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.

Brick makers, builders and commissioners as agents in the diffusion of Hellenistic fired bricks : choosing social models to fit archaeological data

Abstract: The aim of this study is to understand the mechanisms behind the diffusion of fired bricks in Hellenistic Europe, initiated in the north Aegean in the 4th century BC To this end, a social diffusion model is used to simulate the available archaeological data pertaining to this process The starting point in the construction of the model is the assumption that different categories of people contributed differently to the diffusion One aim is to decide the relative importance of these actor groups The model makes it possible for the innovation to change and evolve along several branches, so that general similarity networks can be simulated Such networks were previously used by Ostborn and Gerding to track the diffusion by identifying likely causal relationships between brick contexts The modelling strategy is similar to that used by the cultural geographer Torsten Hagerstrand: A simple model, based on a few fundamental principles, is constructed in order to ‘isolate a few crucial factors which go a long way towards substantially explaining the phenomenon in question’ By comparing simulations with observed data, the model can be improved step by step Complexity is added only if necessary Unlike Hagerstrand’s model, which only allowed the comparison of spatio-temporal distribution of contexts, we also use similarity network characteristics as comparanda The goal is to find the smallest and simplest set of mechanisms within the model framework that are able to reproduce the known aspects of the diffusion A set of such mechanisms is proposed They are able to account for several features of the process, but not all In particular, we were unable to find a single model that reproduces both the slow and hesitant diffusion of fired bricks during three hundred years and the sudden take-off in the Augustan period This fact indicates that some change in the social structure of the late Hellenistic world is needed to explain the breakthrough (Less)

Website management issues for community-based, non-profit organizations in rural and regional areas: A comparative Australian/Italian study

Abstract: A paucity of research examines the factors which are most important in helping community-based, non-profit organizations to design websites that achieve their aims. This article attempts to fill this research gap by exploring website management issues within 17 organizations in two locations: Victoria, Australia and Tuscany, Italy. Integral to the research was an examination of structural barriers and inter-organizational relationships that act to facilitate the take-up, or otherwise, of technology. Theory regarding the diffusion of innovations and social network analysis provided the background. The qualitative method chosen for the study was constructivist grounded theory. The sample was purposively selected and data collection included semi-structured interviews with key actors; the mapping of organizational relationships; and the examination of websites. The findings indicate that organizations with a combination of good internal skills, and strong access to external advice and skills are in the best ...

Diffusion of Sustainability Innovations around Lynedoch EcoVillage

Abstract: In form of a qualitative single case study this thesis examines what people from industrialized countries such as Germany can learn about sustainability from Lynedoch EcoVillage, South Africa, and the associated 'Sustainability Institute', a non-profit trust based at and operating from Lynedoch EcoVillage which has been working in partnership with the School of Public Management and Planning (SOPMP) at the University of Stellenbosch. Besides a reflection on the terminology of 'Sustainability Innovations', the thesis offers an introduction to Everett M. Rogers' concept of the 'Diffusion of Innovations' (2003) which explains social change based on communication patterns. This concept is applied to the spreading of organic farming in the Lynedoch community and to related activities of the Sustainability Institute.

Clusters and Networks as the Foundations of Innovation Dynamics in the Biopharmaceutical Industry

Abstract: In order to explain why innovation activities are increasingly structuring through networking and agglomeration dynamics, numerous empirical and theoretical works in various disciplines (economics, geography, sociology, management) have stressed the crucial role of spatial proximity. Following this conviction, the idea has emerged that "clusters" has become the key competitive tools within a context of sustained innovation dynamics and rapid globalization, notably in high-tech industries. However, despite its wide spread among academics and practitioners, this conviction still lacks solid theoretical and empirical foundations. Drawing from the case of biopharmaceuticals, this paper aims at showing that if clusters are one of the keys of the processes underlying innovative activities and the diffusion of innovations, they are far from constituting a sufficient condition or even more necessarily the appropriate organizational and spatial form of these processes, particularly in a context of globalization and growing uncertainties.

Translating rhetoric into reality: using the internationalization of humanities and social sciences in Chinese universities as the case

Abstract: This paper contends that the inclusion of meso- and micro-level perspectives has been under exploration in the study of the internationalization of humanities and social sciences, in particular, in a state-mandated system where policy interventions in higher education and knowledge production have typically been aligned with state construction and national development. It argues that institutional and individual responses to state policies on the internationalization of humanities and social sciences should be investigated due to their respective roles in policymaking and implementation. It has, therefore, retrieved recent and historical policy documents during the post-WTO period and collected empirical data from two Chinese universities. A constructivist-interpretivist qualitative approach and a qualitative case study strategy were adopted for this investigation. Based on an in-depth analysis of the empirical data, this paper reveals the gap between the macro-level ambition of achieving outward-oriented diffusion of innovations and the local-level realities, as well as institutional dilemmas and conflicts in facilitating the internationalization.