Students' propensity to innovate: correlates, determinants, and impact on GPA

NRU Higher School of Economics , 2023. No. 265/EC/2023.

Evdokimova M., Stepanova A. N.

This paper aims to investigate correlates and determinants of propensity to innovate, measured as innovative cognitive style according to Kirton (1976), and its impact on GPA. Determinants were chosen based on Schweizer’s (2006) novelty generation model. It is sensation seeking, creativity, risk-taking, and proactivity. The data were collected from 203 students of the Higher School of Economics (125 females and 78 males) by survey and analysed using correlation and regression analysis. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive relations between propensity to innovate, sensation seeking and creativity, as well as risk-taking, and activity. According to the determinants analysis, it was found that the number of universities and risk taking measured as liking extreme sports and self-estimated high-risk-attitude all increase propensity to innovate. Parents’ higher education decreases propensity to innovate. Female students are less prone to innovate comparing to male students ceteris paribus. GPA analysis showed that, firstly, high propensity to innovate reduces GPA of economics students, and, secondly, that adaptors' success in studying depends on a set of factors that differs from factors leading to the success innovators' group. The paper contributes to knowledge about individual propensity to innovate, its correlates, determinants and impact on GPA. According to our understanding this is the first study which uses such a combination of analysed factors, especially regarding inclusion of risk-taking as a determinant of propensity to innovate.

Keywords: креативность, creativity, средний балл, activity, активность, отношение к риску, risk-taking, склонность к инновациям, sensation seeking, propensity to innovate, GPA