Innovative Literacy Levels: Gender Age and Education Matters

Abstract

This paper presents the arguments and counterarguments within the scientific discussion on the issue of an innovation activity, which is very important for entrepreneurship and is considered a significant competitive advantage. However, there are factors such as education, age and gender that can influence innovation creation. The main purpose of the research is finding out how innovation creation is related to the gender, age and education of entrepreneurs in common entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship. The systematic literature review has shown that innovative activity is supported by entrepreneurial competencies. The relevance of the decision of this scientific problem is that they are few studies focusing on that problem. Investigation of the topic of innovative activity in the paper is carried out in the following logical sequence: (1) literature review concerning on innovative activity, typology and modern trends in innovations (2) possibilities of competencies needed for innovations, (3) case study background, based on literature review and previous studies (4) presentation of key results concerning gender, which was found to have no significance regarding entrepreneurship. Methodological tools of the research methods were sociological survey, data analysis. As a result of the calculations, the main issues of innovative activities were detected. The main results were analysed using Cluster analysis and tests of statistical significance. The paper presents the results of an empirical analysis that shows the main gaps in the innovation classification when pure and combined innovation types are presented. The research empirically confirms and theoretically proves the necessity of doing the following steps: inform and educate entrepreneurs in the area of innovation, not only to support innovative activities financially. The findings have practical significance and the results of the research can be useful for public supporters and educational organizations how to work with entrepreneurs with innovative ideas. Keywords: competencies, determinants of innovations, innovations, literacy.