Template-type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Celbis, M.G.
Author-Email: celbis@merit.unu.edu
Author-Workplace-Name: UNU-MERIT
Author-Name: Turkeli, S.
Author-Email: turkeli@merit.unu.edu
Author-Workplace-Name: UNU-MERIT
Title: Does too much work hamper innovation? Evidence for diminishing returns 
	 of work hours for patent grants
Abstract: This study suggests that individual time is an important factor that 
	 needs to be considered in innovation research. We define two types of 
	 time work time and free time. We find that work time has a positive but 
	 diminishing effect on innovative output such that after a certain point 
	 the innovation-enhancing role of work time is taken over by individual 
	 free time. Using a sample of OECD countries and Russia, we estimate a 
	 quadratic relationship between work time and per capita innovative 
	 output. For a hypothetical economy that has no other holidays but 
	 weekends, we estimate that individuals should not work more than about 
	 6.6 hours a day for maximizing innovative output. We also present a 
	 categorization of countries based on their innovative output and work 
	 hours that may kindle interest for certain case-specific future  research.
Classification-JEL: O30, O31, J08, J22
Keywords: Labour economics, Labour policy, Innovation, Time allocation,
	 Returns on R&D, OECD, Russia
Series: UNU-MERIT Working Papers
Creation-Date: 20140631
Number: 2014-053
File-URL: https://unu-merit.nl/publications/wppdf/2014/wp2014-053.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 352 Kb
Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2014053