The Effect of New Product Radicality and Scope on the Extent and Speed of Innovation Diffusion

Drawing from institutional and bandwagon theories, we develop and examine how characteristics of an innovation—radicality and scope—affect diffusion rates—the extent and speed of diffusion. The hypotheses are empirically tested with a sample of 82 new product innovations in three separate industries over a sixteen-year time span. We find that: (1) the greater the radicality of innovation, the higher the extent and faster the speed of diffusion and (2) the greater the scope of innovation, the faster the speed of diffusion. We advance the innovation diffusion literature by using the institutional and bandwagon literature to explain how micro-characteristics of each innovation influence diffusion rates.

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