Why do some societies invent more than others?

Abstract

This study provides a cultural explanation for why some societies invent and innovate more than others. It shows that there are significant positive spearman rank correlations between per capita number of patent applications filed by nationals of 33 countries, measured in 1967, 1971, 1976, and 1980, and Hofstede's (1980) indices of individualism and lack of power distance. It also shows that these relationships hold over time and when per capita inventiveness is adjusted for the wealth of a society.