Functional actors and perceptions of innovation attributes: influence on innovation adoption

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to complement organizational diffusion research by illustrating influence of factors specific to collective adoption process, which has received limited focus in diffusion research. The research question is how do different actors perceive attributes of innovation and how does that influence the process towards initial adoption of a new technology? Design/methodology/approach - Owing to limited prior research and need to assess multiple innovation variables, the paper employs an inductive case study. Uses Rogers' five main perceived attributes of innovation as an analysis framework and functional actors as a unit of analysis. Two cases with early stage companies commercialising new, differentiating technologies to global, established value networks. Key actors influencing the adoption of the technologies interviewed. Findings - The paper illustrates how actor characteristics and perceptions of innovation attributes are interrelated; perceptions of different functional actors on innovation attributes differ, both gating and advancing the adoption process for innovations; and the actors' differing perceptions and the resulting interaction influence the duration and outcome of adoption process. Research limitations/implications - Non‐traditional methodology in diffusion research leading to larger interpretation of the findings, but enabling assessment of multiple variables and their interrelations not captured with traditional approaches. Areas for further research: generalizable patterns in interrelation between actors' functional roles and perceptions of innovation attributes as well as evolution of perceptions during collective adoption process. Practical implications - Innovation providers need to identify both the parties gating and advancing the innovation as well as their underlying motivations. They need to ensure sufficient interaction between themselves and the actors and among the actors to leverage the positive momentum to overcome the resistance towards innovation. Originality/value - The paper addresses the organizational diffusion research critique of, e.g. Frambach, of Damanpour, and of Wejnert on insufficient attention being paid to actor level characteristics and their influence on diffusion as well as interaction of different variables. The paper empirically illustrates how factors specific to collective adoption influence the process towards adoption.