Mgmt 386                                                                                          #6

 

Infusing Innovation into an Organization

 

 

To get the bad customs of a country changed and the new ones, though better, introduced,

it is necessary first to remove the prejudices of the people, enlighten their ignorance,

and convince them that their interests will be promoted by the proposed changes;

and this is not the work of a day.

                                                                        Benjamin Franklin (1781)

 

 

I.          Why should you care about this topic?

 

 

II.        What encourages an organization to purchase, or not to purchase, a technology?

-         Discussion of the theory of increasing returns to adoption

 

 

III.       The organization has purchased the technology.  How is it diffused throughout the

organization?

 

A.            What is diffusion?   Who are some of the key players?

 

 

B.            What happens during each of the "stages" in the innovation-decision

 process?

-         knowledge

-         persuasion

-         decision

-         implementation

-         confirmation

 

 

C.            How can an organization increase the rate at which individuals proceed

through this process?

 

1.  Mandate the technology -- Do only this .. or proceed to possibility #2…

 

 

2.  Spread the word.

 

 

3.  Break down the knowledge barriers.

 

 

4.  Weaken any perceived negative beliefs and attitudes about the

innovation.

-         relative advantage

-         image

-         compatibility

-         ease of use

-         trialability

-         result demonstrability

-         visibility

 

 

5.      Improve the situational influences.

 

 

6.  Recognize different adopter categories and use this appropriately.

innovators/pioneers:  2.5%

early adopters:  13.5%

early majority:  34%

late majority:  34%

laggards:  16%

 

 

7.  etc. etc. etc.