Purpose

The purpose of this study is to generate an empirically informed theoretical framework which can be used to analyze the relationship between gender and innovation in the context of a municipality. The authors present and analyze three illustrative tales from a feminist perspective. The authors thus offer a more balanced approach to the conceptualization of gendered ascriptions with respect to the possible outcomes of innovation work in a public context.

Design/methodology/approach

An ethnographic account which employed “shadowing” as a method of observation.

Findings

The article presents a debate on how the social construction of gender and innovation can be placed in the context of a municipal reality. Our analysis reveals how the complexities of a gendered work life within a municipality can create paradoxes. A constructionism approach was used in the identification of hidden and unspoken paradoxes that exist in public spheres.

Research limitations/implications

The authors used empirical tales from a very specific context, namely a Swedish municipality. The central implication of this study is the recognition of innovation as being masculine-gendered within the feminine context. This implication thereby deepens our understanding of gender paradoxes in the public sector.

Practical implications

This study provides insights to practitioners who intend to work with innovation in a public organization.

Social implications

The social implications of this study is that when a male-gendered concept like innovation is implemented in a female-gendered context, like a municipality, it is of importance to contextualize the concept.

Originality/value

The empirical value of examples of a gendered work landscape at a Swedish municipality.

中文翻译：

---

探索城市创新实践的男性化

目的

本研究的目的是建立一个经验丰富的理论框架，可用于分析城市背景下性别与创新之间的关系。作者从女权主义的角度呈现并分析了三个说明性的故事。因此，作者针对公共环境中创新工作的可能结果，为性别归属的概念化提供了一种更平衡的方法。

设计/方法/方法

一种使用“阴影”作为观察方法的人种学记述。

发现

本文就如何将性别和创新的社会建构置于城市现实背景下展开辩论。我们的分析揭示了城市中性别工作生活的复杂性如何造成悖论。建构主义方法被用于识别存在于公共领域的隐藏的和不言而喻的悖论。

研究限制/影响

作者使用了来自一个非常具体的背景的经验故事，即瑞典的一个城市。这项研究的核心含义是承认创新在女性背景下是男性化的。因此，这种含义加深了我们对公共部门性别悖论的理解。

实际影响

这项研究为打算在公共组织中从事创新工作的从业者提供了见解。

社会影响

这项研究的社会意义是，当像创新这样的男性性别概念在女性性别背景下实施时，比如一个自治市，将这个概念背景化是很重要的。

原创性/价值

瑞典城市性别化工作环境实例的经验价值。