Showing papers on "Diffusion of innovations published in 2005"

The Nonspread of Innovations: the Mediating Role of Professionals

Abstract: Two qualitative studies in the U.K. health care sector trace eight purposefully selected innovations. Complex, contested, and nonlinear innovation careers emerged. Developing the nonlinear perspective on innovation spread further, we theorize that multi-professionalization shapes "nonspread." Social and cognitive boundaries between different professions retard spread, as individual professionals operate within unidisciplinary communities of practice. This new theory helps explain barriers to the spread of innovation in multiprofessional organizations in both health care and other settings.

An Exploratory Examination of the Influence of National Culture on Cross-National Product Diffusion

Abstract: This study examines the direct influence of national culture on the cross-national diffusion of innovations. Focusing on seven technological innovations across 13 European countries, the authors use Hofstede's multidimensional approach to culture to investigate this relationship. They find support linking four cultural dimensions—individualism, masculinity, power distance, and long-term orientation—to cross-national product diffusion. The findings suggest that national culture explains a relatively sizable amount of variation in cross-national diffusion rates. The authors discuss theoretical and practical implications of these results, including prescriptive guidance with respect to product launch strategy and tactics.

Models and Methods in Social Network Analysis: Network Models and Methods for Studying the Diffusion of Innovations

Abstract: Introduction Diffusion of innovations theory attempts to explain how new ideas and practices spread within and between communities. The theory has its roots in anthropology, economics, geography, sociology, and marketing, among other disciplines (Hagerstrand 1967; Robertson 1971; Brown 1981; Rogers 2003), and has in some ways been adapted from epidemiology (e.g., Bailey 1975; Morris 1993). The premise, confirmed by empirical research, is that new ideas and practices spread through interpersonal contacts largely consisting of interpersonal communication (Ryan and Gross 1943; Beal and Bohlen 1955; Katz, Levine, and Hamilton 1963; Rogers 1995; Valente 1995; Valente and Rogers 1995). In their pioneering study, Ryan and Gross (1943) laid the groundwork for the diffusion paradigm by showing that, among other things, social factors rather than economic ones were important influences on adoption (Valente and Rogers 1995). Hundreds of diffusion studies were conducted in the 1950s and early 1960s to examine the diffusion process in more detail across a variety of settings (Rogers 2003). Many studies sought to understand how information created in government or otherwise sponsored programs could be disseminated more effectively. Diffusion research peaked in the early 1960s, but has been reinvigorated more recently with the advent of more sophisticated network models and technology making it possible to study the diffusion process more explicitly. Most diffusion studies focus on trying to understand the factors that lead some members of a population to adopt a new idea and others do not.

Death hurts, but it isn't fatal: the postexit diffusion of knowledge created by innovative companies.

Abstract: There is little understanding of whether a firm’s innovative knowledge dies with it or if instead significant diffusion of knowledge occurs even after a firm exits an industry Theoretical predictions about the differing effects of firm exit on private and public knowledge and implications for interfirm knowledge transfer are forwarded We investigated main and moderating effects of a firm’s exit from the disk drive industry on knowledge diffusion to other firms, finding evidence that the ability to use a firm as a template plays a critical role in successfully replicating its knowledge Absent this template, knowledge “stickiness” reduces knowledge diffusion In 1999, despite millions of dollars of investment and a portfolio of innovative technologies, flat panel display manufacturer Optical Information Systems (OIS) shut down operations, unable to achieve commercial success Although OIS failed, its technology lived on A letter by the firm’s former director of advanced technologies to the editors of the magazine Information Display reported that even after the firm’s exit, OIS technology continued to make waves in the flat panel industry, with many of its patents covering processes that became mainstream technology The letter then cited specific innovations by other firms that had built on OIS breakthroughs Although the firm had exited the industry in spite of its technological strength, it left a lasting legacy for the industry’s technology Is the OIS story unusual, or does it highlight a regular occurrence? Since technological expertise is an important determinant of firm success (Jovanovic & MacDonald, 1994; Teece, 1986), it could be argued that firms that exit an industry are typically lacking in this important area and thus have little impact on the technological progress in the industry This formulation would imply that firms like OIS are outliers and that diffusion of the knowledge they create is generally low, both before

Complex adaptive systems and the diffusion of innovations

Abstract: The diffusion of innovations model (DIM) and complex adaptive systems theory (CAS) can be employed together in the construction of predictive or applied hybrid models of induced change in population behavior. In such interventions, differentiated heterogeneous zones may act as catalysts for the adoption of innovation. The present study explores the actual and potential hybridization of these two systems theories, relying on illustrations from historical practical applications of DIM, particularly the STOP AIDS communication campaign in San Francisco. The resulting co-theoretical model provides an analytical tool for students of innovation, particularly in the public sector, and especially in applications of network analysis predicated on a crucially defining feature of social networks, namely “the strength of weak ties” among their members. In cultivating network ties among heterogeneous groups connected by common aims, it is here argued, the innovator may prompt and, to an extent, guide the complex emergence of innovation adoption in social systems. Commonalities in the concept of heterogeneity in CAS and in DIM is explored in depth, along its many dimensions, including membership and role heterogeneity, with a view to preliminary operationalization of diffusion-management principles.

The Diffusion of Computerized Crime Mapping in Policing: Linking Research and Practice

Abstract: In this paper we examine the diffusion of computerized crime mapping drawing upon a more general approach to the ‘diffusion of innovations’ pioneered by Everett Rogers in 1995. We use data from the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey and the Crime Mapping Research Center at the National Institute of Justice to define the basic pattern of adoption of computerized crime mapping in larger American police agencies. As we illustrate in our paper, these surveys suggest that larger police agencies have adopted computerized crime mapping at a rapid pace. We supplement these data with a pilot study of adoption of computerized crime mapping that shows a continuing rapid adoption curve through 2001, and that illustrates that crime mapping innovation follows a period of crisis of confidence in standard American police practices. We also find that the widespread adoption of computerized crime mapping follows research evidence regarding the effectiveness of hot spots policing approac...

Metrics to Measure the Technology Transfer Absorption: Analysis of the Relationship between Institutes and Adopters in Northern Italy

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to analyse the technology transfer between public research institutes and users, in particular to measure the absorption intensity of technology within a regional system of innovation. This research uses data from the balance sheets (e.g. turnover, etc.) of the Institutes located in the Northwest of Italy (1996-1998 period). The descriptive analysis shows that private adopters (e.g. firms and individual entrepreneurs) absorb technologies from institutes belonging to the technological field because they can be used for industrial purposes. On the contrary, public adopters (Institutions, EU, government bodies, etc.) absorb technologies and knowledge from Institutes of other fields (economics, physics, geology, etc.) because these can be used in order to solve social problems (economic policy, reduction of pollution, etc.). These technology transfer absorption indices show that public users have a higher intensity of technological absorption than private receptors (firms, etc.). The conclusive part of this paper displays lessons learned, policy and management implications.

Strategies for the Diffusion of Innovations on Social Networks

Abstract: We investigate the spread of innovations on a social network. The network consists of agents that are exposed to the introduction of a new product. Consumers decide whether or not to buy the product based on their own preferences and the decisions of their neighbors in the social network. We use and extend concepts from the literature on epidemics and herd behavior to study this problem. The central question of this paper is whether firms can learn about the network structure and consumer characteristics when only limited information is available, and use this information to evolve a successful directed-advertising strategy. In order to do so, we extend existing models to allow for heterogeneous agents and both positive and negative externalities. The firm can learn a directed-advertising strategy that takes into account both the topology of the social consumer network and the characteristics of the consumer. Such directed-advertising strategies outperform random advertising.

DiffuNET: The impact of network structure on diffusion of innovation

Abstract: Purpose – To provide an explicit model to address the relationships between the structural characteristics of a network and the diffusion of innovations through it. Further, based on the above relationships, this research tries to provide a way to infer diffusion curve parameters (innovation coefficient and imitation coefficient) from network structure (e.g. centralization).Design/methodology/approach – Based on the network and innovation literatures, we develop a model explicitly relating the structural properties of the network to its innovation and imitation potential, and in turn to the observed diffusion parameters (innovation and imitation coefficients). We first employ current theoretical and empirical results to develop postulates linking six key network properties to innovation and imitation outcomes, and then seek to model their effects in an integrative manner. We argue that the innovation and imitation potentials of a network may be increased by strategically re‐designing the underlying networ...

Addressing Faculty Concerns about Distance Learning

Abstract: Despite the rapid growth of distance learning programs, faculty are often resistant to moving their courses into a distance learning format. This article synthesizes the common sources of concern among resistant faculty as identified in the literature, the mechanisms to bridge those concerns, and evaluates the effectiveness of the administrative solutions for faculty support that have sought to address them. Introduction Universities around the world have made significant investments in educational technologies. Though the number of faculty adopting these technologies has been increasing, there remains a large number who express reluctance to adopt them (Jacobsen, 1998). Universities are currently in a position where there is inconsistent adoption of educational technology, and many are searching for ways to promote its use for instruction. Technology holds great potential for enhancing teaching, but faculty must be willing and prepared to use it. This paper proposes an approach to faculty development for technology integration, relying upon conceptual frameworks provided by: • Rogers (1995) theory on the diffusion of innovations, • Hall and Hord's (1987) concerns theory, and • Kotter's (1996) theory of barriers to empowerment. The effective application of these models holds exciting possibilities for faculty developers and faculty alike. The integration of these theories into faculty development activities provides a holistic framework for technology integration. What Limits Technology Integration Many studies have been conducted examining the reasons for faculty resistance to technology integration, and many solutions have been offered. Though reasons vary, certain themes emerge including factors as fundamental as the necessity of practical scheduling for training, to successfully negotiating more pervasive cultural and administrative support issues. Failure to Address Practical Considerations

The Diffusion of Innovations: How Cognitive Heuristics Shaped Bolivia's Pension Reform

Abstract: In the age of globalization countries pay considerable attention to policy innovations developed in other, especially neighboring, countries. New models that boldly trans form established policy approaches often serve as especially powerful sources of inspiration. For instance, the system of social protection pioneered by Bismarck in Germany prompted other European countries to introduce similar schemes; in subse quent decades this innovation spread beyond Europe as well. More recently, Ronald Reagan's tax simplification of 1986 spurred similar changes in a number of nations. And the Chilean model of pension privatization has had a particularly strong conta gious effect in Latin America and later in eastern Europe.1 What drives this diffusion of innovations? Why does a variety of nations adopt the same new model? This question is especially puzzling when poor, underdeveloped countries emulate a reform designed in a much more advanced nation, which presum ably faces different needs, opportunities, and constraints. For instance, why do poor African countries that lack a domestic science community create state institutions charged with coordinating such a community?2 Why do nations that confront stark social inequality enact a Reaganite tax reform that lowers income tax rates and thus risks diminishing the revenue inflow from the few better-off people who are obligated to pay income tax? And why do poor countries privatize their social security systems although they have a limited formal sector work force that can contribute to private pension funds and an underdeveloped capital market that can administer such invest ments? The adoption of foreign models in countries where these innovations do not seem to fit well is noteworthy. Why do dissimilar nations enact similar policies? Several arguments have been proposed to explain this spread of commonality amid diversity. One approach claims that central coordination and vertical imposi tion were crucial. Accordingly, pressures from powerful international actors?espe cially the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other international financial institutions?pushed a broad cross-section of countries to follow their uni form blueprints. Strongly committed to neoliberalism, international financial institu tions use powerful carrots and sticks to force the same mold on a multitude of nations. To preserve the purity of their policy principles, they preclude adaptations to the specific needs of the importing country.

The diffusion of innovations within a UKCI context: an explanatory framework

Abstract: The UK Construction Industry has been criticized for being slow to change and adopt innovations. The idiosyncrasies of participants, their roles in a social system and the contextual differences between sections of the UK Construction Industry are viewed as being paramount to explaining innovation diffusion within this context. Three innovation diffusion theories from outside construction management literature are introduced, Cohesion, Structural Equivalence and Thresholds. The relevance of each theory, in relation to the UK Construction Industry, is critically reviewed using literature and empirical data. Analysis of the data results in an explanatory framework being proposed. The framework introduces a Personal Awareness Threshold concept, highlights the dominant role of Cohesion through the main stages of diffusion, together with the use of Structural Equivalence during the later stages of diffusion and the importance of Adoption Threshold levels.

Modeling Enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program by Using Agents within Spatial Decision Support Systems: An Example from Southern Illinois

Abstract: Existing models of agricultural decisionmaking based on economic optimization often fall short of capturing the complex dynamics of land-use choices at both individual parcel and watershed-level scales. The complexity arises from an interplay of several factors, as explained by Herbert Simon's model of bounded rationality, the theory of diffusion of innovations through spatial contagion, the role of personal environmental values and local culture, and simple historical momentum. This complexity can be captured using ‘artificial life agents’ that model land-use choice for individual parcels by considering characteristics and personal beliefs of the owner or operator, physical traits of the land, and information obtained via social networks. Agents are therefore able to consider holistically a large number of factors affecting land-use choice. The creation of agent-based models of human behavior described herein is based upon empirical data on the acceptance of Conservation Reserve Program for the Cache Riv...

Innovation diffusion: ‘‘Estuary English’’ and local dialect differentiation: the survival of Fenland Englishes

Abstract: In the literature on the spatial spread of linguistic innovations, traditional models of diffusion have been adopted largely uncritically from (economic) geography. The validity of geographical critiques of these traditional diffusion models is demonstrated through an examination of the diffusion of eight linguistic innovations from the southeast of England to the Fens, a rural area approximately 150 km north of London. Whilst diffusion models in sociolinguistic dialectology have tended to expect vigorous innovations to eradicate conservative dialect forms in their path, and some of the innovations examined here have indeed conquered local variants, it is found that some of the spreading dialect forms are unsuccessful and others only partially so. This article reconceptualizes the diffusion of innovations as a form of dialect contact and demonstrates that in examining changes in this way, we are much better able to account for the outcomes of innovation diffusion than has traditionally been the case. Rather than innovations wiping out traditional dialect forms, they engage in contact with them in local communities: the outcomes of diffusion in the Fens bear all the hallmarks of contact-induced koineization, such as interdialect formation, levelling, and reallocation (Trudgill 1986). The success of innovations appears to be contingent on the social, interactive, and structural compatibility of the new form with the old one. If that compatibility is not present, diffusion may be slowed down, succeed only partially, or in some cases, be rejected entirely.

Testing a Diffusion of Innovations in Education Model (DIEM)

Abstract: Following is a report on a questionnaire study based on the Diffusion of Innovations in Education Model (DIEM), which synthesizes research on educational innovations. The social system under study included foreign language teacher educators in eleven Southeastern states (N=83). Regional foreign language teacher educators were targeted for gathering data regarding the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Proficiency Guidelines (1986), a language teaching innovation. In analyzing results, inferential statistics tested the weight of some of the DIEM’s predictions about the nature of educational change. In terms of the model’s predictions, state mandates appear to hinder rather than facilitate adoption. However, results support the DIEM claim that innovation knowledge is associated with its adoption. While the DIEM provides conceptual clarity to research on change in educational settings, its usefulness as a way to explain and predict the success or failure of educational innovations in attaining adoption remains to be verified.

Adoption and diffusion of encoded archival description

Abstract: In this article, findings from a study on the diffusion and adoption of Encoded Archival Description (EAD) within the U.S. archival community are reported. Using E. M. Rogers' (1995) theory of the diffusion of innovations as a theoretical framework, the authors surveyed 399 archives and manuscript repositories that sent participants to EAD workshops from 1993-2002. Their findings indicated that EAD diffusion and adoption are complex phenomena. While the diffusion pattern mirrored that of MAchine-Readable Cataloging (MARC), overall adoption was slow. Only 42% of the survey respondents utilized EAD in their descriptive programs. Critical factors inhibiting adoption include the small staff size of many repositories, the lack of standardization in archival descriptive practices, a multiplicity of existing archival access tools, insufficient institutional infrastructure, and difficulty in maintaining expertise.

Lead markets, innovation differentials and growth

Abstract: This article suggests that the specialization of countries in international trade is determined by the lead-lag market pattern of national markets. Many internationally successful innovations have been adopted first in one country while other countries initially either preferred other designs or an established product. A model for the international diffusion of innovations is presented in which nationally preferred innovation designs compete to become a globally dominant design. In this model, there are country-specific market attributes that increase the likelihood that the choice a country makes among alternative technologies is followed around the world. It is argued that technological knowledge gaps are not the origin of an international competitive advantage. Instead, a country gains a competitive advantage because a specific innovation design was adopted earlier than in any other country. This gives local firms a head start in producing, gathering marketing intelligence and securing the property rights of a globally successful innovation. In countries with lag market characteristics, domestic innovations are less likely to get adopted worldwide. Lag markets often switch from a domestic innovation design to a foreign innovation design, which increases imports. The lead-lag market explanation of trade specialization has implications for national policies. In this model domestic innovations do not always foster exports; idiosyncratic innovations induced by lag market contexts can hamper the export chances of local firms and in the end lead to an increase in imports. It is suggested that in order to increase exports, national policies have to distinguish between a domestic lead and lag market context in each industry. While in a lead market context, traditional policy instruments that enhance the rate of innovations are effective, in a lag market situation national follower strategies are more appropriate.

Diffusion of innovations: Successful adoption needs more effective soft-DSS driven targeting

Abstract: Despite the promising prophecies that usually go hand-in-hand with the introduction of new technologies or any other innovation, they often turn out to be a big disappointment due to a bad introduction and communication strategy. In order to improve these strategies a soft Decision Support System (DSS) was developed by combining a measurement and segmentation tool, the Delphi method-based product specific innovativeness (PSI) scale with the bowling pin marketing communication model. This new combined approach enables a researcher to detect in advance (ie before the actual introduction) the innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards for a certain innovation. Based on the resulting segments and profiles, it is possible to develop an introduction and communication strategy that has a better chance of successful customer adoption.

Diffusion Models in Marketing: How to Incorporate the Effect of External Influence?

Abstract: In marketing diffusion models have been used traditionally for capturing the life-cycle dynamics of a new product, for forecasting the demand for a new product, and as a decision aid in making pre-launch, launch and post-launch strategic choices. Since their entrance into marketing, diffusion models have become increasingly complex. This complexity was driven by the need to enhance the forecasting capability of these models and to improve their decision-tool usefulness for managers. One of the challenges of diffusion modeling is incorporating external influences in models, most notably the influence of marketing mix variables. This paper offers a framework for systematizing diffusion models in marketing, with a special emphasis on the role of marketing mix variables. Different models are compared and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Suggestions for further research are offered.

Innovativeness Among Small Businesses: Theory and Propositions for Future Research

Abstract: Small businesses represent the lifeblood of the economy.Variations in the innovativeness of these firms may help explain why somesucceed, but many fail [Frambach, R. T. (1993). An integrated model oforganizational adoption and diffusion of innovations. European Journal ofMarketing, 25(5), 22-41; Nord, W. R. & Tucker, S. (1987).Implementing routine and radical innovations. Lexington, MA: LexingtonBooks.]. To understand how small businesses develop and use innovations, a series ofdepth interviews were conducted with small, family-owned firms in the US andSpain. Results suggest several factors affect innovativeness, includingindustry-specific, firm-specific, and innovation-specific factors. The studyends with a series of propositions, potential managerial implications of thestudy, and suggestions for further research. (Publisher Abstract)

Gli approcci biologici nell’economia dell’innovazione

Abstract: The innovation is a main variable of the economic growth, but the origin and diffusion of innovations are functions of several variables. For this reason, the contributions of other disciplines have been used to understand in depth its behaviour and spatial-temporal dynamic. The aim of this paper is to investigate as the biological approaches have affected the economic thought and the development of the economics of innovation. This research shows as, since 1957 the patterns of technological diffusion are originated from researches on allometric growth and epidemiology carried out, from 1920 to 1945, by Huxley, Reeve and other biologists of the Oxford research institute of zoology. This paper also focuses the historical aspects of the evolutionary theory of economic change, developed by Nelson and Winter in 1970s which drew one’s inspiration from natural selection of Darwin’s theory (1859). Although these arguments are still a matter of intense controversy within the history of the economic thought, the relation between economics and biology has played a fundamental role to analyse some complex economical phenomena and for establishing the knowledge basis of a new theory of technological and economic change.

Global Acceptance of Technology (GAT) and Demand for Mobile Data Services

Abstract: Social transformations are envisioned to occur with the increased diffusion of mobile data services, once technology and business partnering issues are defined and executed. To better understand how this market may unfold, user behavior in markets outside the U.S. can offer clues to future growth. The varied rates of mobile service diffusion around the world suggest that there are several variables affecting demand for mobile data services. The explanatory power of current theoretical models to explain the market for mobile data services has been tested as the industry seeks viable business models. Specifically, a need for models that provide understanding of technology adoption from the user’s context as well as the technology side of the diffusion process are needed. Using a modified version of the Diffusion of Innovations framework, we examine the underlying behavioral, cultural, and economic factors affecting demand for mobile technology across several markets. We propose an initial framework to account for adoption levels of mobile data services between and within national markets. Our proposed model, the Global Adoption of Technology (GAT) seeks to incorporate the influence of culture to a greater degree than some commonly utilized models of technology diffusion. In sum, we apply data collected from a multination-wide survey of mobile data consumers with an emphasis on users in the U.S. market. Comparing the preferences of users across markets suggests that a shared outlook exists regarding some of the key

Experience with the management of technological innovations within the australian construction industry

Abstract: The BRITE Project (Building Research Innovation Technology and Environment) was established by the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation to encourage and report on innovative developments in the construction industry. Using both case studies and extensive industry surveys the BRITE Project has examined the creation, adoption and diffusion of innovations. A nexus is reported between technological innovations and the adoption of advanced management practices. Indeed the management of the innovation process is found to be critical to the successful implementation of technological innovations. The BRITE Project’s combination of specific detailed case studies with a broad industry-wide survey allows the testing of the hypothesis that organizational and technological innovations are linked from two different perspectives. In both instances, a strong correlation is observed between high technological innovators and the proactive management of organizational knowledge with emphasis on continuing education and training. In contrast, the low innovators surveyed were characterized by a lack of business strategies to improve and monitor performance and by minimal investment in research and development. Technological innovations were found to be significantly more likely to occur in those firms with good profitability and with managers who seek out a broad range of sources for new ideas as well as actively working to capture project learning for ongoing reference. Such ongoing active management involvement fosters the appropriate atmosphere for new technological innovations to occur. The BRITE Project experience highlights the primacy of management skills for the encouragement of ongoing technological advancement within the often conservative construction and engineering sector.

Children as innovators and opinion leaders

Abstract: Examines the characteristics of young innovators (i.e. those in a group who accept the innovation first, for instance a hula hoop, a mobile phone or a video game) and opinion leaders (i.e. the person in a group who tends to be copied or consulted for advice); the two roles overlap, as child innovators are usually also opinion leaders, but not necessarily the reverse. Explains the Diffusion of Innovations theory, relating it to the adoption by children of new products and behaviours, i.e. their socialisation as consumers; this process involves the stages of awareness, interest, evaluation, test purchase, and adoption. Outlines the characters involved in the generalised theory of Diffusion of Innovations: opinion leaders, innovators, gatekeepers (for instance parents who allow their children to acquire a new product), and change agents (an outsider who gives advice, for instance a teacher). Discusses whether there are generalised innovators and opinion leaders, i.e. whether the same people tend to fulfil these roles in all or most areas. Moves onto a 2003 study of children which surveyed how well the Diffusion of Innovations theory fits them, how much overlap there was among innovators and opinion leaders, and where children got information about new products. Concludes that the Diffusion of Innovations theory does roughly fit child and teenage behaviour; in the adoption process, personal communication plays a dominant role, followed by television and advertising, but mobile phone and SMS messages played almost no role among eight to 12‐year‐olds in communicating information on new products.