There is considerable literature on national systems of innovation as well as scientific and technological innovation. However, there is a paucity of critical literature on the adoption and implementation of innovation within organizations, where innovation includes people, products and process perspectives. Management literature focuses largely on change management, such as Total Quality Management implementation, and often fails to distinguish the need for a specific inquiry into innovation adoption and implementation.
The aim of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework, with general applicability, for innovation adoption and implementation. The study is based on a critique of the literature and makes practical suggestions for improving innovation adoption. The results show that innovation must be recognized as a multiple perspective phenomena as distinct from an instrumentalist definition. Furthermore, the antecedents, adoption process and organizational fit of innovation must be aligned and integrated if innovation is to be successfully adopted and implemented. These factors are represented in a conceptual framework.
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