Exploring the influence of divergent thinking on social innovation in the micro-entrepreneurial context: Evidence from Poland

Abstract

This article explores the link between divergent thinking skills and the capacity of micro-entrepreneurs to implement social innovations. Drawing on Guilford's Structure of Intellect theory and the Oslo Manual's 4th version, the study employs quantitative research on 1848 Polish micro-entrepreneurs. Through exploratory factor analysis and probit model estimation, findings indicate that three aspects of divergent thinking—Fluency, Flexibility, and Development—positively influence social innovativeness. Fluency and Flexibility align with Guilford's theory, while Development - which is our proposal - reflects micro-entrepreneurs engagement in the thinking process. This study underscores the need for further research to solidify the observed relationship.

Keywords

• Social innovation
• Divergent thinking
• Micro-entrepreneurs
• RIBS
• Product innovation
• Business process innovation