Method and New Doctorate Graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics of the European Innovation Scoreboard as a Measure of Innovation Management in Subdisciplines of Management and Quality Studies
Authors: Raczyńska Monika 
Published: May 2024

Purpose

The aim of the article is to analyse subdisciplines of management and quality and sub-indicators of the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) as a measure of innovation management: 1.1.1 “New doctorate graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) per 1,000 population aged 25–34,” 1.2.1 “International scientific co-publications per million population”; 1.2.3 “Foreign doctorate students as a percentage of all doctorate students.”

Design/methodology/approach

As Kotarbiński (Kotarbiński, T. (1961). Elementy teorii poznania, logiki formalnej i metodologii nauk (p. 516). Wrocław: Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich) and Lisinski, the research procedure was divided into exploration, explication, operationalization, and verification. Triangulation (diversity) of data sources, methods, theories, and researchers has been used. Research methods: literature studies, method of document examination with secondary data analysis, descriptive analysis, comparative analysis, cause and effect analysis.

Findings

For 12 Member States indicator values 1.1.1 “New doctorate graduates” the first sub-indicator of the EIS 2022 declined in 2020, and for only one Member State it increased (Finland). There is a similarity between indicator 1.1.1 and the Summary Innovation Index (SII), which could mean that the fewer New Doctorate graduates (Indicator values by country in 2022) the worse the SII is. This result is worse than in 2019, the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic, when indicator values declined for only six Member States. However, also in 2016, there was an increase in the number of Member States for which performance declined, and in 2017, this number was also high. Considering that completing a doctorate degree is the result of various years of study, the increase in 2020 in the number of Member States showing a decline in the indicator is not likely to be related to the Covid-19 pandemic as this would be too early to observe any possible impact. The more (higher indicator) doesn’t always mean better innovation, as authors. Recommendation: to change the EIS 2022 description from “classification scheme” to “typology,” because the scheme had doubled items or change the scale (we could see that the scale for EIS 2018 and EIS 2022 doubled in terms of ranges for strong and moderate innovators (the range ending and starting, ex. for EIS 2018 in 90% and EIS 2022 in 100%)). The recommended changes in the scale are for strong innovators in EIS 2018: above 90–120%, EIS 2022: above 100 to 125%. In 2017, the indicator “New doctoral graduates per 1,000 inhabitants aged 25–34” in many European countries, including Poland, is below the values of 2010 year, and in 2017, Poland was in the second place since the end of the ranking. The international conferences, also for PhD Candidates, maybe could help to improve the EIS indicator and its sub-indicators (ex. 1.2.1 International scientific co-publications per million population) and also compare and broaden the knowledge about different scientific methods, techniques, and tools in member countries and its network. Short-term mobilities could increase the sub-indicator 1.2.3 Foreign doctorate students as a percentage of all doctorate students (better: “candidates”), but also help PhD Candidates, who cannot leave a country for a long period or could help PhD Candidates during the war in Ukraine and in other countries. But it doesn’t mean that we need to promote wars to increase sub indicator. International mobility could help to achieve Level 8 of the Polish Classification Framework, which must be met by a doctoral candidate, i.e.: “is able to plan and implement an individual and team research or creative project, lead and bear responsibility for the group, participate in the exchange of ideas, also in the international environment.” There is in EIS 2022 in the UE, and in all member countries, increase of scientific publications (which is a unique situation in EIS) like articles, including international, we may consider promoting the PhD as a connection of a few articles what is important, e.g. in Medicine, Law, Engineering’s studies. Such a way is possible, but unfortunately not popular in Poland, despite article 187. point 3 Act of 20 July 2018 Law on Higher Education and Science (Ustawa z dnia (2018)): “a doctoral dissertation may consist of a written thesis, including a scientific monograph, a collection of published and thematically related scientific articles, a design, construction, technological, implementation or artistic work, as well as an independent and separate part of a collective work.” It is also important that PhD candidates be paid for their work in a proper way and allowed to graduate studies thanks to a collection of published and thematically related scientific articles.

Research limitations/implications

Many issues were not discussed in detail. The voluminousness of the material and the combination of issues with two different subdisciplines could cause chaos.

Practical applications

Interdisciplinary subdisciplinary analysis can be used to look for potential problems to be solved in PhD thesis, to provide an impetus for further work by other scientists wishing to use the right methods, techniques, and tools and be a new doctorate graduated in STEM.

Originality/value

Presentation of the modified model of Nadler (Nadler, G. (1967). Work system design: The ideals concept. Irwin: Homewood) and Szarucki (Szarucki, M. (2016). Modele doboru metod w rozwiązywaniu problemów zarządzania w ujęciu G. Nadlera. Zeszyty Naukowe UEK, 954(6)), indicating that there is no ideal model in practice, taking into account all methods, and we can say techniques and tools with maximum effectiveness and help to choose a specific methodology, method.

The main thesis

PhD Candidates could help to increase innovation in countries thanks to international events, articles, and thesis.