Organizational adoption and assimilation of complex technological innovations: development and application of a new framework

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the applicability of traditional innovation adoption and diffusion models to contingent, authority innovation processes occurring within an organizational context (Zaltman, Duncan & Holbeck, 1973); that is, when employees in organizations adopt an innovation that has been chosen by an authority figure. This paper identifies existing gaps in traditional innovation adoption models and concludes that a new framework is required --- one that incorporates the unique processes and factors related to organizational adoption and assimilation of innovations. A new hybrid theoretical framework is developed which combines insights from organizational-level research on technology implementation (Cooper & Zmud, 1990; Orlikowski, 1993) with constructs from traditional innovation adoption models (Rogers, 1983; Prescott & Conger, 1995). The resulting theory is a hybrid process/variance theory, which captures both implementation events and the factors that influence them (Shaw & Jarvenpaa, 1997). Data from a longitudinal case study of a firm that implemented client/server development are used to illustrate the framework and to develop propositions for future research.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.1 MODELS AND PRINCIPLES
      H.1.0 General

Additional Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.4 COMPUTERS AND SOCIETY
      K.4.3 Organizational Impacts
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
      K.6.0 General

General Terms:
Management, Theory

Keywords:
technology adoption, technology diffusion