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Showing papers on "Diffusion of innovations published in 2017"


Journal ArticleDOI
P. C. Lai1
TL;DR: This paper contributes to the existing literature by comprehensively reviewing the concepts, applications and development of technology adoption models and theories based on the literature review with the focus on potential application for the novelty technology of single platform E-payment.
Abstract: This paper contributes to the existing literature by comprehensively reviewing the concepts, applications and development of technology adoption models and theories based on the literature review with the focus on potential application for the novelty technology of single platform E-payment. These included, but were not restricted to, the Theory of Diffusion of Innovations (DIT) (Rogers, 1995), the Theory of Reasonable Action (TRA) (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1985, 1991), Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour, (Taylor and Todd, 1995), the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, Bogozzi and Warshaw, 1989, Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM2) Venkatesh and Davis (2000) and Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM3) Venkatesh and Bala (2008). These reviews will shed some light and potential applications for technology applications for future researchers to conceptualize, distinguish and comprehend the underlying technology models and theories that may affect the previous, current and future application of technology adoption.

410 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a theoretical framework for investigating the psychological and social determinants of interest in residential solar drawn from three theories that may explain the decision to pursue it: diffusion of innovations theory, theory of planned behavior, and value-belief-norm theory.
Abstract: Increased household adoption of solar photovoltaic systems has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with providing electricity. Although residential solar has recently become more affordable, market penetration in the U.S. remains relatively low. This study proposes a theoretical framework for investigating the psychological and social determinants of interest in residential solar drawn from three theories that may explain the decision to pursue it: diffusion of innovations theory, theory of planned behavior, and value-belief-norm theory. We test this framework using survey data from 904 non- adopter homeowners, with the aim of identifying potential levers for intervention. Overall, we find that consumers see solar electricity in multiple ways: as an environmental benefit, a consumer good, and an innovative technology. Notably, individuals who trust installers and believe solar will be personally beneficial are more likely to consider contacting an installer, as are individuals drawn to novel products. Proenvironmental personal norms indirectly increase interest through perceived personal benefits, suggesting that marketing efforts aimed at environmentally-concerned individuals may need to emphasize non-environmental benefits. The results also support leveraging trusted social networks to convey the benefits of solar. We conclude by discussing the value of the integrated framework along with implications for policymakers and marketers.

206 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed and tested a new integrated theoretical model of associations among innovation diffusion, environmental marketing strategy, sustainability innovations, and the organizational environment, and found that a supportive organizational environment will enhance the effect of innovation diffusion on environmental marketing.

83 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors apply the diffusion of innovations theory as a framework to investigate the last mile challenges encountered when launching a Pay As You Go Solar Home System in a region of Central East Africa.

66 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used Diffusion of Innovations Theory to assess the effects of incentives on the adoption of residential solar systems based on three previously defined conclusions: that incentives increase adoption; that incentives promote adoption by a group of consumers different to those who would otherwise adopt; and that adoption to access incentives may reduce the likelihood of re-adoption.
Abstract: Policies promoting the adoption of residential solar photovoltaic systems often include financial incentives. This research uses Diffusion of Innovations Theory to assess the effects of incentives on the adoption of residential solar systems based on three previously defined conclusions: that incentives increase adoption; that incentives promote adoption by a group of consumers different to those who would otherwise adopt; and that adoption to access incentives may reduce the likelihood of re-adoption. A mail-out survey of 338 householders who purchased a solar system was undertaken in Western Australia in 2013, followed by 26 interviews during 2013–2015. Financial incentives were prioritised in the decision-making process by 70% of survey respondents. Incentives promoted adoption by reducing the payback period of systems and also acted as a ‘cue-to-action’ for those who were considering adoption. The vast majority of survey respondents (82%) installed their solar system for financial reasons, representing a change in motivation away from the ‘early adopters’ who prioritise the technical and environmental aspects of solar. Survey respondents who educated themselves about solar and/or installed solar for environmental or technical reasons were more likely to readopt. 85% of survey respondents indicated that education is needed to understand the costs and benefits of solar.

65 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors develop and test an adoption model which draws on two recently introduced ideas about innovation adoption, the notion of compatibility between organizational culture and the values and beliefs embedded in innovations, and the perspective that early and late adopters might both be motivated to adopt based on expected economic and social gains and losses.

55 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors study the characteristics of early adopters that positively influence their decisions to adopt innovations and argue that awareness of these traits will enable firms to attain speedier uptake of their offerings while aiding policymakers achieve quicker and wider proliferation of new technologies intended for societal benefit.
Abstract: Despite accounting for a very small percentage of the population that adopts an innovation, the ‘innovators’ and ‘early adopters’ — representing the two earliest groups of individuals to acquire the new product or service — play a crucial role in the dissemination of the innovation to larger market segments. The objective of this paper is to understand the characteristics of these individuals that positively influence their decisions to adopt innovations. We argue that awareness of these traits will enable firms to attain speedier uptake of their offerings while aiding policymakers achieve quicker and wider proliferation of new technologies intended for societal benefit. We undertake a review of the literature studying the diffusion of innovations and show future directions that this framework should take to analyse the adoption lifecycle.

52 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a unique and transparent approach for incorporating social influence effects into global integrated assessment models used to analyse climate change mitigation, which is implementable in both simulation and optimisation-type models.
Abstract: We present a unique and transparent approach for incorporating social influence effects into global integrated assessment models used to analyse climate change mitigation. We draw conceptually on Rogers (2003) diffusion of innovations, introducing heterogeneous and interconnected consumers who vary in their aversion to new technologies. Focussing on vehicle choice, we conduct novel empirical research to parameterise consumer risk aversion and how this is shaped by social and cultural influences. We find robust evidence for social influence effects, and variation between countries as a function of cultural differences. We then formulate an approach to modelling social influence which is implementable in both simulation and optimisation-type models. We use two global integrated assessment models (IMAGE and MESSAGE) to analyse four scenarios that introduce social influence and cultural differences between regions. These scenarios allow us to explore the interactions between consumer preferences and social influence. We find that incorporating social influence effects into global models accelerates the early deployment of electric vehicles and stimulates more widespread deployment across adopter groups. Incorporating cultural variation leads to significant differences in deployment between culturally divergent regions such as the USA and China. Our analysis significantly extends the ability of global integrated assessment models to provide policy-relevant analysis grounded in real world processes.

42 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Analyzing the results in this area of research will give libraries a better understanding of who is using academic e-books, why academice-books are being used, and how to influence the behaviour of the academic libraries' patrons to increase their use of academic E-books.

41 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Canadian long-term care sector is tied together through informal advice-seeking relationships that have given rise to an emergent network structure and knowledge of this structure and engagement with its opinion leaders and boundary spanners may provide a route for stimulating the adoption and effective implementation of best practices, improving resident care and strengthening the long- term care advice network.
Abstract: Initiatives to accelerate the adoption and implementation of evidence-based practices benefit from an association with influential individuals and organizations. When opinion leaders advocate or adopt a best practice, others adopt too, resulting in diffusion. We sought to identify existing influence throughout Canada’s long-term care sector and the extent to which informal advice-seeking relationships tie the sector together as a network. We conducted a sociometric survey of senior leaders in 958 long-term care facilities operating in 11 of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories. We used an integrated knowledge translation approach to involve knowledge users in planning and administering the survey and in analyzing and interpreting the results. Responses from 482 senior leaders generated the names of 794 individuals and 587 organizations as sources of advice for improving resident care in long-term care facilities. A single advice-seeking network appears to span the nation. Proximity exhibits a strong effect on network structure, with provincial inter-organizational networks having more connections and thus a denser structure than interpersonal networks. We found credible individuals and organizations within groups (opinion leaders and opinion-leading organizations) and individuals and organizations that function as weak ties across groups (boundary spanners and bridges) for all studied provinces and territories. A good deal of influence in the Canadian long-term care sector rests with professionals such as provincial health administrators not employed in long-term care facilities. The Canadian long-term care sector is tied together through informal advice-seeking relationships that have given rise to an emergent network structure. Knowledge of this structure and engagement with its opinion leaders and boundary spanners may provide a route for stimulating the adoption and effective implementation of best practices, improving resident care and strengthening the long-term care advice network. We conclude that informal relational pathways hold promise for helping to transform the Canadian long-term care sector.

33 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results show that technology factors, channel factors and value-for-money factors partially influence consumers’ post-adoption behaviour towards Internet banking.
Abstract: This study sets out to investigate the factors that influence Australian consumers’ post-adoption behaviour towards Internet banking. By integrating the research streams of technology adoption, diffusion of innovations and continuance theory of information systems, technology factors, channel factors, social factors and value-for-money factors were hypothesised to exert an impact on consumers’ post-adoption behaviour towards Internet banking. Data were gathered from 372 Internet banking users through a cross-sectional mall intercept survey. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares path modelling. The results show that technology factors, channel factors and value-for-money factors partially influence consumers’ post-adoption behaviour towards Internet banking. Social factors were found to be non-significant. The practical implications for retail bank managers in formulating effective service delivery channel management strategies were outlined. The practical, theoretical and methodologic...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a case study of the Personal Health Systems (PHS) Foresight project is presented, which explores the implications of applying this type of foresight on improving systemic understanding, enhancing stakeholder networking and developing innovation capacities across the layers of ecosystems.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Yunus et al. as mentioned in this paper used diffusion of innovation theory to argue for the importance of engagement to a successful process of diffusion and demonstrate how DOI theory might enrich public relations theory and practice.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, an agent-based model is proposed to investigate the influence of promoting strategies associated with various dimensions of institutional capabilities, on the identification of opportunity sets for industrial symbiosis.
Abstract: Promotion of the emergence of synergistic linkages between different firms is crucial in the development of Industrial Symbiosis (IS) networks or Eco-Industrial Parks (EIP). Appropriate strategies for the promotion of inter-firm interactions are required to enhance the emergence of IS networks through institutional capacity building. This research draws on insight from Diffusion of Innovations (DoI) theory, and considers the emergence and development of IS as a process where the knowledge, attitude and implementation of IS synergies are gradually adopted by firms. Accordingly, we propose an Agent-Based Model (ABM) to investigate the influence of promoting strategies associated with various dimensions of institutional capabilities, on the identification of opportunity sets for IS synergies. The simulation results show that both “Knowledge Coordination” and “Relationship Coordination” have a positive impact on the identification of IS opportunities (represented by the adoption of positive attitudes). However, the performance of promoting strategies depends to a great extent on the mobilization capacity and the characteristics of the specific IS solutions. We believe the proposed research provides insights and implications for the design of the strategies to promote effective IS practice.

Journal Article
TL;DR: Agarwala-Rogers et al. as discussed by the authors evaluated three social programs in the United States using Rogers' diffusion of innovations (DIM) model: (1) the STOPAIDS preventive health public education program in San Francisco, designed in the early eighties around the Rogers step-wise diffusion model (opinion leaders to adopters), and launched in two waves, first from the early 80s to early nineties and then again in the late nineties; (2) the National Library of Medicine's efforts to disseminate clinically-applicable scientific findings to
Abstract: Over the last two decades, the utilization as well as applied study of collaborative networks has become central to both public- and private-sector management. Interorganizational networks may function better or worse than the traditional institution of the firm, with its internal role and authority distribution structures, depending on a number of factors, among others homophily (isomorphism, similarity) versus heterophily (heterogeneity, variety), cultural affinity versus cultural distance in communications, the quality of internal and external network relationships as these evolve, and the pace of innovation adoption. All of these factors, delineated in the present study, help define the aptness of organizational network form to innovation adoption and adaptation. One of the authors (the late Everett M. Rogers), a pioneer in the communications and innovation-diffusion fields, defines a network as “interconnected individuals who are linked by patterned communication flows”; thus framed, networks span various levels of action analysis, from the individual to the interorganizational and systemic. As they encompass micro- and macro-cultural dimensions of communications about innovation (Rogers & Agarwala-Rogers, 1976, p. 10), networked interpersonal, inter-group, and intercultural communications may be seen as progressively more comprehensive critical variables in the diffusion of innovation. The present study, built on an earlier research note (Rivera & Rogers, 2004), evaluates three social programs in the United States using Rogers’ diffusion of innovations (DIM) model: (1) The STOPAIDS preventive health public education program in San Francisco, designed in the early eighties around the Rogers step-wise diffusion model (opinion leaders to adopters), and launched in two waves, first in the early eighties to early nineties and then again in the late nineties; (2) the National Library of Medicine’s efforts to disseminate clinically-applicable scientific findings to health professionals, especially members of racial and ethnic minorities; and (3) a webbased, cancer prevention nutrition-education project of the National Cancer Institute across seven national demonstration sites, aimed at women in minority communities, called the Health Communication Intervention Research Initiative.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider the implications of intermediality for new media as process and content in five major components of the diffusion perspective: sources, rate and categories of adoption, attributes, communication networks, and consequences.
Abstract: Interpersonal and mediated communication both play important roles in the diffusion of innovations, as part of the process, as well as the content, of diffusion. Yet the diffusion of new media has blurred the boundaries across interpersonal and mediated communication, and emphasized the decoupling of media from their attributes, summarized in the concept of intermediality. This article briefly considers implications of this intermediality for new media as process and content in five major components of the diffusion perspective: sources, rate and categories of adoption, attributes, communication networks, and consequences.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The findings revealed that Absorptive Capacity, Competitive Pressure, Complexity, IT Infrastructure, Presence of Champion, Top Management Support, and Vendor Selection are the factors influencing BIS adoption in the universities.
Abstract: This study explores the factors influencing the adoption of Business Intelligence Systems BIS in Higher Educational Institutions HEIs, and also evaluate the extent of adoption in the universities. A research framework was developed based on the Technology-Organization-Environment TOE framework and the Diffusion of Innovations DOI theory, comprising of ten factors which were hypothesized and tested for the adoption of BIS in HEIs. Data was collected through a paper survey questionnaire from a sample of 120 managers and academicians in twelve private universities in Selangor State, Malaysia which were analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling PLS-SEM. The findings revealed that Absorptive Capacity, Competitive Pressure, Complexity, IT Infrastructure, Presence of Champion, Top Management Support, and Vendor Selection, are the factors influencing BIS adoption in the universities. The results also indicate that most private universities in Malaysia are currently involved in level 2 of BIS adoption. Other implications are also discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A theoretical argument is offered for this potential connection and a proposed research agenda for further investigation of the potential role that technological innovations may play in influencing social inequalities in health.
Abstract: Social inequalities in health have been categorised as a human-rights issue that requires action. Unfortunately, these inequalities are on the rise in many countries, including welfare states. Various theories have been offered to explain the persistence (and rise) of these inequalities over time, including the social determinants of health and fundamental cause theory. Interestingly, the rise of modern social inequalities in health has come at a time of great technological innovation. This article addresses whether these technological innovations are significantly influencing the persistence of modern social inequalities in health. A theoretical argument is offered for this potential connection and is discussed alongside the typical social determinants of health perspective and the increasingly popular fundamental cause perspective. This is followed by a proposed research agenda for further investigation of the potential role that technological innovations may play in influencing social inequalities in health.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that much of the social innovation work done in developing countries is carried out through development agencies that focus on initiating innovations and processes, and establishing institutions that cultivate a change-oriented mindset.
Abstract: Most social innovation (SI) work done in developing countries is carried out through development agencies that focus on initiating innovations and processes, and establishing institutions that cultivate a change-oriented mindset. I offer a general critique of that approach and I link that critique with my observations from 15 years living and working among rural indigenous people in West Africa. I suggest that, not only do much of the SI processes fail to show respect for the creativity and intelligence of indigenous people, they tend to come packaged with exogenous participatory processes, encourage scaling-up, and ignore innovation that is already occurring. These arguments set the stage for an examination of a system of innovation that I discovered operating in a Hausa village in Niger. This system not only challenges the most important theory explaining the adoption and spread of ideas, the diffusion of innovations, it also demonstrates how indigenous people in one of the poorest countries on ...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Zhang et al. as discussed by the authors explored the adoption and use of WeChat, the most popular mobile instant messaging (MIM) platform in China, among middle-aged residents in urban China.
Abstract: This study explores the adoption and use of WeChat, the most popular mobile instant messaging (MIM) platform in China, among middle-aged residents in urban China. Previous technology diffusion studies have paid little attention to this demographic. Based on diffusion of innovations and uses and gratifications theory, the study aims to identify the predictors of adoption and use of WeChat by middle-aged individuals. Data were collected in Xiamen from a sample of 300 tourists aged from 36 to 60 years. The results showed that the perceived relative advantages of WeChat significantly predicted its adoption by the middle-aged users in the sample. However, the effects in predicting usage were limited when the perceived need for WeChat were taken into account. In addition, the results indicated that demographic variables (i.e., age, gender, and income) and personal innovativeness were significant predictors of the adoption and use of WeChat among middle-aged individuals.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate the determinants of adoption of enterprise resource planning (ERP) technology in agricultural farms located in the Central-West region of Brazil and propose a conceptual model by combining Diffusion of Innovations and Technology-Organization-Environment theories.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate the dynamics of adoption and consider the role of structural factors such as demographic skew and communication scale on population-level outcomes, and find that outgroup aversion can lead to adoption being delayed or suppressed in one group, and that populationwide underadoption is common.
Abstract: Social identities are among the key factors driving behavior in complex societies. Signals of social identity are known to influence individual behaviors in the adoption of innovations. Yet the population-level consequences of identity signaling on the diffusion of innovations are largely unknown. Here we use both analytical and agent-based modeling to consider the spread of a beneficial innovation in a structured population in which there exist two groups who are averse to being mistaken for each other. We investigate the dynamics of adoption and consider the role of structural factors such as demographic skew and communication scale on population-level outcomes. We find that outgroup aversion can lead to adoption being delayed or suppressed in one group, and that population-wide underadoption is common. Comparing the two models, we find that differential adoption can arise due to structural constraints on information flow even in the absence of intrinsic between-group differences in adoption rat...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on three questions: what are the drivers of and the gains from technological change, is there broad participation in the gains, and what mechanisms generate asymmetric participation or even non-participation.
Abstract: Technical change is a major driving force for economic growth and development, thus technological change and innovations could be a powerful process that opens up opportunities to increase social welfare and benefits for societies. Whether opportunities turn into real benefits and allow for broad participation depends on a number of factors. In this contribution we focus on three questions. First, what are the drivers of and the gains from technological change? Second, is there broad participation in the gains from technological change? Third, what mechanisms generate asymmetric participation or even non-participation? Reviewing the literature, we obtain two sets of answers, one set for developed countries (DCs) and one for less developed countries (LDCs). For DCs, technology is still the driving force for aggregate progress. Innovations are driven by a combination of private and public R&D investments and the diffusion of innovations is spurred by innovative competition. Due to various reasons - such as technical bias, educational attainment, new firm concepts, globalization and outsourcing, disempowerment of labor unions, decreasing labor share in aggregate income, or agglomeration effects - we identify major differences in participation in gains across different groups. Further, technology that originated in DCs is transferred to LDCs. We identify the channels of technological transfer that allow LDCs to potentially participate in the benefits. Here, the development of the modern sector with links to international value chains plays a major role. However, global diffusion of technology and its gains are very diverse. Reasons for this diverse participation in gains include power structures in global value chains combined with an excess supply of labor and the malfunctioning of local governments and institutions in LDCs.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Assessment of the adoption of standardized dental diagnostic terminologies by US dental schools by using the Rogers diffusion of innovations framework, focusing on the DDS found adoption of an SDDxT is on the rise, but a large number of institutions are in the Rogers late majority and laggards categories.
Abstract: Background Standardized dental diagnostic terminologies (SDDxTs) were introduced decades ago. Their use has been on the rise, accompanying the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs). One of the most broadly used terminologies is the Dental Diagnostic System (DDS). Our aim was to assess the adoption of SDDxTs by US dental schools by using the Rogers diffusion of innovations framework, focusing on the DDS. Methods The authors electronically surveyed clinic deans in all US dental schools (n = 61) to determine use of an EHR and SDDxT, perceived barriers to adoption of an SDDxT, and the effect of implementing an SDDxT on clinical productivity. Results The response rate was 57%. Of the 35 responses, 91% reported using an EHR to document patient care, with 84% using axiUm; 41% used the DDS. Fifty-four percent of those who did not use an SDDxT had considered adopting the DDS, but 38% had not, citing barriers such as complexity and compatibility. Conclusions Adoption of an SDDxT, particularly the DDS, is on the rise. Nevertheless, a large number of institutions are in the Rogers late majority and laggards categories with respect to adoption. Several factors may discourage adoption, including the inability to try out the terminology on a small scale, poor usability within the EHR, the fact that it would be a cultural shift in practice, and a perception of unclear benefits. However, the consolidation of the DDS and American Dental Association terminology efforts stands to encourage adoption. Practical Implications The successful adoption of dental innovation depends not only on the intrinsic merit of the innovation, as some useful innovations do not achieve widespread traction. As such, it is important for health care providers to understand how to disseminate their ideas in order to ensure traction and widespread adoption.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify gaps in the literature and inconsistencies between empirical data and Rogers' diffusion of innovations model originally outlined in 1962, and propose a model of fashion adoption; and conduct an empirical test of the proposed model.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is three-fold: (1) to identify gaps in the literature and inconsistencies between empirical data and Rogers' diffusion of innovations model originally outlined in 1962; (2) to propose a model of fashion adoption; and (3) to conduct an empirical test of the proposed model. The proposed model varies from Rogers' model as follows: four (vs five) ideal-type adopter groups with unique names and clear operational definitions; proportional distribution of consumers among groups; clear method of statistically identifying group members; categorization based on fashion innovativeness and opinion leadership; and standard procedure for identifying groups based on mean and standard deviation. The proposed model offers greater precision and provides results that are comparable across studies. The model was analyzed empirically by using four methods of categorizing participants into fashion adoption groups (independent variable) and fashion involvement as the dependent variable. Participants in the study were 309 students from two universities. The analysis using the proposed model provided clear-cut results that supported the hypothesis that higher levels of consumers' fashion involvement increased the probability of earlier adoption. Results from the other three analyses were not as clear-cut. Based on the model for fashion adoption presented in this paper, the foundation is primed for development of a theory of fashion adoption. The proposed model offers a solution to the problem of identifying fashion adoption groups, plus, the solution achieves the desired effect with the simplest effort and is undertaken with appropriate methods. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a model of adoption of an innovation, in which the agents decision to adopt depends on the appeal of the novelty, the inertia or resistance to adopt it, and the social interactions with other agents, but now agents can repent and turn back to the old technology.
Abstract: The dynamics of adoption of innovations is an important subject in many fields and areas, like technological development, industrial processes, social behavior, fashion or marketing. The number of adopters of a new technology generally increases following a kind of logistic function. However, empirical data provide evidences that this behavior may be more complex, as many factors influence the decision to adopt an innovation. On the one hand, although some individuals are inclined to adopt an innovation if many people do the same, there are others who act in the opposite direction, trying to differentiate from the “herd”. People who prefer to behave like the others are called mimetic, whereas individuals who resist adopting new products, the stronger the greater the number of adopters, are named contrarians. Besides, in the real world new adopters may have second thoughts and change their decisions accordingly. In this contribution we include this possibility by means of repentance, a feature which was absent in previous models. The model of adoption of an innovation has all the ingredients of a previous version, in which the agents decision to adopt depends on the appeal of the novelty, the inertia or resistance to adopt it, and the social interactions with other agents, but now agents can repent and turn back to the old technology. We present analytic calculations and numerical simulations to determine the conditions for the establishment of the new technology. The inclusion of repentance can modify the balance between the global incentive to adopt and the number of contrarians who prevent full adoption, generating a rich landscape of temporal evolution that includes cycles of adoption.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Comparative case study analysis of the diffusion of two methods that summarize confounder information into a single score: disease risk score (DRS) and high-dimensional propensity score (hdPS).

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors apply an actor market configuration perspective to the analysis of four longitudinal case studies regarding the commercialization of new products in the textile, plastic and energy industries, and provide managers with a number of recommendations for selecting the most proper category of early adopters for their innovations, depending on the role they are more likely to play and the influence they will exert on subsequent acceptance in the later market.
Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to bring new empirical evidence to the controversial role of early adopters in the diffusion of innovations in industrial markets. Design/methodology/approach The authors apply an actor market configuration perspective to the analysis of four longitudinal case studies regarding the commercialization of new products in the textile, plastic and energy industries. Findings The diffusion of innovation is an interactive and iterative process where the commercializing firm engages in repeated interactions with different categories of companies that are targeted as potential early adopters. This process ends when the commercializing firm identifies a category of early adopters that can stimulate subsequent acceptance in the later market, by playing one of the following two roles, i.e. word-of-mouth trigger and industry benchmark. During this process, through which the role of the early adopters is constructed proactively by the commercializing firm, the product innovation is also subject to changes to provide a better fit with the selected category of early adopters. Research limitations/implications The paper calls for a re-conceptualization of the diffusion process, from a passive identification of early adopters to an interactive process that entails a trial-and-error approach in the targeting and involvement of different categories of early adopters, which ends when the innovation reaches the desired levels of diffusion. Practical implications The study provides managers with a number of recommendations for selecting the most proper category of early adopters for their innovations, depending on the role they are more likely to play and the influence they will exert on subsequent acceptance in the later market. Social implications The study provides managers with a number of recommendations for targeting, through a trial-and-error process, early adopters and working with them to champion the dissemination of new technologies. Originality/value This paper significantly adds to existing literature on the diffusion of innovation, which has up to now conceived early adopters as static and given entities, which cannot be proactively selected by the commercializing firm, and innovation as an immutable object.

14 Mar 2017
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide conceptual and methodological contributions to the pro-active governance of sustainability transitions by identifying case-specific intervention points and roles of actors in the implementation of innovations.
Abstract: A fundamental change in societal values and economic structures is required to address increasing pressures on ecosystems and natural resources Transition research has developed in the last decades to analyze the co-dynamics of technological, institutional, social and economic elements in the provision of key functions such as energy, water and food supply This doctoral dissertation provides conceptual and methodological contributions to the pro-active governance of sustainability transitions Three research gaps are identified that are addressed in this dissertation First, a comprehensive conceptualization of learning in sustainability transitions is currently missing that comprises learning at multiple societal levels (ranging from individuals to policy-actors) Learning concepts are often not explicitly discussed in transition research even though learning is considered as fundamental for innovation processes, niche formation and development as well as breakthrough and diffusion of innovations Second, methods for the analysis and design of transition governance processes are lacking that specify case-specific intervention points and roles of actors in the implementation of innovations Third, participatory modeling approaches are only applied to a limited extent in transition research despite a high potential for supporting communication and learning The conceptualization of multi-level learning developed in this doctoral research conceptualizes learning at different societal levels as specific learning contexts ranging from individual and group contexts to organizational and policy contexts The conceptual framework further differentiates between learning processes, intensity, objects, outcomes, subjects and factors, allowing for a more detailed analysis of learning within and across learning contexts Thus, learning contexts can be linked by processes that involve actors from different learning contexts (eg, community groups and policy-makers), as well as exchanges of physical aspects, institutions and knowledge (in the form of "learning factors") This research has also provided a classification of model uses in transition research that supports a purposeful discussion of the opportunities of modeling and promising future research directions The methodology developed in this doctoral research aims at the analysis and design of transition governance processes by specifying the various opportunities to contribute to sustainability transitions through purposeful action at different societal levels, as well as related roles of stakeholders in implementing such processes of change The methodology combines different streams of previous research: 1) a participatory modeling approach to identify problem perceptions, case-specific sustainability innovations as well as related implementation barriers, drivers and responsibilities; 2) a systematic review to identify supportive and impeding learning factors from the general literature that can complement case-specific factors; and 3) a method for the analysis and design of case-specific transition governance processes Three case studies in Canada (topic: sustainable food systems), Cyprus (water-energy-food nexus) and Germany (sustainable heating supply) have been selected to test and iteratively develop the methodology described above The results for each case study reveal that there are learning objects (ie, learning requirements) in all learning contexts, which underscores the importance of multi-level learning in sustainability transitions, ranging from the individual to the group, organizational and policy levels Actors have various opportunities to actively facilitate societal transformations towards sustainable development either directly through actions at their particular societal levels (ie, context-internal learning) or indirectly through actions that influence learning at other societal levels In fact, most of the learning factors require cooperation across learning contexts during the implementation process The comparing of learning factors across case studies underline the importance of several factor categories, such as "physical a disturbance or crisis", "information and knowledge" Of the 206 factors identified by stakeholders, 40 factors are case-specific and not contained in the general, review-based factor list This underscores the value of participatory research, as general, top-down analyses might have overlooked these case-specific factors The methodology presented in this dissertation allows for the identification and analysis of case-specific intervention points for sustainability transitions at multiple societal levels The methodology furthermore permits the analysis of interplay between individual, group, organizational and policy actions, which is a first step towards their coordination The focus on sustainability innovations links the broad topic of sustainability transitions to a set of opportunities for practical interventions and overcoming their implementation barriers The methodology presented allows for the analysis and design of these interlinkages between learning contexts While the methodology cannot provide any "silver bullets" for inducing sustainability transitions, it is flexible enough to identify an appropriate abstraction level for analyzing and designing transition governance processes The methodology developed in this doctoral research also provides several contributions for the development of participatory modeling methods in transition research Thus, the participatory method supports an integrated analysis of barriers and drivers of sustainability innovations, and allows application in practice and education The concepts and methods developed in this research project allow for reflection on transition governance processes from a systemic viewpoint Experiences in the case studies underline the applicability of the concepts and methods developed for the analysis of case-specific transition governance processes Despite substantial differences in the geographic location, culture and topics addressed, all case studies include promising sustainability innovations and the engagement of multiple actors in their implementation The diversity and multitude of initiatives in the case study regions provides an optimistic outlook on future opportunities for large-scale sustainability transitions

Journal Article
TL;DR: In the last decade, the Internet has become more widely diffused and mobile, developing into a more interactive, globalized space with greater potential for democratic participation and mobilization.
Abstract: In the last decade, the Internet has become more widely diffused and mobile, developing into a more interactive, globalized space with greater potential for democratic participation and mobilization. An earlier study by Groshek (2010) found that from 1994 to 2003, the Internet had limited national-level democratic effects, which suggested that Internet diffusion should not be considered a democratic panacea, but rather a component of contemporary democratization processes. Updating those analyses, this study used the same sample of 72 countries to examine the democratic effects of the Internet and mobile phones from 2004 to 2014 by replicating Groshek’s time-series statistical tests. This study also found very limited evidence that emerging media diffusion resulted in augmented democratization, with only four countries—Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, and Kyrgyzstan—demonstrating greater democracy levels than were statistically predicted. Within a framework of diffusion of innovations and demand for democracy, this study extends the current understanding of emerging media’s role in democratic development, and represents an important step in identifying the limited agency that emerging media diffusion has shown in cultivating democratic growth nationally.