Personality, culture and innovation

Personality, Culture and Innovation: Relationships between Personality Traits and National Innovation Scores

Innovation is a complex process that requires a range of skills and characteristics such as creativity, problem-solving ability and strategic vision. Is it possible that personality also plays a role in innovation? And in culture?

Historically, the belief in the variability of personality traits according to geographic location has been held, an assumption that has aroused deep interest in the academic community. However, systematic exploration of the global distribution of personality profiles has received little scrutiny to date.

Studies conducted at the nation-state level open a door to understanding how collective personality characteristics can influence a country’s ability to innovate. This is not only relevant from an academic point of view, but also has practical implications for governments and institutions seeking to drive economic growth through innovation.

OCEAN Model

The results of a large body of academic research show the benefits of using the five-factor personality model to accumulate and communicate empirical findings. The findings have numerous implications for research and practice in personnel psychology, especially in the subfields of selection, personnel training and development, and performance evaluation.

An essential aspect of this analysis is the relationship between “Openness to Experience” and innovation. The results suggest a strong positive correlation between Openness to Experience at the national level and innovation scores in terms of both input and output. This indicates that societies that value creativity, curiosity and exploration tend to be more innovative.

On the other hand, “Agreeableness” is also positively related to innovation inputs. This suggests that nations where people are more friendly and cooperative may be prone to collaborate on innovative projects and generate an environment conducive to the development of novel ideas. This has important implications for promoting collaboration and teamwork in education and business.

In contrast, no significant relationship was found between “Conscientiousness” and innovation inputs or outputs. This may indicate that perseverance and self-regulation, while valuable at the individual level, may not be as directly related to innovative successes at the national level.

Research therefore suggests that certain personality traits, such as openness to experience and friendliness, are associated with a greater capacity to innovate. At this point, it is essential to mention the educational ecosystem as a formative and transformative agent capable of creating an innovative learning environment.

It is interesting to note that the results differ when only one type of data or parameter is used; underlining the importance of using accurate and reliable measurement instruments in research, as they can affect conclusions and policy recommendations.

Towards a geography of personality traits

Other research also suggests that cultures can influence innovation. Cultures that value creativity, experimentation and cooperation may be more likely to generate innovative ideas.

The results obtained indicate that distance from the equator and average temperature do not exhibit significant relationships with personality factors. However, when cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling techniques are applied, interesting patterns are revealed. It can be seen that geographically close cultures tend to share similar personality profiles, suggesting the existence of cultural and geographic influences on the formation of collective personality traits.

A particularly relevant finding is the distinction between European and American cultures, on the one hand, and Asian and African cultures, on the other. The former exhibit higher levels of extroversion and openness to experience, but lower friendliness. This dichotomy points to the importance of considering cultural and regional factors in the study of personality traits at the global level.

However, it is important to emphasize that the differences observed between cultures could derive from multiple sources. Genetics and cultural characteristics are just some of the potential influences. To further elucidate the origins of these geographical divergences in personality traits, acculturation studies and the analysis of other natural experiments that address this complex phenomenon are required.

Fostering innovation to drive growth

Research on the relationship between personality, culture and innovation reminds us that innovation is not simply a product of investment in research and development, but is also rooted in people’s psychology and cultural dynamics. Therefore, governments and financial institutions interested in fostering a country’s economic growth need to consider promoting environments that encourage openness to experience, collaboration and creativity. This could translate into promoting soft skills education, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and investing in the creation of workspaces that foster creativity and collaboration.

These findings therefore provide a valuable starting point for future research and raise significant questions that transcend the boundaries of psychology and geography. By deepening the understanding of the relationship between personality, cultures and geolocation, the foundations are laid for the development of more informed policy and educational strategies that stimulate innovation on a global scale.

Critical thinking and personality

In “Critical thinking: beyond intelligence” (spanish) , Mariette and Gauvrit gather different empirical studies on the importance of intelligence (measured by IQ test) and of certain personality traits (openness to experiences) in critical thinking.

There are three main characteristics that promote critical thinking: curiosity, the desire to find truth and humility.

To learn more, we are invited to to deepen the research carried out:

On the relative independence of thinking biases and cogitive ability. K.E. Stanovich y R.F. West en Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 94, n.º 4, págs. 672-695, 2008.

A longitudinal study on enhancing critical thinking and reading comprehension in Title I classrooms. J. VanTassel-­Baska et al. en Journal for the Education of the Gifted, vol. 33, n.º 1, págs. 7-37, 2009.

A meta-analysis on critical thinking and community college student achievement. C. J. Fong et al. en Thinking Skills and Creativity, vol. 26, págs. 71-83, 2017.

Des têtes bien faites. Défense de l’esprit critique. Nicolas Gauvrit y Sylvain Delouvée. Prensa Universitaria de Francia (PUF), 2019.

The use of personality tests

Personality matters and impacts

As stated in the OECD document “Personality matters: relevance and evaluation of personality characteristics” by Milos Kankaras in 2017 (1), personality characteristics shape human behavior and influence different and relevant areas of life. They do so not only through their direct effects on life achievements, but also through their indirect effects on other important personal factors such as the development of cognitive abilities, the achievement of educational qualifications, the creation of a family, work performance, social inclusion and the general well-being of individuals and societies as a whole.
In fact, there is evidence in a growing body of empirical research on the importance of personality characteristics for several important domains and life impacts (Roberts et al., 2007; Gutman and Schoon, 2013; Heckman and Kautz, 2012; Kautz et al, 2014).

In particular, these studies indicate that various personality attributes have a substantial influence on important areas of life, such as education. achievement, occupational status, productivity, job and life satisfaction, criminality, health and mortality.

In terms of education and training, personality matters. Different meta-analyses have shown that the Responsibility factor has a high impact on academic qualifications, which could be associated with “cognitive” skills.
Kankaras shows that among the eight key competencies listed in the European Framework for Lifelong Learning, (2) at least four refer mainly to personality traits and “non-cognitive” skills:

  • Learning to learn (3): Key elements include self-discipline, perseverance and motivation.
  • Social and civic skills (4) :Key elements include communication skills, tolerance, empathy and coping with stress.
  • Sense of initiative and leadership. Entrepreneurship (5). Key elements include the ability to plan and manage projects, leadership skills, innovation, risk taking.
  • Expression and cultural awareness. Creativity (6): Key elements include appreciation and understanding of diverse cultural forms of expression of ideas, experiences, and emotions.
(1) Summary from: Kankaras’, M. (2017), “Personality matters: Relevance and assessment of personality characteristics”, OECD Education Working Papers, No. 157, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/8a294376-en
In this paper, Kankaras reviews the scientific literature covering a wide range of personality characteristics, discussing their conceptualizations and main features, their relevance to important life and work outcomes, and the main ways in which they are measured.
(2) Key competences and basic skills European framework

(3) «Learning to learn” is the ability to initiate and persist in learning, to organize your own learning and to manage time and information effectively, either individually or in groups. This competence involves being aware of one’s own learning process and learning needs, determining available opportunities, and being able to overcome obstacles in order to complete learning successfully. Such competence means acquiring, processing and assimilating new knowledge and skills, as well as seeking guidance and making use of it. Learning to learn” means that learners build on previous life and learning experiences in order to use and apply new knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts, including private and professional life and education and training. Motivation and confidence are crucial for the acquisition of this competence.

(4) “Social and civic competences include personal, interpersonal and intercultural competences and encompass all forms of behaviour that prepare people to participate effectively and constructively in social and professional life, especially in increasingly diversified societies, and, where appropriate, to resolve conflicts. Civic competence prepares people to participate fully in civic life through knowledge of social and political concepts and structures and a commitment to active and democratic participation”.

(5) “Sense of initiative and entrepreneurial spirit” means the ability of the person to transform ideas into actions. It is related to creativity, innovation and risk taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects to achieve objectives. This competence supports all people, not only in their daily life, at home and in society, but also in the workplace, by being aware of the context in which their work is carried out and being able to take advantage of opportunities. It is the foundation for other more specific skills and knowledge required by people who establish or contribute to a social or commercial activity. This should include an awareness of ethical values and promote good governance”.

(6) “Appreciation of the importance of the creative expression of ideas, experiences and emotions through various media, including music, the performing arts, literature and the visual arts”

Personality and work environment