ABSTRACT
The purpose of this paper is to show the gender gap in the returns to patenting. Using the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)’s inventor and patent data from 2015 to 2021, I find that a gender gap exists in patent quality, measured by citations received. The gender of an inventor was statistically significant in predicting the number of citations the inventor receives in five industries, while it had less impact on the number of patents the inventor holds. I also suggest patents invented by male inventors refer more to patents of their same gender, a tendency known as homophily. It signals that women inventors’ returns on patenting could be lower than male inventors. In addition to providing a novel approach in explaining the gender gap in patenting, this research provides important implications for business administrators and policymakers who seek to improve the productivity of innovative activities by promoting gender equality.
Choi, Jinkyong, Returns to Patenting and the Gender Innovation Gap (November 22, 2021).
First posted 2022-01-31 10:00:20
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