Licentiatavhandling (sammanfattning) Luleå : Luleå tekniska universitet, 2005. / Härtill 3 uppsatser + 2 appendix.

This study investigates the intra-organisational adoption of technological innovation and focuses specifically on the perceived influence of innovation, organizational, individual and managerial facilitation factors on the adoption process of Robotic process automation (RPA) technology. Based on an exploration and integration of eight adoption related frameworks from Innovation diffusion, User acceptance and Change management fields, a conceptual model linking the system level change to individual level commitment process was created. The model integrates concepts from Diffusion of Innovation, Theory of Reasoned Action, Theory of Planned Behaviour, Technology Acceptance Model, Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use, Lewin’s 3 stage-model, Kotter’s 8-step model and Change Institutionalization framework. A qualitative case study at Stora Enso’s Finance delivery function was conducted utilizing semi-structured interviews to contribute to better understanding about the adoption process of RPA. The empirical data was then analysed against the created conceptual model. The findings from the case study suggest that contextual factors related to innovation, organizational, individual and managerial facilitation attributes are perceived to influence the adoption of RPA. In relation to innovation attributes the key themes identified were RPA advantages, risks and threats, ease of understanding and use, development effort and RPA-process fit. Under the category of organizational attributes, the main factors identified were RPA-organization fit, previous RPA experience, RPA capabilities and organizational support. Key individual attribute related factors were personality, time resources, previous success with RPA and personal motivation, and main managerial facilitation attributes were management support, communication, knowledge and experience sharing, training and skill development and employee involvement.

abstract: Research on government innovation has focused on identifying factors that contribute to higher levels of innovation adoption. Even though various factors have been tested as contributors to high levels of innovation adoption, the independent variables have been predominantly contextual and community characteristics. Previous empirical studies shed little light on chief executive officers' (CEOs) attitudes, values, and behavior. Result has also varied with the type of innovation examined. This research examined the effect of CEOs' attitudes and behaviors, and institutional motivations on the adoption of sustainability practices in their municipalities. First, this study explored the relationship between the adoption level of sustainability practices in local government and CEOs' entrepreneurial attitudes (i.e. risk taking, proactiveness, and innovativeness) and discovery skills (i.e. associating, questioning, experimenting, observing, and networking) that have not been examined in prior research on local government innovation. Second, the study explored the impact of organizational intention to change and isomorphic pressures (i.e., coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures) and the availability and limit of organizational resources on the early adoption of innovations in local governments. Third, the study examines how CEOs' entrepreneurial attitudes and discovery skills, and institutional motivations account for high and low sustaining levels of innovation over time by tracking how much their governments have adopted innovations from the past to the present. Lastly, this study explores their path effects CEOs' entrepreneurial attitudes, discovery skills, and isomorphic pressures on sustainability innovation adoption. This is an empirical study that draws on a survey research of 134 CEOs who have influence over innovation adoption in their local governments. For collecting data, the study identified 264 municipalities over 10,000 in population that have responded to four surveys on innovative practices conducted by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) in past eight years: the Reinventing local government survey (2003), E-government survey (2004), Strategic practice (2006), and the Sustainability survey (2010). This study combined the information about the adoption of innovations from four surveys with CEOs' responses in the current survey. Socio-economic data and information about variations in form of government were also included in the data set. This study sheds light on the discovery skills and institutional isomorphic pressures that influence the adoption of different types of innovations in local governments. This research contributes to a better understanding of the role of administrative leadership and organizational isomorphism in the dynamic of innovation adoption, which could lead to improvements in change management of organizations. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Public Administration 2013

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We use regression analysis to study what motivates car pool managers to campaign for BEV procurement using primary data from 229 car pool managers including adopters and non-adopters of EVs. Key findings are that a personal interest in EVs due to technophilia increases the intention to start procurement initiatives for BEVs. These findings underpin the fact that the attitudes of single individuals can influence internal organizational decision processes and therefore play an important role in explaining BEV adoption in commercial fleets. Other factors that foster initiatives for BEV procurement are organizational innovativeness, and the expectation of environmental benefits and positive effects on employee motivation. The fear of mobility constraints and doubts about the reliability of BEVs counteract the intention to campaign for their procurement.

This paper analyzes the diffusion of internet-based distance education technology (NETDE) among the US associate colleges. The study finds that an institution with experience in using an earlier generation distance education technology is more likely to adopt NETDE than an institution without such an experience. The finding supports the view of Cohen and Levinthal (1990) that an organization's 'absorptive capability' plays a significant role in its innovative activities. Institution size also facilitates the adoption of NETDE. We relate this size effect to market power because the size effect is partly caused by customer switching costs present in the NETDE market. Finally, we find that, among public institutions, the presence of close competitors motivates an institution to adopt NETDE earlier.

Agribusiness leaders in emerging economies require effective business model innovation strategies to succeed in closing innovation gaps and increasing market share in the growing smallholder farmers' market. Small agribusiness seed companies in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe in southern Africa often face the challenge of closing the innovation gap in the smallholders' market, resulting in small-scale seed companies missing 90% of the smallholder farmers' seed market segment. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that small agribusiness seed company leaders used to close innovation gaps in smallholders' markets. The conceptual framework was based on the business model innovation(BMI). Ten agribusiness seed company executives selected for their innovations in smallholder markets shared their experiences with and insights into strategies that they successfully designed and implemented in closing innovation gaps in the smallholders' market. Data were collected using semistructured interviews. The data analysis process followed De Massis and Kotlar 5-phase analysis cycle: from interview responses analysis to member checking and a review of documents on seed businesses and BMI. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: seed production model, product and market differentiation, and value chain partnerships. The implications of this study for social change are that the results could improve food and nutrition security for more than 51 million impoverished smallholder farmers throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

Problem Statement: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) play an integral role in the economy of developed and developing countries. SMEs are constantly searching for innovative technologies that will not only reduce their overhead costs but also improve product development, customer relations and profitability. Literature has revealed that some SMEs around the world have incorporated a fairly new technology called Big Data to achieve higher levels of operational efficiency. Therefore, it is interesting to observe the reasons why some organizations in developing countries such as South Africa are not adopting this technology as compared to other developed countries. A large portion of the available literature revealed that there isa general lack of in-depth information and understanding of Big Data amongst SMEs in developing countries such as South Africa. The main objective of this study is to explain the factors that SMEs consider during the Big Data decision process. Purpose of the study: This research study aimed to identify the factors that South African SMEs consider as important in their decision-making process when it comes to the adoption of BigData. The researcher used the conceptual framework proposed by Frambach and Schillewaert to derive an updated and adapted conceptual framework that explained the factors that SMEs consider when adopting Big Data. Research methodology: SMEs located in the Western Province of South Africa were chosen as the case studies. The interpretive research philosophy formed the basis of this research. Additionally, the nature of the phenomenon being investigated deemed it appropriate that the qualitative research method and research design be applied to this thesis. Due to constraints such as limited time and financial resources this was a cross-sectional study. The research strategy in this study was multiple in-depth case studies. The qualitative approach was deemed appropriate for this study. The researcher used two methods to collect data, namely, the primary research method and the secondary research method. The primary research method enabled the researcher to obtain rich data that could assist in answering the primary research questions, whilst the secondary research method included documents which supplemented the primary data collected. Data was analyzed using the NVivo software provided by the University of Cape Town. Key Findings: The findings suggest that the process that influences the decision to adopt Big Data by SMEs follows a three-step approach namely: 1.) Awareness, 2.) Consideration, 3.) Intention. This indicates that for Big Data to be adopted by SMEs there must be organizational readiness to go through the process. This study identified the main intention for SMEs to adopt Big Data is to ensure operational stability. Improved operational efficiency was identified as the supporting sub-theme. This study has raised awareness about the process that SMEs, academic researchers, IT practitioners and government need to place emphasis on to improve the adoption of Big Data by SMEs. Furthermore, this study has raised awareness about the opportunities and challenges that SMEs, academic researchers, IT practitioners and government need to place emphasis on to improve the adoption of Big Data by SMEs. Value of the study: The study adds value in both academia and the business industry as it provides more insight into the factors that SMEs consider in the Big Data adoption decision.

Innovation adoption har etablerat sig i forskningslitteratur som den enskilda processen bestående av en serie olika etapper som man genomgår från att först höra om en produkt till att slutligen adoptera den (Rogers, 2003). Den gemensamma teorin i litteraturen för innovation adoption riktar sig till diffusionen av innovationen över tid och adoptionsprocessen som genomgår de olika s.k. “adopter groups”. Forskning belyser de osäkerheter som nya innovationer kan ha och utmaningarna med att adoptera sådana innovationer, samtidigt som man bortser från möjligheten att konceptualisera användandet av innovationen, och minska osäkerheten genom kommunikation av information som ingår i själva innovationen. Denna rapport kommer att lyfta denna klyfta i kunskap genom att bedöma inflytandet av adoptering av innovation genom att kommunicera värderingar.  Detta examensarbete baseras på litteraturstudier, kvalitativ och kvantitativ forskning samt generativa sessioner, som utgör ett komplementärt perspektiv och bidrar med kunskap och förståelse till varför, vad och hur människor adopterar innovationer samt dess konsekvenser för både företaget och dess kunder. Studien har identifierar flera kundsegment. Denna rapport visar också på möjligheterna med att minska på de upplevda osäkerheterna samtidigt som man kan öka inflytandet av adoptering av nya innovationer genom att kommunicera värderingar genom sammansättning av signaler som innehåller verbala och visuella s.k. “triggers”. Dessutom introducerar denna studie ett nytt sätt att påverka inflytandet av adoptionen av nya innovationer med avseende på tekniska tillämpningar och möjligheterna med att göra det på en mycket större skala, digitalt. / Innovation adoption has established itself in literature as the individual process which consists of series of stages one undergoes from first hearing about a product to finally adopting it (Rogers, 2003). The common theory in innovation adoption literature addresses the diffusion of innovation over time, and the adoption process it undergoes by various adopter groups. Research highlights the uncertainties novel innovations might possess and the challenges of adopting such innovations, disregarding the opportunity to conceptualize the usage of the innovation, and reduction of uncertainty through communication of information embodied in the innovation itself. This report will address this gap in knowledge by assessing the influence of innovation adoption through the communication of values. This thesis report is based on literature studies, qualitative and quantitative research and generative sessions, which serve as a complementary perspective and add knowledge and understanding about why, what and how people adopt innovations, and its implications for both the company and its customers. The study has revealed the identification of several customer segments. This report also shows the possibilities of reducing perceived uncertainties while enhancing the adoption of novel innovations by communicating values through the composition of signals containing verbal and visual triggers. Moreover, this study introduces a different way of influencing the adoption of novel innovations with regards to technological applications and the possibilities of doing so on a much larger scale, digitally.

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