Showing papers on "Diffusion of innovations published in 2000"

Clearing A Path Through The Management Fashion Jungle: Some Preliminary Trailblazing

Abstract: Sixteen management fashions that emerged over the past five decades were identified and evaluated on eight criteria, including radicalness, broadness, and fear induction. The authors examined relat...

Institutions and Forms of Co-ordination in Innovation Systems

Abstract: This article shows how institutions enable and constrain forms of co-ordination for inter-organizational relations, and how these affect innovative performance. The analysis is based on a theory of learning and on a theory of relations that combines a social exchange perspective with elements from transaction cost economics. Performance is analysed in terms of production costs, transaction costs, product differentiation, diffusion of innovations, incremental innovation, and radical innovation. The method is illustrated with a comparison between the US and Germany. The first is more flexible and market oriented; the second is more oriented towards inter-organizational networks. Policy recommendations focus on how flexibility and durability of relations might be reconciled.

Swiftness and Intensity of Administrative Innovation Adoption: An Empirical Study of TQM in Information Systems

Abstract: Considerable attention has been directed toward developing a more complete understanding of innovation adoption by Information Systems (IS) departments. Much of this research has focused on the adoption of technological innovations, and limited research has focused on the adoption of administrative innovations. This paper focuses on an administrative innovation that is increasingly becoming popular among IS departments, namely Total Quality Management (TQM) in systems development. A synthesis of the IS innovation and TQM literatures was conducted to identify environmental, organizational, and task-related factors that should relate to both the swiftness and the intensity of TQM adoption. The relationships between the identified variables and TQM adoption were examined using data collected from 123 IS departments in Fortune 1000 firms and large government agencies in the U.S. The results indicate that TQM adoption in systems development is influenced by the host organization's quality orientation and factors internal to the IS department including IS management support for quality, the presence of a separate quality assurance function, and the structural complexity of the IS department. Implications of this study for theory, future research, and practice are discussed.

The adoption of new technology: the case of object-oriented computing in software companies

Abstract: This study examines the adoption of new technologies within organizations, The significance of this research is to broaden the understanding of technology adoption within organizations by focusing on adoption at the individual level, The key research question that is examined is: "what factors contribute to the adoption of new technology by individuals within firms?" A model is presented to distinguish adopters from nonadopters based on four sets of constructs: (1) the characteristics of the individual; (2) individual's perception of group characteristics; (3) individual's perception of company characteristics; and (4) individual's perception of technology. Unlike previous studies that focus only on top management in firms, this study examines adoption at the level of middle managers, engineers and technical personnel, i.e., those individuals who are more likely to actually use this technology in the workplace. The study links previously studied elements of adoption and diffusion of innovations to the specific case of a relatively recent innovation for organizations, As an example, an empirical examination of adoption of object-oriented technology (OT) in software companies is conducted. This technology is a software development technique that uses pretested and routine methods or "objects" to design, construct and assemble software programs. It is a new way of thinking about software based on abstraction that exists in the real world. The results of this study show that individual characteristics, perception of group characteristics and company characteristics are significantly related to OT adoption, but the individual's perception of the technology is not. The proposed model predicts adopters of new technology, such as OT, with 86% accuracy, The results suggest the factors that top management need to focus on in order to facilitate new technology adoption in firms.

Making a reality of evidence-based practice: some lessons from the diffusion of innovations

Abstract: The 1990s saw an upsurge of interest in using research evidence to inform public sector policy and practice. Yet, if such evidence is to have impact, ways must be found to move beyond the simple dissemination of research findings. Strategies need to be developed which encourage the uptake and utilisation of evidence. In exploring ways in which evidence-based practice might be achieved, the lessons gleaned from an examination of the literature on the diffusion of innovations are presented. The implications of these lessons for ongoing organizational learning are also outlined.

New Insights on Technology Adoption in Schools

Abstract: WE KNOW THAT THE INTERNET AFFECTS STUDENT LEARNING, BUT THE research about how teachers adopt technology and telecommunications and use it to enrich teaching and learning is still ongoing. We have found that Hall and Hord's Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) (1987) and Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations (1995) framework need extension in order to describe the systemic process in which technological, individual, organizational and pedagogical factors interact throughout the life span of an instructional technology program. An Integrated Technology Adoption and Diffusion Model Through our evaluations of several educational technology initiatives, especially the Boulder Valley Internet Project (Sherry, Lawyer-Brook and Black 1997; Sherry 1997), we found that teachers generally go through four distinct stages as they develop expertise with the Internet and the World Wide Web. Our Integrated Technology Adoption and Diffusion Model (Sherry 1998; Sherry 1999) describes a learning and adoption trajectory. In other words, a cyclic process in which teachers evolve from learners (teacher-trainees) to adopters of educational technology, to co-learners/co-explorers with their students in the classroom and, finally, to a reaffirmation/rejection decision. It is at this final stage that teachers decide whether the use of telecommunications to enhance teaching and learning is working for them. Is the use of telecommunications contributing to their self-efficacy as teachers? Is it compatible with their personal vision of learning, and worth the time and effort that they have put into mastering a new set of skills? Figure 1 depicts our "new model" of the learning/adoption trajectory. In this research-based model, the "reaffirmers" go on to build capacity within their school and among their fellow teachers. They assist their colleagues with troubleshooting equipment, give in-service sessions at their schools, serve on technology planning committees, and become the new round of peer trainers and change agents for their colleagues. If they move to another school, they continue operating at this level, thereby adding a portability dimension to their skills. [Figure 1 ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At each of these four stages, there are professional development strategies that work. For example, training may be more appropriate once an "advertising campaign" that informs teachers, parents and administrators about student successes and promising educational practices using technology in the classroom is in place. Learning communities can also be more easily formed at later stages. Further Evolution of the Technology Adoption Model Based on three years of evaluation of The WEB Project (http://www.webproject.org), a Technology Innovation Challenge Grant in Vermont, we found that the learning/adoption trajectory model was validated (Sherry, L., Billig, S. and Perry, S. 1999). Data for the 1998-99 academic year for The WEB Project were gathered from numerous sources. These include interviews, focus groups, classroom observation, surveys of students, teachers, and administrators, threaded discussions, student projects posted on The WEB Exchange Web site, and many more. A crosscase analysis was performed between participating sites to identify general trends, and data were analyzed to ascertain the project's early impact on student performance. The WEB Project stresses using online conversation to engage in dialogue about works of literature and current events, as well as for improving student products and performances in the arts and humanities. Along with the student/teacher forums, there are a number of forums that connect participating teachers, mentors, resident artists, musicians and other experts in a community of learners. Through these online conversations, teachers share ideas, common interests and concerns, and strategies for solving complex problems of practice. …

Information systems as technological innovation

Abstract: Information systems (IS) are technology‐based innovations. Argues for the need to develop an approach to IS research based on studies of technological innovation in the social sciences. While research on the adoption and diffusion of innovations has become a popular approach to implementation and use issues in IS research, IS research projects should be aware of both the strengths and limitations of traditional approaches to technological innovation, and should consider building upon newer approaches that address these limitations. Identifies alternative assumptions about the innovation process that are developing across a range of technological innovation studies, and offers examples of how these ideas can be used in IS research.

Diffusion theory and practice: Disseminating quality management and software process improvement innovations

Abstract: This article analyzes a European‐wide dissemination project which aimed at spreading quality management and software process improvement approaches among organizations in the IT sector and beyond to organizations which produce software as part of their primary product. The research presented investigates to what extent that mission has been accomplished and what lessons can be learned for similar actions in the future. For the analysis Rogers’ well‐known model of the diffusion of innovations is used. A secondary outcome of the study therefore is an appraisal of the suitability of the model to plan and perform large‐scale diffusion actions.

Benchmarking the Lean Enterprise: Organizational Learning at Work

Abstract: Following the success of the Toyota Production System in the world of automotive manufacturing, the new business philosophy of the \Ilean enterprise\N is gaining ground in that industry and in many others, among them construction; it appears to be positioned well to replace nearly a century of conventional or mass production practices. This study investigates the use of benchmarking in transforming a conventional organization into a lean enterprise. In this transformation, the management of knowledge and the practice of continuous learning and improvement figure prominently. From the perspective of benchmarking as a learning tool designed to reduce uncertainty in the organizational environment by reference to peer experience, the study distinguishes various forms of benchmarking and then addresses issues in knowledge management, information seeking and use, the diffusion of innovations, resistance to change, benchmarking strategies and practices, and benchmarking teams and protocols, concluding with a critique of its limitations.

Using Social Network Analysis To Examine the Time of Adoption of Computer-Related Services among University Faculty

Abstract: Research relating to the diffusion of innovations in education has been based primarily on looking at individual characteristics as predictors of use. This study proposes to use social network analysis and diffusion research to study the diffusion of two computer-based administrative services within a university faculty network. The relationship of time of adoption and the number of network nominations received, centrality closeness, spatial proximity, and organizational unit proximity were examined. Participants were 66 faculty members in a college of education at a southern university. They were introduced to the services and asked to provide demographic information and to identify communication partners for advice, friendship, and discussion. Results indicated that the number of friendship network nominations received was negatively correlated with the time of adoption. No correlation was found between time of adoption and spatial and organizational unit proximity.

From theory to practice: identifying authentic opinion leaders to improve care.

Abstract: Diffusion of Innovations and Opinion Leader theories can be translated into practical applications to improve health care delivery and financial performance by applying them to influence referral patterns and decrease variations in care. Health care organizations can rapidly spread "better practices" to their practicing physicians by understanding the social and communication networks that are naturally developed by those practitioners. Physicians view this diffusion process as promoting autonomy, and as a legitimate approach to adoption of information needed in daily practice.

Computer Adoption Levels of Iowa Dailies and Weeklies

Abstract: The incorporation of computer technologies into the newspaper industry has been hailed by some as ranking in importance with the Gutenberg press and offset printing. While claims about the advantages of computer adoption by newspapers are common, systematically-derived, empirical information on the extent of actual computer use and the types of applications varies widely, with some topics being relatively well researched while others have been virtually ignored. Furthermore, there are many examples of new information-related technologies that the popular media have ballyhooed as can't miss innovations but have failed to live up to their billing. For example, in 1984 the New York Times reported that videotex terminals to deliver news and other information into American homes would be "as common as telephones." Also in 1984, the Washington Post reported that home delivered videotex "will grow to about 1.9 million by the end of 1988." The reality is that at its zenith videotex was barely perceptible in the home market or, for the most part, elsewhere in the U.S. There is a recurring pattern to research concerning innovations such as newspaper computerization. Since much of the excitement about new technologies comes when the innovation is first introduced, there also is a peak of research interest at this time. The result is predominantly studies of relatively early adopters concentrated on a limited number of obvious applications. Studies to date on computer adoption by newspapers have tended to focus on large dailies, which are the first to adopt, and have virtually ignored weeklies. Also, the research has been narrowly focussed on a very few of the many possibilities for computer use by newspapers such as online database searches and pagination. For example, on the advertising side of the paper computers can be used to receive and send ads, production personnel can use computers to design and build ads, and business personnel can bill advertisers, applications little studied to date. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to examine computer use for a wide range of applications in information management, production and business operations. This study further sought to expand the research by examining computer uses at large and small weeklies as well as large and small dailies. Research literature Although research in the area of computer adoption by newspapers per se is not abundant, there are findings that are valuable in guiding further inquiry. Research in the area of diffusion of innovations provides a useful framework for interpreting data on computer adoption by newspapers. In a recent synthesis, Everett Rogers noted that the first 2.5 percent who adopt a new practice are considered innovators. They tend to be risk takers with substantial resources who can afford to make mistakes. Consequently, while they are important in demonstrating how a new practice can be used, they often are not opinion leaders whom others will follow. The second group to adopt, which diffusion theorists have named early adopters, constitute the next 13.5 percent. Since this group includes many of the opinion leaders, adoption by them helps promote and diffuse the innovation through the rest of the community. These two groups combine for the first 16 percent in the adoption continuum and represent the first of two thresholds of interest in this study since if the opinion leaders can be convinced to adopt an innovation, theoretically the others should follow. In fact, some researchers have observed that when adoption progresses much above 16 percent it reaches what they call a tipping point, where adoption accelerates rapidly. The early majority, the next 34 percent, follow the example of the early adopters but seldom take the lead themselves. This group, combined with the innovators and early adopters, accounts for the earliest 50 percent of adopters, which is the second target threshold in this study because when half of the potential use of an innovation is reached it is considered adopted. …

Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions of Newspaper Journalists in Metropolitan Markets in the United States Regarding Food Biotechnology.

Abstract: Mass media are the primary source that increases people 's awareness about agriculture and are an important resource for the diffusion of innovations. Educating journalists is important because journalists play a significant role in shaping public perceptions. The public has a stake in the outcomes of science because of the social, economic and environmental implications of innovations; therefore, a scientifically literate public is important to a democracy. This descriptive study may encourage agricultural educators who work in the contexts of extension education and agricultural communications to collaborate with journalists and the social institution of mass media to inform consumers about food biotechnology. Eighty-eight journalists for 62 of the nation 's largest metropolitan newspapers provided data for the study. Major findings and recommendations are as follows: journalists’ knowledge of food biotechnology was relatively low; most journalists considered genetic modification of plants as “acceptable " and of animals as “somewhat acceptable," and journalists had greatest faith in "university scientists” as sources. Journalists perceived genes moving to other organisms, food safety, and environmental harm as obstacles to the acceptance of biotechnology innovations. These journalists considered that farmers would accept food biotechnology as a farm practice within three years while consumer acceptance would take almost eight years. Introduction and Theoretical Framework Most agricultural innovations are marketed to the users of the technology--farmers; thus, there is little effort to inform consumers. Food biotechnology differs because people perceive it to affect the food they eat (Hoban, 1996). This direct effect launches food biotechnology into a public discourse, one that is often played out in the media (Peterson, 1996). An unprecedented profusion oftechnology has been diffused into society with inadequate inquiry and communications regarding negative consequences (Rogers, 1983). Extensive review of agricultural news by numerous investigators revealed that mass media coverage of agriculture is collectively distorted, and long-term negative Journal of Agricultural Education 134 news on agriculturally related issues could affect public confidence and support for agriculture (Reisner, 1991; Hall, Connell & Curti, 1977; Protess & McCombs, 1991; Fowler, Hodge, Dress & Trew, 1979). Mass media have great influence on public perception, influence that Rogers called the Hypodermic Needle Model. According to the model, media cause “direct, immediate and powerful effects” (p. 272) by figuratively injecting information into society. Rogers (1995) determined that 52% of potential agricultural adopters use mass media channels for information regarding innovations. Denton's (1996) research found that 74% of US consumers point to their local Sunday newspaper as their primary source of information. “The media are often blamed for Vol. 41 Issue 4, 2000 making science seem revolutionary rather than evolutionary and are frequently held responsible for consumer contusion” (Cosby, 1998, p. 4). to collaborate with journalists to enhance their collective efforts of informing the public about food biotechnology. The prominence of news media as a primary information source continues to have significant influence on society. This was validated in a 1993 survey of adults when 81% considered news media their primary source of information on science topics, especially environmental and natural resources (American Opinion Research, Inc., 1993). Because consumers acquire most of their scientific information from mass media (Terry, 1994), and agricultural scientists and extension educators continuously search for improved methods to educate the masses, researchers in this study wanted to know journalists’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of the science of food biotechnology. The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of metropolitan journalists regarding food biotechnology. The objectives of this study were to (a) investigate and determine the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions held; and (b) describe the relationships between knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding food biotechnology, and selected personal and situational characteristics of selected metropolitan journalists. Agriculture is perceived by most consumers as slow paced and sustaining. Yet, consumers may not know the rapid rate of change that biotechnology has brought to agriculture. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency approved the first genetically modified seed for commercial row crop production in 1996. Dispersed throughout approximately 400 million U. S. crop acres, genetically modified seeds were planted on an estimated 5 million, 30 million, and 60 million acres during 1996, 1997, and 1998, respectively (NABC, 1998). Purpose and Objectives

Listening to Everett Rogers: Diffusion of Innovations and

Abstract: In “The Future of WAC” (1996), Barbara E. Walvoord suggests framing the history and future of the writing-across-the-curriculum movement according to social movement theory (58), explaining that WAC qualifies as a movement because of its “change agenda and its collective nature—faculty talking to one another, moving to effect reform” (58). Consequently, she proposes that her evaluation of WAC’s progress at the 25 year mark and her re-envisioning of its future within this movement frame will uniquely reveal its “characteristics, strengths, and problems in ways that may help us think creatively about them” (61). Certainly creativity may be the order of the day as the WAC movement, in spite of its successes, struggles to maintain its vitality and visibility against the perennially resistant landscape of academe. Such resistance, educational reform scholar Parker J. Palmer reminds us, (though few at the front lines of the WAC movement need reminding) will remain an essential feature of the academy as long as teaching “retains low status... tenure decisions favor those who publish, [and] scarce dollars. . .always go to research” (10). These conditions result in a “constitutional gridlock” which breeds the “mood of resignation. . .and despair” so familiar to those seeking reform (10). Walvoord’s review of WAC’s progress from a social movement perspective turns the literature in an important direction. By providing the template of social movement theory against which to examine their successes and failures, WAC proponents are forced to take a more analytical approach to their subject, an approach that transcends the more anecdotal “what works and what doesn’t” scholarship that has dominated writing-across-the-curriculum, especially in its early and middle years. Specifically, it provides an entree into the extensive network of sub-fields within social movement theory, one of which concerns itself with the spread of new ideas or “innovations” within systems, a category of study known as “diffusion” or “innovation theory.” In fact, according to Daniel Surry, who writes about the application of social movement and innova

Unfolding the Eco-wave - Why Renewal is Pivotal

Abstract: The Macroeconomic Operation of the Law of Value. Competition, Co-operation and Diffusion of Innovations. A Model of Cyclical Growth. Capital Accumulation as a Competitive-Co-operative System. The Profit-Wage Spiral. The Emerging Eco-wave. References. Index.

A systemic view of continual change.

Abstract: Organizations face constant change in their efforts to respond to customer needs, competitive threats and regulation. In the case of organizations whose products and services are imbedded in inform...

Government accounting development within a transitional economy ‐ Albania a case study

Abstract: The paper analyses the current process of government accounting development in Albania using an integrated diffusion‐contingency analytical framework. This framework synthesises elements of contingency theory with theories of diffusion of innovations to provide greater insight into the organisational processes of innovation. The paper observes that the level of innovativeness of the government organisation in Albania appears to be marginally positive and that, at present, developments in government accounting are being clarified as part of the implementation phase of the innovation process.

Public opinion and public engagement with genetically modified foods : a qualitative study

Abstract: An abstract of the thesis of Celeste Laurana Moser for the Master of Science in Communication presented May 7, 2010. Title: Public Opinion and Public Engagement with Genetically Modified Foods: A Qualitative Study. Existing literature suggests that many Americans are uninformed, disengaged, and have yet to form a crystallized opinion regarding genetically modified (GM) foods. However, some publics, such as the organic food community, are engaging in the GM debate. This community has a stake in the debate because it rejects the use of artificial fertilizers, synthetic chemicals, and genetically modified seeds in crop production. The purpose of the current study was to understand public opinion formation by determining what factors influence opinion leaders in the organic food community to engage in the genetically modified food debate, and how opinion leaders describe . American lay publics' engagement in the debate. Seven opinion leaders from the Learning Garden Laboratory (based in Portland, Oregon) were selected to participate. In-depth interviews were conducted to develop an unqerstanding of the participants' experiences with the GM debate and to better understand their perceptions of American lay publics' engagement in the debate.

A qualitative study of technology transfer in sustainable green manufacturing

Abstract: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IN SUSTAINABLE GREEN MANUFACT I G by Susan Muldowney The Sustainable Green Manufacturing Project is an initiative of the United States Army to develop environmentally-friendly technologies for Army-designated facilities. In pursuit of this goal, the Army has sought the research capabilities and expertise of outside organizations including the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Concurrent Technologies Corporation. The groups interact and exchange knowledge and tools with each other as well as with potential end users of the green technology. This exchange of knowledge and tools is known as technology transfer. Researchers and Subject Matter Experts who are working on the SGM Project were interviewed in order to learn about the technology transfer process in a green innovation project. Their responses were analyzed and results were used to determine the successful and problematic aspects of the technology transfer in SGM, and how it is impacted by the environmental aspect. A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IN SUSTAINABLE GREEN MANUFACTURING

Of Terminator Genes and Developing Countries: What are the Impacts of Appropriation Technologies on Technological Diffusion?

Abstract: This paper examines the potential impacts of genetic use restriction technologies (GURTs) on various developing countries. The impact on any given country will depend on its existing biotechnology capability, the potential for developing biotechnology capability and the country’s suitability for growing GURT target crops (i.e., nonhybridized species). For a large group of countries, the outcome will depend on how GURTs influence the diffusion of innovations from developed to developing countries. This is necessarily an empirical question, as GURTs will affect both the general rate of innovation and the rate of diffusion between countries. A case study of hybrid maize indicates that hybridization as a use restriction technology has slowed the overall diffusion rate of innovations to many developing countries. When GURTs are introduced it will be important to increase public research spending and to restrict other plant-related intellectual property rights so that the diffusion of innovations can continue.

EXPLORING KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS OF NEWSPAPER JOURNALISTS IN METROPOLITAN MARKETS IN THE UNITED STATES REGARDING FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY Tom A. Vestal, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist

Abstract: Mass media are the primary source that increases people 's awareness about agriculture and are an important resource for the diffusion of innovations. Educating journalists is important because journalists play a significant role in shaping public perceptions. The public has a stake in the outcomes of science because of the social, economic and environmental implications of innovations; therefore, a scientifically literate public is important to a democracy. This descriptive study may encourage agricultural educators who work in the contexts of extension education and agricultural communications to collaborate with journalists and the social institution of mass media to inform consumers about food biotechnology. Eighty-eight journalists for 62 of the nation 's largest metropolitan newspapers provided data for the study. Major findings and recommendations are as follows: journalists’ knowledge of food biotechnology was relatively low; most journalists considered genetic modification of plants as “acceptable " and of animals as “somewhat acceptable," and journalists had greatest faith in "university scientists” as sources. Journalists perceived genes moving to other organisms, food safety, and environmental harm as obstacles to the acceptance of biotechnology innovations. These journalists considered that farmers would accept food biotechnology as a farm practice within three years while consumer acceptance would take almost eight years.

Diffusion of Innovations: A Longitudinal Study of a Virtual Community

Abstract: The exponential growth and global access of the Internet may have signaled a basic change in human sociology. Increasingly, people are choosing to relate to each other through computer-mediated channels by forming virtual communities. As these virtual communities become more pervasive, it is important that we gain an understanding of the nature of these social systems. This study will analyze the content of warehoused electronic communications to study these communities. The preliminary analysis examines the viability of the community and the diffusion of innovations. The ongoing inquiry will use computerized content analysis to gain deeper insight into community dynamics, leadership and communication character.