Abstract

Over the past decade, IS executives have witnessed a proliferation of telecommunications technologies whichare becoming increasingly intertwined with conventional data processing activities. In many instances, this technological coupling has resulted in a completely new class of applications. Further, the importance of these applications to contemporary organizations is becoming increasingly evident, particularly within the context of business process reengineering. However, the declining "half life" of telecommunications technologies and the rapid proliferation of new products in this arena challenges the ability of organizational leaders to make "rational" choices regarding the adoption of innovative technologies. Often "non-rational" imperatives such as aggressive vendor marketing, or the existence of certain technical expertise play a substantial role in adoption decisions. This study examines alternative theoretical models of "rational" and "non-rational" adoption behavior within the realm of innovative telecommunications technologies. Drawing from established theoretical and empirical work in organizationalinnovation, these models are formulated and empirically tested for the purpose of better understanding varying processes and consequences of decision making regarding this important new class of information technologies

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