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Grassroots Design Meets Grassroots Innovation: Rural Design Orientation and Firm Performance

Author

Listed:
  • Timothy R. Wojan
  • Stephan J. Goetz
  • Zheng Tian
  • Luyi Han

Abstract

The study of grassroots design—applying structured, creative processes to the usability or aesthetics of a product without input from professional design consultancies—remains under investigated. If design comprises a mediation between people and technology whereby technologies are made more accessible or more likely to delight, then the process by which new grassroots inventions are transformed into innovations valued in markets cannot be fully understood. This paper uses U.S. data on the design orientation of respondents in the 2014 Rural Establishment Innovation Survey linked to longitudinal data on the same firms to examine the association between design, innovation, and employment and payroll growth. Findings from the research will inform questions to be investigated in the recently collected 2022 Annual Business Survey (ABS) that for the first time contains a Design module.

Suggested Citation

  • Timothy R. Wojan & Stephan J. Goetz & Zheng Tian & Luyi Han, 2024. "Grassroots Design Meets Grassroots Innovation: Rural Design Orientation and Firm Performance," Working Papers 24-17, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    • Handle: RePEc:cen:wpaper:24-17
    as

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    File URL: https://www2.census.gov/library/working-papers/2024/adrm/ces/CES-WP-24-17.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Timothy R Wojan & Bonnie Nichols, 2018. "Design, innovation, and rural creative places: Are the arts the cherry on top, or the secret sauce?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(2), pages 1-23, February.
    2. Schmidt, Tobias & Rammer, Christian, 2007. "Non-technological and Technological Innovation: Strange Bedfellows?," ZEW Discussion Papers 07-052, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    3. Sanchez, Juana, 2014. "Non-technological and Mixed Modes of Innovation in the United States. Evidence from the Business Research and Development and Innovation Survey, 2008-2011," MPRA Paper 58719, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Michael L. Anderson & Jeremy Magruder, 2017. "Split-Sample Strategies for Avoiding False Discoveries," NBER Working Papers 23544, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • C51 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Construction and Estimation
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • Z11 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economics of the Arts and Literature

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