Diffusion of innovations

About: Diffusion of innovations is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2139 publications have been published within this topic receiving 191397 citations. The topic is also known as: diffusion of innovation & diffusion of innovations theory.

Diffusion of Innovations in the Systems Thinking Approach

Abstract: This article presents the process of innovation diffusion in the context of Systems Thinking. The Bass diffusion model is built and converted into a computer simulation model with all variables defined in terms of the System Dynamics (stocks and flows). The computer simulation on the Bass' model confirms a typical for real-life innovations behaviour. Various initial assumptions and their impact upon the innovation diffusion are tested.

Perceptions of Innovations as Predictors of TALULAR Implementation Levels among Secondary School Science Teachers in Malawi: A Diffusion of Innovations Perspective

Abstract: The ever increasing enrollment numbers and the corresponding dwindling educational resources in public schools have challenged the Ministry of Education in Malawi to introduce an instructional innovation (TALULAR) based on the use of locally available resources for teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to determine: (i) whether, and to what extent, the perceived characteristics of innovations and teachers’ demographic and employment variables are useful in predicting the implementation of TALULAR, and (ii) the extent to which TALULAR has been implemented by secondary school science teachers in Malawi. Rogers’ (2003) diffusion of innovations theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. Using stratified random sampling, 269 science teachers, representing a response rate of 77%, provided data for this study. Among other findings, multiple regression analysis revealed that collectively, the perceived innovation characteristics are significant predictors of TALULAR implementation. The results further revealed that perceived relative advantage and perceived observability in terms of others’ use are the two most important predictors of TALULAR implementation, and that implementation of the innovation by science teachers is at a moderate level. These findings might contribute to a deeper understanding of science teachers’ perceptions of using the innovation and may aid change agents and agencies in planning a successful nation-wide diffusion campaign to ensure that all teachers not only adopt, but more importantly, implement the innovation in the classroom. Perceptions of Innovations as Predictors of TALULAR Implementation iii Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to the following people: (i) my mother, Mrs. Dorice Gwayi, who worked tirelessly to bring me up in a very unfavorable environment infested by poverty, disease, hunger and nepotism, (ii) my brother, Mr. Ronald Gwayi, who is an extraordinary human being who dropped out of primary school to look for a job in order to finance my secondary school education, (iii) my late father, Mr. Mackson Gwayi, who was my role-model for hard work and persistence and who instilled in me the inspiration to set high goals and the confidence to attain them, (iii) my lovely wife, Elizabeth Gwayi, who has been supportive of my work and who shared the many challenges and sacrifices for completing this mammoth task, and (iv) my son, Wongani Elijah Gwayi, and my daughter, Thandiwe Sithembile Gwayi, who have now grown into wonderful six and two-year olds, respectively, in spite of their father being less available for them than he should have been during the critical years of their life. Perceptions of Innovations as Predictors of TALULAR Implementation iv Acknowledgements Foremost, I would like to thank God for His gift of life and wisdom without which this endeavor would not have come to fruition. Many thanks go to my academic committee, Dr. John Burton, Dr. Barbara Lockee, Dr. Ken Potter, and Dr. Jennifer Brill, who were there and provided the much needed light during the darkest moments when the idea, which blossomed into this dissertation, was being conceived and have supported me unceasingly. No one would ask for more blessings than to be mentored by these extraordinary people. My deep appreciation goes to Dr. John Burton, who chaired my dissertation committee, for his wisdom, tireless support, guidance and patience as I traversed through the dissertation trajectory. Many other people have also contributed to the success of this dissertation in unique ways, and the list may be too long to include them all. Sincere thanks go to the Malawi Group at Blacksburg Presbyterian Church, Dr. George Glasson and Dr. Josiah Tlou for their precious support that made my data collection in Malawi possible. Thanks also go to Dr. Chuck Hodges who provided initial insights into better ways of coding the questionnaire data. I thank my employer, Mzuzu University in Malawi, for their enduring support (through the ESSUP program) in partly financing my doctoral studies in Virginia, USA, and Mr. G.H. Zembeni, the TALULAR expert at MIE in Zomba, for providing me with valuable information about the innovation. Thanks also go to science teachers and school heads in the Northern Region of Malawi for their cooperation and time in providing data for this study. The most valuable support also came from my family. I owe thanks to my dear wife, Elizabeth, my son, Wongani, and my daughter, Thandiwe, for their unfaltering love, support, and motivation I needed to excel, and for their understanding even when my long hours of absence caused a sense of insecurity, discomfort, and inconvenience. Perceptions of Innovations as Predictors of TALULAR Implementation v Table of

An exploration of the diffusion of a new technology from communities of practice perspective: Web services technologies in digital libraries.

Abstract: This study explored and described decision factors related to technology adoption. The research used diffusion of innovations and communities of practice (CoP) theoretical frameworks and a case study of Web services technology in the digital library (DL) environment to develop an understanding of the decision-making process. A qualitative case study approach was used to investigate the research problems and data were collected through semi-structured interviews, documentary evidence (e.g., meeting minutes), and a comprehensive member check. The research conducted face-to-face and phone interviews with seven respondents with different job titles (administraive vs. technical) from five different DL programs selected based on distinctive characteristics such as size of the DL program. Findings of the research suggested that the decision-making process is a complex process in which a number of factors are considered when making technology adoption decisions. These factors are categorized as organizational, individual, and technology specific factors. Further, data showed that DL CoPs played an important role in enabling staff members of a DL program to access up-to-date and experienced-based knowledge, provided a distributed problem solving and learning environment, facilitating informal communication and collaborative activities, and informing the decision-making process.

Bridging the gap between artificial market simulations and qualitative research in diffusion of innovation

Abstract: Artificial markets (AMs) are an emerging form of agent-based simulation (ABS), in which agents represent individual consumers, firms, or industries interacting under simulated market conditions. The validity of the method depends on the ability of researchers to construct simulated agents that faithfully capture the key behavior of targeted entities. Without such a correspondence the simulation cannot be considered to be a valid representation of market dynamics. To date, no such correspondence has been established. Yet, for artificial markets to achieve their potential as a tool for marketing practice it is crucial that closer ties be forged with mainstream methods for consumer behavioral research, especially qualitative methods. The primary contribution of this article is a novel method combining qualitative marketing research (inductive case studies, grounded theory, and sequence analysis) and software engineering techniques to synthesize simulation-ready theories of consumer behavior. We provide a step-by-step explanation and a demonstrative example of theory-building from the consumer technology adoption domain. The outcome is a theory of consumer adoption behavior that is sufficiently precise and formal to be expressed in Unified Modeling Language (UML). The article concludes with a discussion of the limitations of the method, recommendations for its implementation in the study of diffusion of innovation (DOI) and suggestions for further research. The arguments and findings in this article that pertain to artificial markets can be generalized with respect to most agent-based simulations, including those applied to the study of diffusion of innovation. The results of an ABS of innovation diffusion cannot be relied upon unless the agents are based on a theory of adoption that grounded in empirical observations of the targeted entities — regardless of whether those entities are consumers, firms or industries. Qualitative research of adoption behavior is thus a useful precursor to successful agent-based approaches to studying the diffusion of innovations.

Rethinking Diffusion Theory in an Applied Context: Role of Environmental Values in Adoption of Home Energy Conservation

Abstract: Diffusion theory, developed and popularized within communication research by Everett Rogers, is a venerable approach with much to recommend it as a theoretical foundation for applied communication research. In developing an applied project for a home energy conservation (energy efficiency retrofit) program in the state of Nevada, we utilized key concepts from diffusion theory but also confronted its limitations. Ultimately, in this project, the diffusion of home energy conservation to individual households depended primarily not on general adoption propensity, a personality characteristic postulated by diffusion theory, or even on financial (cost-benefit) considerations, but on an environmental orientation. This result suggests revision to the diffusion of innovations idea may be needed.