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Does gender structure influence R&D efficiency? A regional perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Mingting Kou

    (University of Sciences and Technology Beijing)

  • Yi Zhang

    (Guangdong Ocean University)

  • Yu Zhang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Kaihua Chen

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Jiancheng Guan

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Senmao Xia

    (Coventry University)

Abstract

The gender structure in research and development (R&D) activities has received more and more attention in terms of its increasing importance in R&D management, but it is still not clear what the R&D efficiency discrepancy between female and male personnel is in the science and technology (S&T) field and whether the gender structure affects the R&D efficiency. Based on the region-level panel dataset of China’s research institutes, this study uses four types of R&D outputs (papers, books, patents and standards) together and individually to measure R&D efficiency score to reveal this topic. When four types of R&D outputs are jointly considered, this paper applies the multi-output stochastic frontier analysis and finds that in general the higher proportion of male R&D personnel produces the higher R&D efficiency. Nevertheless, in terms of S&T papers or S&T books as a single R&D output, we find that the higher proportion of female R&D personnel leads to the higher R&D efficiency. On the contrary, the R&D efficiency is lower with the higher proportion of female R&D personnel when the single R&D output is measured by invention patent applications or national/industrial standards, respectively. Our findings suggest that the female R&D personnel are more effective in conducting scientific research activities, while their counterparts are more effective in doing technology development activities.

Suggested Citation

  • Mingting Kou & Yi Zhang & Yu Zhang & Kaihua Chen & Jiancheng Guan & Senmao Xia, 2020. "Does gender structure influence R&D efficiency? A regional perspective," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 122(1), pages 477-501, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:122:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s11192-019-03282-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-019-03282-x
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