Glenn
DUTCHER

PROJECT

Can innovation be taught? An economic analysis of education's influence on creativity in France and the U.S.

Innovations within organizations drive economic growth, and organizational success stems from individual employees. It is thus paramount that we understand what makes individuals innovative. Creativity has been found to play an overarching role in an individual's innovative processes, but we have a limited understanding of how an individual's creative potential develops. Individuals within creative organizations often have a college degree, suggesting that colleges and universities teach creativity. An alternative explanation posits that those who are the most creative are more likely to go to college. These divergent views lead to an empirical question concerning if and how colleges teach creativity. This project aims to test this empirical question in the U.S. and France. The insights from this study can be used to better understand implementable creative development projects outside of the college domain and may help explain differential economic growth rates between countries.

BIOGRAPHY

Glenn Dutcher, Assistant Professor in Economics primarily explores monetary and nonmonetary factors affecting employee productivity. He is particularly interested in incentive schemes, remote work, ability formation and creativity.