Socio-Cultural Context of Innovative Development

Abstract

The article presents the results of empirical studies of correlation of culture and innovations. Sociocultural factors of innovative development have been revealed. The present research has established the dual nature of innovations that finds itself in a symbiosis of an innovation and a creativity product. This fact allows us to view this phenomenon as a result of interaction of the economic and sociocultural spheres of society’s life activity: an innovative impulse arises from a person’s desire to gain an economic benefit, on the one hand, and from a desire to reach the originality that is specified by traditions of a certain culture, on the other hand. Consequently, innovative activity depends directly on socio-cultural values that determine human dispositions, habits and motivations. Sh. Schwartz’s calculation of value indices allowed us to reveal the human value priorities in twentyone countries of Europe in terms of their influence on person’s innovative dispositions, using the data body of International comparison project “European Social Survey” (2012-2016). It was shown that in the countries with dominant “Openness to Changes” values, inventiveness and innovativeness are more pronounced if compared to the countries where “Conservatism” values prevail. There has been demonstrated the special importance for innovative development of “Self-Transcendence” values that facilitate the formation of an environment favourable for implementing the institutional innovations. The research has proved that average Ukrainians have no value disposition to innovations. This fact creates a cultural barrier on the way of Ukraine’s innovative development and requires governmental impact on these processes.