Closing the Gap: Strategies for Improving Gender Diversity in Innovation

Abstract

Despite significant advancements in gender diversity across various business sectors, women remain underrepresented in innovation. While women have increasingly entered the workforce at all levels, this progress is not mirrored in innovation activities, highlighting a persistent gap in female participation in inventorship and patenting. This gap not only represents missed opportunities for technological and economic advancements but also the valuable contributions from potential female inventors. Therefore, this study explores the underlying causes of this underrepresentation as well the measures taken by companies working with diversity. This was done by sending out surveys to female and male engineers and by conducting in-depth interviews with female employees all of them working at Volvo Group. In addition to this, interviews were held with company representatives working with diversity in several large global organizations. The data collected resulted in four barriers that hinders women from participating in innovations, which are root causes to why women are underrepresented in innovation. It also provides key insights of how large companies work with increasing diversity. Additionally, the findings from this report suggest various activities to increase female participation. In conclusion the report increases the understanding of why women are underrepresented in innovation and provides a managerial tool that organizations can use as a framework for future work to increase the female participation in innovation.