Building on existing theories of diffusion of innovation and technology acceptance, the object of this study is to investigate how municipal officials' perceptions of key attributes of green infrastructure influence their attitudes toward adoption. In addition, this dissertation provide useful insights into the relationship between the diversity of green infrastructure tools that local jurisdictions across the US support with policies or programs, and the factors influencing adoption. A key feature of this study is a nationwide survey conducted among US city stormwater managers, planners and other public officials, whose responses were combined with secondary data and analyzed using multiple regression techniques. Findings indicate that municipal officials' perceptions of relative advantage, compatibility, trialability, and perceived resources are significant predictor of favorable disposition toward adoption, while perceived risk has a negative influence on attitudes. In addition, the level of environmental awareness and support has the greatest impact on the number of green infrastructure strategies jurisdictions have adopted. Based on the analysis in this study, proponents of green stormwater infrastructure will be better prepared to promote diffusion of these strategies at the local level. / Ph. D.

Yes / Aims To examine frontline staff acceptance of telehealth and identify barriers to and enablers of successful adoption of remote monitoring for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Chronic Heart Failure. The use of telehealth in the UK has not developed at the pace and scale anticipated by policy. Many existing studies report frontline staff acceptance as a key barrier, however data are limited and there is little evidence of the adoption of telehealth in routine practice. Design Case studies of four community health services in England that use telehealth to monitor patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Chronic Heart Failure. Methods Thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with 84 nursing and other frontline staff; and 21 managers and key stakeholders; data collected May 2012–June 2013. Findings Staff attitudes ranged from resistance to enthusiasm, with varied opinions about the motives for investing in telehealth and the potential impact on nursing roles. Having reliable and flexible technology and dedicated resources for telehealth work were identified as essential in helping to overcome early barriers to acceptance, along with appropriate staff training and a partnership approach to implementation. Early successes were also important, encouraging staff to use telehealth and facilitating clinical learning and increased adoption. Conclusions The mainstreaming of telehealth hinges on clinical ‘buy-in’. Where barriers to successful implementation exist, clinicians can lose faith in using technology to perform tasks traditionally delivered in person. Addressing barriers is therefore crucial if clinicians are to adopt telehealth into routine practice. / Technology Strategy Board and the Economic and Social Research Council

Global food systems are facing a grand challenge due to daunting food security targets, risk vulnerabilities (e.g., COVID-19 crisis), internal unsustainability regarding resource use and contribution to environmental degradation (e.g., GHG emissions, land degradation and biodiversity loss). Such a situation demands a transformation of the global food system towards more local, alternative, community, and sustainable food systems. Past studies of the food system have shown that major advances toward socio-environmental sustainability can be achieved through the application of technology and the push for innovation. Therefore, since water is at the center of all food system challenges this study focused on climate-resilient water innovation, which includes using hydroponics, aeroponics or aquaponics technologies within a Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) to bring about this change. This qualitative study was undertaken to uncover the individual, institutional, technological, and farm/organizational factors that influenced the adoption of such climate-resilient water technologies. Additionally, it also involved investigating the individual construals and their relation to sustainable water innovation adoption. The study was able to discover new constructs, namely- sustainability ethos, individual construals, land/soil characteristics, location of urban farm, farm size bias, inter-provincial variation, complex systemic technologies, localization, and all-year-round production, that act as barriers and facilitators to sustainable water innovation adoption. Finally, developed a sustainable water innovation adoption model using an inductive and deductive approach that can be used by technology providers, the government and policy institutions for insightful decision-making with respect to water innovation in the Canadian agri-food sector.

Technology innovation is one of the defining attributes of the 21st century. The banking sector amongst other key sectors has embraced the use of new technologies to offer electronic banking (e-banking) services. E-banking has been introduced in various economies of the world as a way of delivering effective and efficient banking services. Despite the several benefits of e-banking technologies, many individual bank customers in Nigeria have not adopted most of the available channels. ATM has remained the most patronized compared to other channels such as the point of sales (POS), online banking and the mobile banking. Promotional offers and various publicity for these platforms by commercial banks as well as the introduction of the cash policy which made the use of these platforms mandatory have not yielded substantial outcome. Therefore, the researcher set out to carry out two interrelated studies in a bid to explore the levels of e-banking adoption by individual bank customers in Nigeria. Firstly, a comparative analysis of the starting conditions of e-banking in Nigeria and the UK was carried out using secondary sources of data. The second part of the study examined the significance of an extended model of Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DIT) on e-banking adoption in Nigeria. This extended model entails the addition of "cost variables" to the mix of Rogers’s five attributes of innovation diffusion (i.e. Relative Advantage, Complexity, Compatibility, Trialability and Observability). Cost variables according to this study are the three types of switching costs, the available complementary assets and the usefulness of available services. Based on this DIT extended model, adoption levels of five e-banking platforms: ATM; POS; Online banking; Mobile banking and telephone banking services were investigated. Data for this study were obtained from both the service providers (the commercial banks) and the service users (individual customers). NVivo 10 was used to analyse the qualitative data while ordinal regression modelling was utilised to analyse the quantitative data obtained. According to the findings of this research, the security of the platforms, need for a strategic enlightenment campaign as well as infrastructural development (i.e. internet and electricity) are the three key factors that are fundamental to increase adoption of e-banking platforms in Nigeria. Findings also reveal the peculiarity of each of the e-banking platforms as different variables significantly predict uptake of individual platforms while Compatibility, Observability, Gender and Education emerged as significant predictors of ATM. Compatibility, Trialability Procedural Switching Cost and Gender predict POS patronage. For online banking, Compatibility, Procedural Switching Cost, Gender and Education emerged as significant predictors of this platform while Financial Switching Cost, Relational Switching Cost, Age and Education significantly predict the use of mobile banking. Telephone banking is not currently available to individual bank customers in Nigeria and as such further discussions on the quantitative output were discontinued. Following the expert witness feedback of these key findings, the researcher concludes that it is imperative to critically assess the availability of the enabling mechanisms/structure before introducing an innovation such as e-banking. The importance of this assessment is to evaluate and carefully direct the approach to that which fits such innovation. Underestimating or ignoring the impact of these fundamental structures usually have a negative impact on adoption as evident in the findings of this research which pointed that the current level of infrastructure of the country does not support the uptake of this innovation. This study also concludes that, the security of the platforms, the development of e-banking enlightenment campaign and infrastructural inadequacies should be addressed. Furthermore, attempts to unify or adopt a singular approach to increase e-banking patronage will not yield a significant result because each platform is unique. Thus, subsequent governmental policies and the CBN dictates on e-banking adoption should be formulated or modified based on the consideration of the enabling mechanism. Banks should adopt specific strategies towards increasing the patronage each platform.

The increasing use of blended models of instruction within the U.S. public school system is transforming the K-12 education. However, few studies have been conducted of the innovation-adoption process involving blended instruction within the K-12 public school sector. In this nonexperimental, quantitative study, Rogers's five perceived attributes of innovations was used as a theoretical lens to explore how teachers' affective job satisfaction might affect the innovation-adoption process at the individual level. Research questions pertained to the relationship, if any, between affective job satisfaction among teachers and their perceptions of the complexity, compatibility, and relative advantage of blended instruction. Surveys were administered to middle school teachers (n = 40) in the core curriculum within southeastern U.S. schools. Data were analyzed for relationships using Spearman's correlation; relationships found to have statistical significance were further explored using ordinal logistic regression. Affective job satisfaction had a moderately positive and statistically significant relationship with how participants perceived the compatibility and relative advantage of blended instruction (rs = .487). However, the relationship was inconsistent among subgroups, varying from rs = .181 (n = 13) to rs = .693 (n = 10). Findings could be used to promote positive social change by providing insight into the role of affective job satisfaction within the innovation-adoption process within the K-12 sector.

Following a wildfire, land management agencies act quickly to protect ecosystem services. We don't currently understand how post-wildfire managers make trade-off decisions in these tight timelines, or if these decisions reflect current science. Using Brunson’s (2014) social-ecological systems multi-scalar model, surveys assessed manager opinions about post-wildfire projects, perceptions of stakeholder opinions, and ability or willingness to consider new science results. Public surveys asked local citizens their opinions about post-wildfire projects. Manager perceptions were measured through semi-structured phone interviews (n = 8) and a structured online survey (n = 256). Public surveys were mailed to 1,000 (971 deliverable, n = 152 usable) residents in rural and urban Great Basin and Mojave Desert ZIP codes. We found coarse- and fine-scale social and political opinions were associated with all post-wildfire management decisions, often creating perceived barriers to project implementation. Conversely, local citizens were more supportive of projects than managers perceived them to be. While the majority of managers and citizens supported the concept of incorporating experimental research, managers were less able to consider more specific research incorporation into actual projects. Ecologically, biological soil crusts (BSC) are emerging as an important fine-scale component of semi-arid restorations. However, even when BSCs are assessed prior to a restoration plan, it is unclear how or if this knowledge has any impact. BSCs were evaluated both socially and ecologically: all manager surveys contained questions specifically related to BSC, and a pilot greenhouse study assessed a) if seed drilling simulations on different stages of BSC may affect restoration plant establishment and b) if BSC excluded the invasive species Bromus tectorum. Similar to other new science results, managers were unlikely to be able/willing to consider BSC status in post-wildfire projects. However, our results suggest the possibility that, even when lightly burned, seeding strategy may influence native plant establishment. In ideal greenhouse conditions, B. tectorum was able to establish readily on both burned and unburned BSC.

The process of information technology adoption and use is critical to deriving benefits of information technology. Thus, one of the most challenging issues in information systems research is to understand how people have experienced the adoption process that may lead to insights to why they accept or reject the information technology (Davis, Bagozzi, & Warshaw, 1989). There are many factors affecting the adoption process of information technology innovations within an organization. To ensure successful adoption of information technology innovations, organizations develop a planned approach to change and employ change management strategies such as communication, training, and functional users support groups to serve as leverage for the adoption. The purpose of this study informed by phenomenological perspectives was to better understand the lived experiences of university staff in the Student Information System (SIS) adoption process. By following Moustakas’ (1994) four primary steps in phenomenological research and his systematic approach, the inductive data analysis process assists in revealing the essence of Big University (Big U) (pseudonym) staff’s lived experiences of the change management strategies put in place for the SIS adopting process via long, in-depth interview sessions. The 24 participants were grouped by criteria profiles with the textural descriptions clustered by the ten emergent themes. Structural descriptions for each participant were developed based on the textural descriptions. The validated textural and structural descriptions were then used to develop the composite textural-structural descriptions. The composite textural-structural description for each criteria profile integrated the experiences of all the individual participants within the criteria profile. The validated composite textural-structural descriptions were then used to develop the synthesis textural-structural descriptions to reveal the universal experiences of all the participants. Thus, this study provided a detailed account of the Big U staff’s experiences which revealed how the change management strategies informed their decision in adopting and using the SIS. The universal experiences indicated that the success of the Big U SIS adoption and use after the initial SIS implementation was greatly enhanced by these planned change efforts. Thus, Big U upper administration declared the success of the SIS implementation when the project was completed on time and under budget. However, while the universal experiences reflected the success of the initial SIS adoption and use due to the planned changed efforts, a very different picture emerged for the SIS post-implementation for unit functions on-going support.

The purpose of the current dissertation is to explore the contribution of development-oriented farmer groups to the diffusion of innovations in rural communities of Kenya and Ethiopia, to identify the key factors that determine the effectiveness of diffusion, and to derive recommendations that aim at better utilizing the potential of groups for rural extension work. A profound review of four theoretical frameworks served to derive a multiple-pathway model of innovation diffusion that amalgamates major concepts of the social network and functional group theory. By accommodating multiplex social relationships and by facilitating analyses at multiple levels the model alleviates major conceptual shortcomings of previous research. The research employs a multiple case study design. Four peasant communities have been investigated that are largely comparable in respect with bio-physical conditions. The case studies aim to cover the maximum diversity with regard to the role of farmer groups in the prevailing extension approach, as well as the mode of group organization. Data collection tools comprise reconnaissance surveys, standardized household interviews (N=841), qualitative key informant and in-depth interviews, participant observation, and the review of secondary sources. Group and non-group social networks constitute the units of analysis. Inferential statistical analyses mainly used multivariate linear regression techniques. The findings illustrate that farmers, through their group and non-group networks and under group-oriented and individual extension alike, exchange information, knowledge, social pressures and other forms of influence that shape their individual adoption decisions. Yet, innovations tend to disseminate more effectively in farmer groups vis-à-vis non-group networks, and the groups tend to be more effective when addressed by extension agents. Lack of access to extension services represents a crucial limitation to innovation adoption in the study villages. Yet, increased extension intensity has proved to foster innovation diffusion only in situations of group extension, whereas intensified individual extension services do not considerably increase horizontal farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange. The research reveals that the advantage of farmer groups can be attributed to their dimorphic character combining the bridging and bonding effects of ‘weak’ and ‘strong’ ties. By facilitating the emergence of cohesive relationships among the group members and by simultaneously enhancing the members’ exposure to external information sources group-oriented extension work considerably contributes to foster the diffusion of innovations among farmers. Intermediate absolute levels of group homogeneity best facilitate the diffusion of innovations among the group members. The findings suggest that increased group activity can overcome diffusion barriers that arise from too heterogeneous or too homogeneous configurations alike. Member commitment is the group climate dimension most consistently related to diffusion effectiveness in farmer groups. The results suggest that group-oriented extension services can alleviate obstructions of the diffusion process that result from less favorable group climate. Thus, this research work proposes that the effectiveness of innovation diffusion among farmers is under the managerial control of the extension agencies in group-oriented extension approaches through at least one of the following mechanisms: (a) promoting the emergence of cohesive member relationships, which in turn foster effective innovation spread; (b) stimulating the activity of farmer groups, which in turn compensates for less effective diffusion under unfavorable group composition; and (c) compensating for diffusion barriers that result from a less favorable group climate. Recommendations refer to the improvement of extension practice and directions for future research.

Rebar carpet is an innovation that favors the working environment of the rebar workers and saves time. Reinforcement workers today are a vulnerable group. Heavy lifts and backbreaking postures are a part of their everyday work. It is already established that work with rebar carpets is both time-saving, economically beneficial and from a working environment point of view better than traditional reinforcement work. Despite all benefits it is used in rather few projects today. The purpose of this study is to identify how the construction industry embraces new innovations related to in situ concrete with post-tensioned reinforcement. The goals are to find out how designers, contractors and manufacturers are working to adopt rebar carpets in the construction process and to shed light on, factors affecting the adoption. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with designers, contractors and a representative of a rebar manufacturing company. Designers and contractors have not, generally speaking, been actively working to adopt rebar carpet. The governing factors for the use of rebar carpets is the designers and contractors knowledge and previous experience of rebar carpet. The contractors who have previous experience of rebar carpet can imagine using rebar carpet again and contractors with no previous experience believe that they need more knowledge of rebar carpet before they dare to try. Design engineers who have designed for rebar carpet before has it in mind when they design other projects. Designers who have no previous experience of rebar carpet demand more knowledge about how they can facilitate the use of rebar carpet.

Teorinėje darbo dalyje analizuojamos mokslinėje literatūroje pateiktos inovacijų sampratos ir inovacijų klasifikacija bei sklaida, įsisavinimo modeliai ir barjerai, trukdantys įsisavinimo procesui, bei aptariami inovacijų paradoksai. Pateikiamos vartotojų elgesio strategijos, susidūrus su inovacija. Analitinėje baigiamojo darbo dalyje pateikiami ir analizuojami rezultatai tyrimo, atlikto anketinės apklausos būdu apklausiant fotografijos įrangos vartotojus. Nustatomi pagrindinai veiksniai, darantys įtaką vartotojų elgsenai įsisavinant technologinę inovaciją. Projektinėje darbo dalyje pateiktas įtakos darymo vartotojams planas, padėsiantis skatinti vartotojus įsisavinti fotografijos įrangą. / The theoretical part of the scientific literature examines the concept of innovation and classification, including innovation diffusion, adoption models and barriers that interfere in the adoption process. Also discusses innovation paradoxes and consumer behavior strategies. The final analytical section provides an analysis of the results obtained from a questionnaire completed by consumers of photographic equipment. Also determines the key factors affecting consumer behavior while adopting technological innovation. The project results are: a plan to influence a consumer behavior in the technological innovation adoption process.