Economics Research Community Seminar – Dr Max Posch

Title: How Social Structure Drives Innovation: Surname Diversity and Patents in U.S. History

Date: 28 February 2024

Time: 13:30-14:30

Location: NUBS.2.03

If you would like to attend, please register using the following link:

How Social Structure Drives Innovation: Surname Diversity and Patents in U.S. History

Speaker: Dr Max Posch, Lecturer in Economics, University of Exeter

Max joined the University of Exeter Business School in 2022. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Zurich (Switzerland) and was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University from 2020 to 2022.

Abstract:

We study the impact of social structure, captured by the distribution of surnames, on innovation in U.S. counties from 1850 to 1940. Leveraging quasi-random variation in counties’ surname compositions—stemming from the interplay between historical fluctuations in immigration and local factors that attract immigrants—we find that surname entropy increases both the quantity and quality of innovation. Supporting analyses suggest that the relationship arises from an increase in interactions among individuals with different skills, expertise and perspectives. The results support the view that the free flow of information between diverse minds is a key driver of innovation.