Does gender, health enterprise, and safety performance induce research and development expenditure in firms in Hong Kong, China?

This paper explores the relationship between expenditure on research and development, gender and health and safety performances in enterprises in Hong Kong, China. Using nationally representative survey datasets from the Hong-Kong-SAR-China-2023-survey data, responses of 598 workers were considered. Descriptive statistics and probit regression were used to identify the associating impacts of adherence to health, safety and environmental performance on research and development expenditure in enterprises. The findings revealed that investment on research and development have positive association with manufacturing and retail business and among enterprises with compliance with energy use and occupational safety measures. Although gender have insignificant negative effect, yet female-led enterprises have lower performance than their male counterparts on the association of employers-gender role effect on expenditure on research and expenditure while enterprises that undergo training and adequately audit their account have positive and significant association with expenditure on research and development. This study suggests the need to consider safety and health measures in research and development expenditure for fostering innovation and enhancing adequate introduction of new markets and the enhancement of business enterprises. It also calls for female led enterprises to consider innovative and occupational safety programmes for workers health and increased productivity.