Abstract

Although it has been widely recognized that communication is important in the diffusion of any innovation (Rogers, 1994), few studies have actually addressed the issue. This study proposes that communication is the central element in the diffusion process. As such, communication theory is used as a basis for the proposed model. Previous research in IT innovations and complementary theories are incorporated where appropriate. Unlike prior models which view communication as simply a single variable influencing adoption, the proposed model is holistic, assuming all characteristics of communication and absorbing other, usually separate constructs, into the realm of communication. The resulting model is both comprehensive and simple (see Figure 1).

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