Working Paper Alfred P. Sloan School of Management Industrial Adoption of Solar Air Conditioning Measurement Problems, Solutions and Marketing Implications Industrial Adoption of Solar Air Conditioning Measurement Problems, Solutions and Marketing Implications

Industrial adoption of capital goods typically involves several individuals with difterent backgrounds and job responsibilities. These individuals differ in the way they perceive and evaluate available product alternatives. The measurement and consideration of these differences can lead to substancial improvements in the development of marketing strategies for new industrial products. This paper analyzes the introduction of solar powered air conditioning aimed at the industrial market. Individuals most likely to be involved in the adoption process are identified and differences in their perceptions and evaluation criteria are measured. The investigation of these problems leads to new measurement methods and to some new tests for determining the equality of evaluation spaces. Implications for the development of a marketing plan for industrial solar air conditioning are discussed. The potential for application of the new methodology to development of marketing programs for other industrial products is also reviewed.

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