung V. Vu, 2022. "Linking LGBT inclusion and national innovative capacity," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 159(1), pages 191-214, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:159:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1007_s11205-021-02743-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-021-02743-2
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    Cited by:

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    2. María Guadalupe Montiel-Hernández & Carla Carolina Pérez-Hernández & Blanca Cecilia Salazar-Hernández, 2024. "The Intrinsic Links of Economic Complexity with Sustainability Dimensions: A Systematic Review and Agenda for Future Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-26, January.
    3. Lapatinas, Athanasios & Litina, Anastasia & Zanaj, Skerdilajda, 2020. "Environmental Culture and Economic Complexity," MPRA Paper 105067, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Athanasios Lapatinas & Anastasia Litina & Skerdilajda Zanaj, 2021. "The Impact of Economic Complexity on the Formation of Environmental Culture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-25, January.
    5. Juan Antonio González Sierra & Carla Carolina Pérez Hernández & Jessica Mendoza Moheno, 2023. "Inclusión financiera y complejidad económica en México," Remef - Revista Mexicana de Economía y Finanzas Nueva Época REMEF (The Mexican Journal of Economics and Finance), Instituto Mexicano de Ejecutivos de Finanzas, IMEF, vol. 18(2), pages 1-25, Abril - J.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    LGBT; Innovation; Economic complexity; Gender discrimination;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • O35 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Social Innovation
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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