Cross-cultural influence on diffusion and adoption of innovation: An exploratory case study to investigate the social-cultural barriers

Abstract

The development of science and technology increasing rapidly; in many cases advantageous innovations find obstacles for their establishment and in some others they simply fail. The authors of this paper demonstrate that the reason this may happen, is not depended only form the innovation itself; but the socio cultural aspects plays a fundamental role for the diffusion and the adoption of innovation. A number of studies have dealt with the diffusion and the adoption of innovation but limited research has been done about how socio cultural aspects can influence the diffusion and the adoption of innovation. Therefore this research aims to investigate how socio cultural aspects can act like a barrier for the diffusion and the adoption of innovations in different nations. Furthermore, this research will look into the reasons why innovations not readily spread, even if backed by strong market research as well as, the fundamental reason of why some innovations succeed and some others not? The research study will be based on a normative literature review of the important parts of the theory (outline network and socio cultural theories in cross-cultural studies); then the author will construct the conceptual model which will be tested using a qualitative research approach. This is a research in progress paper and the authors will design a comparative multiple case study to test the phenomena in three different nations, namely England, Greece and Italy.