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.

A methodology for tracking the “fate” of technological interventions in agriculture

Abstract: The primary focus of agricultural research and extension in eastern Africa is technology generation and dissemination. Despite prior critiques of the shortcomings of this approach, the consequences of such activities continue to be measured through the number of technologies developed and introduced into the supply chain. At best, impact is assessed by the total numbers of adopters and by the household and system factors influencing adoption. While the diffusion research tradition has made substantive advances in recent decades, attention to what happens to technologies after adaptive, on-farm research trials continues to be limited in practice. While a host of newer approaches designed to correct for past shortcomings in diffusion research is now available, integrative methodologies that capitalize on the strengths of these different traditions are sorely needed. This article presents a more encompassing methodology for tracking the fate of technological interventions, illustrating the potential applications of findings for enhancing the positive impact of agricultural research and extension in the region.

The importance of external stakeholders for police body-worn camera diffusion

Abstract: Purpose The diffusion of innovations paradigm suggests that stakeholders’ acceptance of a police innovation shapes how it spreads and impacts the larger criminal justice system. A lack of support by external stakeholders for police body-worn cameras (BWCs) can short-circuit their intended benefits. The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of BWCs among non-police stakeholders who are impacted by the technology as well as how BWCs influence their daily work processes. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted interviews and focus groups (n=41) in two US cities where the police department implemented BWCs. The interviewees range from courtroom actors (e.g. judges, prosecutors) to those who work with police in the field (e.g. fire and mental health), city leaders, civilian oversight members, and victim advocates. Findings External stakeholders are highly supportive of the new technology. Within the diffusion of innovations framework, this support suggests that the adoption of BWCs will continue. However, the authors also found the decision to implement BWCs carries unique consequences for external stakeholders, implying that a comprehensive planning process that takes into account the views of all stakeholders is critical. Originality/value Despite the recent diffusion of BWCs in policing, this is the first study to examine the perceptions of external stakeholders. More broadly, few criminologists have applied the diffusion of innovations framework to understand how technologies and other changes emerge and take hold in the criminal justice system. This study sheds light on the spread of BWCs within this framework and offers insights on their continued impact and consequences.

‘New media’ research publication trends and outlets in communication, 1990-2006

Abstract: Applying Fidler’s (1997) principles of mediamorphosis and Rogers’s (2003) diffusion of innovations, this study examines a 17-year timeframe to assess publication patterns in and outlets for new media research that examines the internet and related digital technologies within the communication discipline. The five primary findings reveal that: 1) publication of new media research continues to diffuse, with the subfield likely to have reached a critical mass and passed through an adoption ‘take off’ phase; 2) authors favor a concentrated set of title keyword terms to describe their research; 3) media-oriented journals publish approximately half of all new media articles; 4) a core set of 14 communication-related journals currently publishes new media research; and 5) the principles of mediamorphosis and diffusion of innovations help to explain the emergence of the new media concentration within the communication discipline. We conclude that new media research focusing on the internet and related digital tec...