LEARNING TO LIVE WITH AN EVOLVING INNOVATION : Reflections on the adoption of eCommerce by automobile dealers 1

This paper analyses electronic commerce (eCommerce) as an innovation. It makes several contributions to traditional theories of diffusion of innovation. Firstly, electronic commerce exemplifies an evolving innovation that is subject to continuous research, social (re)construction and (re)interpretation. Secondly, adopting an evolving innovation is conceptualized as living with an innovation, implying an adoption trajectory rather than a one-time decision to acquire and to deploy the innovation. Thirdly, we discuss knowledge in innovation claiming that technological and strategic understanding is an integral component of adoption rather than being conditions of or barriers to adoption. Finally, we offer an innovation adoption model in the form of a learning process. The paper’s contributions are based on the qualitative analysis of eCommerce in automobile distribution.

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