This paper will discuss the challenges that arise in the business-to-business marketing process in the area of highly technological and innovative solutions. The authors will depict the processes that are involved in the business-to-business marketing approach and portray the challenges that arise due to a number of factors, such as trust, customer value and early adoption, when it comes to selling new technology and innovative solutions, and innovations overall, that companies nowadays need, but not necessarily want. The Diffusion of Innovation theory as well as the concept of Relationship Management will be used to put this topic into theoretical frameworks. With the support of existing literature, the qualitative methodologies of this paper are chosen in order to gain knowledge of the preferred approaches of business-to-business marketing. In accordance to this, the authors aim to analyze the diffusion of innovation and how companies today can attain customers not only within the early adopters group, but also the early and later majority, thus increasing market value and share. This exact transition has been analyzed, however not in the exact field of industrial marketing with a focus on the financial industry, though innovation and digitalization is now more important than ever.  Firms need to establish personal and trustworthy relationships with potential and actual customers in order to generate more value and implement necessary innovative solutions. In a survey conducted within the scope of this thesis, respondents emphasize the perceived level of expertise suppliers need in order to initiate collaborations. The focus on innovation and increasing customer and market values through its implementation will be discussed in order to accelerate value generation for all parties involved in an ever-changing digital environment and to fill the research gap within innovation diffusion in industrial marketing.

This study examines the role of the Campus Technologist in diffusing innovation at the Central Texas High School. The study defines the CT position, its evolution and the effects of the position on the diffusion of innovation. The study further examines the relationship of the CT with the facilitation, infusion and integration of technology in the classroom at the Central Texas High School. Interview and survey data from both the CT and the faculty provided insight and findings that indicate the role of the CT has evolved. The evolution of the CT position was found to be characterized as three distinct roles a pedagogy specialist, a content specialist and a technology specialist. The study also investigated teacher perception, utilization frequencies and data patterns in relationship to the role of the CT at the Central Texas High School. Finally, the study examined technology integration in the classroom and provided findings in a frequency distribution of technology application practices and integration applications by teachers in their classrooms at the Central Texas High School.

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The rapid development of plastic production the last couple of decades has led to extensive use of plastic products and vast problems with littering, waste management and exploitation of natural resources. Due to the cheap and easy production of plastics, the world’s population has extended the limit of acceptable usage. The world’s oceans are filled with plastic debris and waste is landfilled, which have had large impacts on the ecosystem, animal and human life (World Environment Day Outlook, 2018). One of the industries that have been revolutionised by the development of plastic advancement is the packaging industry, where products can be protected and quality can be kept, helping globalisation and developing the modern economy (UNEP, 2018). However, due to the lack of waste management systems and recycling facilities for plastics, the world’s population is demanding change. The United Nations have developed the Sustainability Goals and issued The New Plastics Economy, where governments, citizens and regulatory institutions are to work towards a circular economy (The New Plastics Economy, 2019). The demands are addressed towards whole value chains, from production to end-use, and include waste minimising, material optimisation, increase of recyclability, and the development of sustainable alternatives. The fish industry has historically been limited to a few packaging options and expanded polystyrene (EPS) has been the least inferior one when packaging fresh fish for transportation and keeping the quality of the fish. EPS has great material properties for this purpose, however, with the sustainability transition and increasing demands from consumers, the material is regarded as unsustainable with limited availability and profitability to recycle (Hansen et al., 2012). This master thesis aims to investigate if there are sustainable packaging solutions for fresh fish and how these could be adopted by the fish industry. This was done by conducting a qualitative case study on an alternative packaging solution made from corrugated cardboard. Stakeholders from the whole fish value chain were interviewed in order to understand the value perception of existing and alternative packaging solutions for fresh fish. The findings have been analysed using innovation adoption theory together with a sustainability framework. This in order to understand the adoption behaviour of innovative sustainable packaging solutions, and the sustainability impact of these with regards to environmental, social and economic aspects. The study has identified two packaging solutions, develop recycling systems for EPS and fish boxes made from corrugated cardboard, that the fish industry should consider adopting. The two identified packaging solutions have different diffusion possibilities, where the corrugated cardboard fish box is considered as the most sustainable solution. / Den snabba utvecklingen av plastproduktion de senaste decennierna har lett till en omfattande användning av plastprodukter, vilket har medfört problem som nedskräpning, ökad avfallshantering och överdriven användning av naturresurser. På grund av billig och enkel tillverkning av plast har världens befolkning överskridit gränsen för acceptabel användning. Världens hav är fyllda med spillror av plast och avfall deponeras, vilket har haft stora effekter på ekosystemet och djur- och människoliv (World Environment Day Outlook, 2018). En av branscherna som har revolutionerats av utvecklingen av plast är förpackningsindustrin, där plasten bidrar till att produkter kan skyddas och kvalitet kan bevaras, vilket har hjälpt globaliseringen och utvecklat den moderna ekonomin (UNEP, 2018). På grund av bristen på avfallshanteringssystem och återvinningsanläggningar för plast kräver dock världens befolkning förändring. FN har utvecklat hållbarhetsmål och utfärdat The New Plastics Economy, där regeringar, människor och tillsynsinstitutioner ska arbeta för en cirkulär ekonomi (The New Plastics Economy, 2019). Kraven riktas mot hela värdekedjor, från produktion till slutanvändning, och inkluderar avfallsminimering, materialoptimering, ökad återvinningsbarhet och utveckling av hållbara alternativ. Fiskindustrin har historiskt sett varit begränsad till att använda materialet expanderad polystyren (EPS) vid förpackning av färsk fisk för transport och för att behålla fiskens kvalitet. Detta material har bra materialegenskaper för dessa ändamål, men med hållbarhetsövergången och ökade krav från konsumenter anses materialet vara ohållbart med begränsad tillgänglighet och lönsamhet att återvinna (Hansen et al., 2012). Denna masteruppsats syftar till att undersöka om det finns hållbara förpackningslösningar för färsk fisk och hur dessa bör anammas av fiskindustrin. Detta gjordes genom att genomföra en kvalitativ fallstudie av en alternativ förpackningslösning gjord av wellpapp. Intressenter från fiskens hela värdekedja intervjuades för att förstå värdesynen på befintliga och alternativa förpackningslösningar för färsk fisk. Resultaten har analyserats med hjälp av innovations teori, tillsammans med ett hållbarhetsramverk. Detta för att förstå adoptionsbeteendet för innovativa hållbara förpackningslösningar och hållbarhetspåverkan av dessa när det gäller miljö, samt sociala och ekonomiska aspekter. Studien har identifierat två förpackningslösningar; ett utvecklat återvinningssystem för EPS och fisklådor tillverkade av wellpapp, som fiskindustrin bör överväga att anamma. De två identifierade lösningarna har olika diffusionsmöjligheter, där wellpappfisklåda betraktas som den mest hållbara lösningen.

Overcrowded emergency departments (EDs) are a critical problem in healthcare, and emerging technology presents new solutions to this problem. One solution is ambulatory in-home services, like Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) programs, offering care to patients inside of their homes using telehealth technology. For an ambulatory in-home service to cross the chasm and be accepted by a larger population, two aspects have to be investigated and developed for an earlystage implementation: 1) The product offering, and 2) stakeholder attraction. A case of a newly developed MIH program has been studied with the purpose to understand what aspects should be prioritized in the development of an ambulatory in-home service, such as the MIH program. Firstly, the product offering should have a niche approach using early triaging, to ensure that its selling promise gets fulfilled. Secondly, the generic product should consist of basic services that can be expanded after the service has proven trialability. However, the potential of the product should be researched and presented to the management with a realistic selling promise commitment. Lastly, the complexity, mostly associated with administrative tasks, should be minimized. To further increase the adoption rate, knowledge exchange with other programs should be utilized. Moreover, the study shows evidence that both patients and providers have a high satisfaction associated with ambulatory in-home services, and that they have a relative advantage in comparison to an ED visit. The diffusion will mostly be through word-of-mouth, making the product offering even more important. To achieve maximum diffusion the patients and providers have to know that the service is available to other individuals in their social system. During the early stages of adoption, external influence will also play an important role in creating awareness. Moreover, loyalty and continuous use of the service have to be promoted. / Överbelastade akutmottagningar är ett kritiskt problem i sjukvård, och utvecklingen av ny teknikger en lösning till detta problem. En lösning är akuta hemtjänster, liksom "Mobile Integrated Health" (MIH) program, som erbjuder vård till patienter inuti deras hem genom att använda "telehealth" teknologi. För att en akut hemservice ska korsa spridningsklyftan och bli accepterad av en större befolkning måste två aspekter undersökta och utvecklade i ett tidigt stadie: 1) produkterbjudande och 2) intressentattraktion. I denna studie har ett nyutvecklat MIH program studerats med avsikten att förstå vilka aspekter som ska prioriteras under utvecklingen av en akut hemtjänst, liksom MIH programmet. För det första så måste produkterbjudandet ha en nischad strategi, som använder sig av tidig triage för att säkerhetsställa att säljlöftet genomförs. För det andra så ska den generiska produkten bestå av bastjänster, vilka kan expanderas efter att provbarhet har bevisats. Dock så ska den potentiella produkten undersökas och presenteras för ledningen med ett realistiskt säljlöfte. Slutligen så ska komplexiteten, som är mestadels kopplad till administrativa uppgifter, minimeras. För ytterligare ökning av spridningsfrekvensen så ska kunskapsutbyten med andra program utnyttjas. Fortsatt, så visar studien på att både patienter och vårdgivare har en hög belåtenhet kopplat till akuta hemtjänster, och att de har en relativ fördel i jämförelse med besök på akutmottagningar. Spridningen sker mestadels genom "word-of-mouth" vilket gör produkterbjudandet ännu viktigare. För att nå maximal spridning måste patienter och vårdgivare veta att tjänsten är tillgänglig för andra individer i deras sociala system. Under den tidiga adoptionsfasen, är extern influens också viktigt för att sprida medvetenhet. Även lojalitet och fortsatt användning av tjänsten måste framhävas.

This study of the diffusion and evolution of the 311 innovation in the form of citizen service centers and as a technology cluster has been designed to help identify the catalysts for the spread of government-to-citizen (G2C) technology in local government in order to better position future G2C technology for a more rapid rate of adoption. The 311 non-emergency number was first established in 1996 and had spread to 80 local governments across the United States by 2012. This dissertation examines: what factors contributed to the adoption of 311 in American local governments over 100,000 in population; how did the innovation diffuse and evolve over time; and why did some governments' communications with citizens became more advanced than others? Given the problem of determining causality, a three-part research design was used to examine the topic including a historical narrative, logistic regression model, and case studies from Pittsburgh, Minneapolis and St. Louis. The narrative found that the political forces of the federal government, national organizations, and policy entrepreneurs (Karch, 2007) promoted the 311 innovation to solve different problems and that it evolved beyond its original intent. The logistic regression model found that there was a statistically significant relationship between 311 adoption and the variables of higher population, violent crime rate, and the mayor-council form of government. The case studies revealed that mayors played a strong role in establishing citizen service centers in all three cities while 311 adopter Pittsburgh and non-adopter St. Louis seemed to have more in common in their G2C evolution due to severe budget constraints. With little written about the 311 innovation in academic journals, practitioners and scholars will benefit from understanding the catalysts for the diffusion and evolution of the 311 in order to determine ways to increase the rate of adoption for future G2C communication innovations. / Ph. D.

The evidence from the literature suggests that Information Technology adoption (IT) governance in organisations is still a challenge. The diversity of application and the ever-increasing use of IT results in making decisions on IT adoption a major challenge for organisations. The decision about using a particular technology from an organisational perspective is problematic since individual users have different worldviews. The implicit assumption in IT adoption literature is that stakeholders always reach consensus during IT adoption decision making in organisations. This study explored the existing models and frameworks in order to develop a preliminary improved IT adoption governance framework. This study used a case study sequential explanatory mixed methods research approach to validate the preliminary IT adoption governance framework. The first validation phase of the framework was done using a quantitative approach followed by the second validation phase based on qualitative interviews. The last validation was done after integrating the quantitative and qualitative results to produce the refined framework. The results suggest that the developed framework may improve IT adoption governance in organisations. The results showed that the framework components facilitate IT adoption governance in organisations. The results also suggest that the components have an association with each other except for the Technology Acceptance Model component. The results indicate that stakeholder participation and hard systems thinking components have a strong predictive impact on IT governance framework component perception in organisations. The study results suggest that IT adoption decision makers need to balance different stakeholders’ demands during IT adoption decision making in organisations. The framework helps in that regard by reconciling different stakeholders’ demands through collective IT adoption decision making. The strength of the framework is its integration of theories from various disciplines in understanding stakeholder expectations. On that basis the framework is in a better position to offer more insight into understanding challenges of IT adoption decision making than existing frameworks and models. The framework offers a potentially valuable basis for future research in IT adoption decision making in organisations. The results suggest that the framework may facilitate IT adoption in organisations using different components. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information systems)

本研究企圖從Rogers創新傳佈的觀點探討科技特質因子如何影響雜誌業採用新型態便利商店繳款單付費方式。研究採問卷調查法，有效問卷68份。統計分析結果發現：一、創新傳佈理論五項科技特質中相對利益、相容性、可觀察性因子與採用採用新型態便利商店繳款單付費方式之決策有關。二、決策階段之科技導入評估因子：選用程度、作業程度、補償程度與採用決策有關。三、科技特質因子與科技導入評估因子之間交互相關。四、不同雜誌組織對於便利商店付費方式有顯著不同差異。發行規模較小的公司(發行量低於一萬份或雜誌代理商)，反而願意投入掌握新市場。本研究建議未來可延伸以破壞性創新理論，繼續探討創新付費模式是否能使新進市場的媒介組織擁有優勢，對於未來數位內容、網路分類廣告等是否採用創新付費機制，都將具有啟發作用。 / The research uses Roger’s diffusion of innovation theory to explore how magazines adopt an alternative new payment method to sale magazines－using 7-11 chain stores barcode method. A total of 68 valid questionnaires were collected. The results support our hypotheses that the relationships exist between technology characteristics of the new payment method and the adoption; second, the organizational size and types of the magazine affect the adoption. The research suggests that future research consider using Christensen’s desruptive innovation theory to examine innovative payment models, especially in the area of digital contents and e- classified.

The Internet is the most common communication and research tool worldwide. Perusal of the World Wide Web quickly reveals the variety of information available. Internet adoption can be considered the late 20th century's most important event. In academic environments today, Internet use among faculty members has been widely expanded, with professors now integrating Internet technology into classroom activities. Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University (IMSU) is a pioneering public university in Saudi Arabia. Until recently, some faculty members at IMSU were unable to access the Internet through the university. It is important to study the effects of this delay on faculty members regarding research and academic activities. This study identified the statistically significant differences in demographic characteristics of Internet adopters and non-adopters among faculty members at IMSU, examined whether faculty members' perceptions of the Internet affected adoption, determined if the university administration's decisions impacted faulty members' decisions to adopt the Internet, identified factors motivating faculty members to adopt the Internet, identified obstacles influencing faculty members' decisions to use the Internet, and determined whether innovation characteristics as perceived by faculty members predicted Internet adoption. Using Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory, the influence of eight attributes were examined regarding Internet adoption among IMSU faculty members. Multiple regression and chi-square techniques were conducted to analyze the data and answer research questions. Statistically significant differences were identified among Internet adopters and non-adopters regarding gender, age, academic rank, discipline, and English proficiency. The data revealed 54.7% of IMSU faulty members used the Internet for research and academic activities twice a month or less, indicating a low Internet adoption rate. Statistically significant differences were noted among adopters and non-adopters relative to income level and English proficiency. Multiple regression analysis showed that all attributes of innovation individually predicted Internet adoption. The combination of all attributes indicated the model could predict Internet adoption among faculty.

This study is an exploration of the European Union acquis adoption in the Turkish National Police. The research employed the Diffusion of Innovations, Democratic Policing, and historical background check theoretical frameworks to study the decision-making of the TNP regarding reforms after 2003 as a qualitative case study which triangulated the methodology with less-dominant survey and several other analyzing methods. The data were collected from several sources including semi-structured interviews, archival records, documentary evidences and the European Commission Regular Reports on Turkey. The research interest was about the decision mechanisms of the TNP towards reforms and the rise of democratic policing in Turkey. During the study, internationally recognized human rights standards were given attention. As the data suggested, the police forces are shaped according to their ruling governments and societies. It is impossible to find a totally democratic police in a violent society and a totally violent police in a democratic society. The study findings suggested that reforming police agencies should not be a significant problem for determined governments. Human rights violations should not be directly related with the police in any country. The data suggested that democratic policing applications find common application when the democracy gets powerful and police brutality increases when authoritarian governments stays in power. Democratic policing on the other hand is an excellent tool to improve notion of democracy and to provide legitimacy to governments. However, democratic policing is not a tool to bring the democracy, but a support mechanism for it.