Information Systems Innovation and Diffusion

Abstract

From the Book: It is more true than ever that information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) are prerequisites for business success. Business organizations are reported to be investing a considerable proportion of their free capital in IS/IT. However, it is also reported that as much as 50 per cent of these undertakings lead to IS/IT solutions judged as outright failures or deemed highly unsatisfactory. As the impressive amount of published research on IS/IT innovation and diffusion has already shown, the development and use of IS/IT requires continuous innovation and diffusion processes among an organization's line employees, internal IT experts, and external support mechanisms (e.g, research centers, consultants, software houses, and vendors). Because of the alarmingly high IS/IT investment failure rate, however, one can easily assume that this published research on IS/IT innovation and diffusion is thus far fragmented, incomplete, and has not provided clear direction to effectively understanding technology innovation and diffusion issues. Of course, practitioners may also not be applying the lessons already learned from existing research, but that is another matter. Part of the reason for this seeming disconnect between research and practice is simply that IS/IT is continuing to develop at such a rapid pace. More and more information and complex relationships are being captured, stored, processed, and transmitted to ever larger numbers of knowledge workers within and between organizations. For many industry segments, the very nature and definition of their business is undergoing continual and radical change. The way work is done, decisions are made, products are tailored, production is automated, material is distributed, and customers are satisfied is all changing on a global stage. IT stands squarely in the middle of this transformation and looks to a near future where business trends will require the use of information in ways not yet even imagined. Readers of this book should not therefore expect to find an integrated and comprehensive approach to IT innovation and diffusion issues. The chapters in this book represent the diverse and unique views of authors who approach the technology innovation and diffusion process from a wide variety of perspectives. Each, in their respective chapter, offers a piece of the whole picture. Taken together, these chapters present the careful and insightful exploration of many variables affecting the innovation and diffusion process. As such, this book, by bringing together these chapters, makes a valuable contribution to the IT innovation and diffusion literature. The continuing challenge in this field of inquiry is to persist in exploring developing trends and to assist researchers and practitioners in better grasping future challenges. The contributions in this book help address that challenge. The book concentrates on four broad innovation and diffusion areas. First, single aspects that may influence innovation and diffusion outcome are examined. These aspects are human oriented (e.g., power distribution) or technology related (e.g., a graphical simulator.) Second, diffusion theory as applied to the introduction and spreading of software application packages that are commonly found in organizations is scrutinized. Third, positive and negative aspects related to the use of formally organized diffusion facilitation mechanisms are explored. Fourth, integrated views and models describing innovation and diffusion processes and future potential are forwarded.

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