Work

Health and creativity: Evidence from corporate innovation

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study examines how workforce health affects corporate innovation output. We first document that healthier inventors produce more valuable patents. Analyses of 26,919 U.S. firmyear observations from 2008 to 2019 show that better workforce health is associated with improved innovation output, particularly in the presence of increased creative destruction and product market competition. Improved workforce health enhances profitability for innovative firms, primarily through efficiency gains. This study highlights the importance of workforce health as one of the key drivers of innovation and emphasizes the need for firms to prioritize employee health in their innovation strategies.

Source: Research Policy

DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2025.105310

Authors: Truc (Peter) Do, Kelvin Jui Keng Tan, Yanhui Wu

Institutions: The University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Firm Innovation and Growth

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,280