Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2004. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Many innovations fail on the market. Non-adoption and slow diffusion represent a high risk for companies in technology-intensive industries when looking to innovate, develop, market and launch a new technology. Its diffusion in the market is a major challenge for marketing. The consequence of a failed market introduction can be financial and reputational loss. Diffusion of innovation research shows a short-coming of researching barriers and challenges which prevent new technologies from being successful. This research sheds some light in the diversity, importance and existence of barriers for the diffusion of innovation. The originality of this investigation is a mixed-methods approach to explore barriers and challenges for the diffusion of innovation. An exploratory qualitative research is performed on the unique case of digital radio diffusion in Germany. Barriers evolve by this method in addition to barriers, which so far are described in a theoretical framework. These barriers are researched empirically via an international survey with close to one thousand participants representing experienced practitioners in marketing and sales positions from different industries. Various research findings are presented. The evolving barriers are researched and show circumstances of today, such as the dominance of internet, environmental awareness or the importance of inter-industrial collaboration. Additionally, diffusion barriers from a theoretical framework are tested with empirical data. Findings are presented as evidence for diffusion barriers and their importance for the specific example of digital radio is explained. Furthermore, barriers are also generalized for different technology-intensive industries. The existence of barriers is confirmed by empirical data and patterns of variations are outlined. Validity is achieved via triangulation of methodologies and supporting literature. The findings are presented to extend the theoretical framework and to close a gap in diffusion of innovation theory. The research contributes in very different ways to existing knowledge. Apart from the theoretical contributions, methodological and practical contributions are also made. With quantitative research, the sampling strategy for an online questionnaire considers the benefits of professional social networks on a global level to contribute empirical data to a theoretical framework. The practical contribution is directed to industry stakeholders and practitioners such as in marketing. The research findings result in a framework of barriers and supporting illustrations for technology-intensive industries. Practitioners can benefit from the illustrations for strategic decision-making in business development, product and general management, marketing and sales.

The primary focus of this dissertation was to explore students' perceptions of adopting Web 2.0 applications at the School of Basic Education (SBE) in Kuwait. Although Web 2.0 applications are becoming more popular among the digital generation, there is still no evidence of students' perceptions of adopting the innovation of Web 2.0 technologies in Kuwait. The problem this study addresses is that the current status of Web 2.0 technologies usage by academic students has remained educationally unknown in Kuwait. Therefore, there was a need to investigate the extent to which academic students in SBE are aware of and their usage of Web 2.0 technologies, as well as the factors and obstacles that affect using these technologies. Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory (DoI) is employed in this study to specify the factors that influence student perceptions of adopting Web 2.0 applications as learning tools. Data used in this dissertation was gathered via a survey instrument from 350 students at the SBE and was statistically analyzed to find out the answers of the research questions. This study identified the low rate of Web 2.0 awareness and adoption by the students. Descriptive statistical analysis, such as mean scores and standard deviation, were used to analyze and conclude the findings. In the rates of awareness and adoption of Web 2.0, this study also identified no statistically significant differences between the groups of all the demographic variables except the academic field. The statistically significant differences were identified between the academic variables before and after recoding the academic fields into 5 groups. A t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to determine the statistical significance. Several factors were examined in the study to identify their influence on the rate of adoption. The factors included the rate of awareness, Rogers' attributes of innovations, and the obstacles to adopt Web 2.0. The multiple linear regression technique was used to find out the percentage of variance that was explained by three groups of predictors. The overall research model explained 49% of the variance on the rate of adoption. The implications of the findings, in addition to adding empirical evidence to the body of knowledge, highlight areas for professional development, educational and institutional changes and possibility for future research.

This study aims to examine the possibilities and limitations ofresidual products from the Swedish food industry for new uses inpackaging design. The selection in the study is semi strategicallyrandom and through the selection four interviews were conductedvia e-mail, two interviews from RISE and two from the Swedishdesign agencies Snask and Bedow. The interviews are based on thestudy's question issues; What innovative packaging materials withproperties corresponding to plastics are available in the Swedishmarket? And How does a selection of Swedish design agenciesapproach the innovative packaging materials available on theSwedish market? Through results and analysis we have come tothe conclusion that there is a great awareness of design agencieswhen it comes to making environmentally conscious designdecisions and that it is highly relevant in today's society. Duringthe study, interesting packaging material was discovered. What hasalso emerged is that it is a matter of course to have to be climatefriendly as everything depends on demand from customers andconsumers. There are no direct regulations to relate to, but it is upto each individual how to relate to a more sustainabledevelopment. However, in order for a societal transformation totake place, collaboration between the various social sectors isrequired (Svenska vetenskapsrådet Formas, 2018).

The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate how educational research, specifically Research-Based Instructional Strategies (RBIS), is adopted by education practice, specifically within the engineering Statics classroom. Using a systematic approach, changes in classroom teaching practices were investigated from the instructors\' perspective. Both researchers and practitioners are included in the process, combining efforts to improve student learning, which is a critical goal for engineering education. The study is divided into 3 stages and each is discussed in an individual manuscript. Manuscript 1 provides an assessment of current teaching practices; Manuscript 2 explores RBIS use by Statics instructors and perceived barriers of adoption; and Manuscript 3 evaluates adoption using Fidelity of Implementation. <br /><br />A common set of concurrent mixed methods was used for each stage of this study. A quantitative national survey of Statics instructors (n =166) and 18 qualitative interviews were conducted to examine activities used in the Statics classroom and familiarity with nine RBIS. <br /><br />The results of this study show that lecturing is the most common activity throughout Statics classrooms, but is not the only activity. Other common activities included working examples and students working on problems individually and in groups. As discussed by the interview participants, each of Rogers\' characteristics influenced adoption for different reasons. For example, Complexity (level of difficulty with implementation of an RBIS) was most commonly identified as a barrier. His study also evaluated the Fidelity of Implementation for each RBIS and found it to be higher for RBIS that were less complex (in terms of the number of critical components). Many of the critical components (i.e. activities required for implementation, as described in the literature) were found to statistically distinguish RBIS users and non-users. <br /><br />This dissertation offers four contributions: (1) an understanding of current ractices in Statics; (2) the instructor perspective of the barriers to using RBIS in the classroom; (3) the use of Fidelity of Implementation as a unique evaluation of RBIS adoption, which can be used by future engineering education researchers; and (4) a systematic approach of exploring change in the classroom, which offers new perspectives and approaches to accelerate the adoption process.<br /> / Ph. D.

Sweden is divided into 290 municipalities. The municipalities are responsible for many services that generates significant amount of CO2 emissions. For example; energy, waste management andstreetlights. This emission can potentially be reduced by using Green IT - smart IT solutions that optimise the processes or reduces the energy needed. One good example is adaptive street lighting that utilize sensors to identify when someone is nearby and light needs to be on. The utilization of Green IT differs a lot between the municipalities. Why is this the case? Municipalities are not competing with each other, and it seems like low hanging fruit to just “copypaste” a successful Green IT solution from one municipality to another. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism around diffusion of Green IT innovations related to Swedish municipalities. We applied a mixed method approach based on interviews and a questionnaire. Managers within the municipalities served as the source of empirical data. We found that there are several different types of factors that probably has an impact on the diffusion of Green IT innovation within municipalities and we investigated their relative importance. A high-level explanation of what factors that are considered to enable the diffusion of Green IT innovation is: Firstly, there need to be a willingness to change, for example by applying a policy or target settings. Secondly, superior Green IT solutions need to be identified and here the best forum is networking with other municipalities. Then innovation needs to be transformed to fit the specific municipality, which calls for the organisation’s own innovation capabilities. To finally implement the Green IT solutions there need to be available resources within IT and change management skills to successfully implement them. This study was made with mixed method approach based on a relatively small dataset and without measuring the actual rate of diffusion. The recommendation for future research is to further develop and validate our construct by testing the correlation between the factors identified in this study and the actual rate of diffusion of Green IT innovations within Swedish municipalities.

No description available.

E-government is the use of information technology, especially telecommunications, to enable and improve the efficiency with which government services and information are provided to its constituents. Internet voting is an emerging e-government initiative. It refers to the submission of votes securely and secretly over the Internet. In the United States some areas have already used Internet voting systems for local and state elections. Many researchers argue that one of the most important social impacts of Internet voting is the effect it could have on voter participation. Numerous studies have called for research on the impact of technology on voter turnout; however, existing literature has yet to develop a comprehensive model of the key factors that influence Internet voting adoption. In light of the gradual implementation of I-voting systems and the need for research on I-voting implications this study combines political science and information systems constructs to present an integrated model of Internet voter participation. The proposed model of Internet voting adoption posits that a combination of technical, political and demographic factors amalgamate to influence the adoption of I-voting services. The study was conducted by surveying 372 citizens ranging in age from 18-75. The findings indicate that an integrated model of I-voting adoption is superior to existing models that explore political science or technology adoption constructs in isolation. Implications of this study for research and practice are presented. / Ph. D.

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.

Change is a concept that has been studied for generations and continues to evolve in the literature. An area of change is diffusion of innovation which examines how new technologies or innovations are spread throughout a population. Using Ely's (1990) eight conditions that facilitate the implementation of educational technologies, this study was conducted to measure the influence of those conditions for the implementation of technologies in community college environments. Within this study, 634 participants from 18 community colleges across Virginia were surveyed and identified the conditions they perceived to be most influential in regards to their decisions to implement a specific technology. The perceived influence of Ely's eight conditions was analyzed for differences between various technologies, as well as within various demographic groups. The findings of this study identify those conditions with highly perceived influences which may lead practitioners to ensure the more influential conditions are in place prior to future technology implementations with the goal of more successful implementations. / Ph. D.