Diffusion of a networked innovation: a stakeholder and social network view

The adoption of XBRL presents new opportunities for considerably enhancing the business information supply chain. However, its diffusion has proved to be very challenging. This paper draws upon stakeholder and social network theories to evaluate issues surrounding the diffusion of XBRL in Australia. Qualitative empirical evidence is used to identify XBRL stakeholders and to assess their salience which we consider to be a key characteristic of stakeholder networks. We find that there is lack of salience among the current XBRL stakeholders in Australia. While all stakeholders were found to have a legitimate basis for adopting XBRL, most lack power or centrality and none possesses urgency claims for XBRL. Taken together these factors are likely to have a significant impact on XBRL diffusion. As a remedy, instrumental measures, such as knowledge building and deployment, subsidy, mobilisation, standard setting, and innovation directive by way of which organisational stakeholders can positively affect XBRL diffusion are critically assessed. The need for normative action is also highlighted.

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