Supply chain innovation diffusion: going beyond adoption

Abstract

Purpose: A comprehensive evaluation of the constructs that contribute to the incorporation of a supply chain innovation into an organization is markedly absent in the literature. Even in academic fields where the post‐adoption diffusion stages of acceptance, routinization, and assimilation are often investigated, no study integrates these constructs and their constituent dimensions into a unified framework. In addition, these post‐adoption activities are largely ignored in the supply chain innovation literature. This paper aims to integrate extant literature regarding acceptance, routinization, and assimilation for the purpose of clarifying the definitions and identifying the dimensions of each construct to provide guidance to scholars who are investigating innovation diffusion in the supply chain. Design/methodology/approach: Through the lens of diffusion of innovation theory, a broad base of literature both within and beyond the scope of traditional supply chain management (SCM) journals is considered to develop a unified framework of post‐adoption activities. Findings: This research effort provides an in‐depth analysis of the post‐adoption stages of the organizational diffusion process and suggests 17 activities that support diffusion. Relationships between and within these stages of the process are inferred to create a unified framework of post‐adoption activities. Research limitations/implications: The resultant framework provides a reference point for future research. Although providing motivation for this study, this research is limited by the fact that few studies in the SCM literature consider organizational diffusion beyond adoption. The proposed framework is contingent on generalizing literature from related academic disciplines. Future SCM research can validate these findings and further tailor the framework to be more specific to supply chain applications. Practical implications: This article provides insight for supply chain professionals who seek to not just adopt, but also to fully embed a newly acquired innovation into their organization. Managers can use this article's resulting framework as a reference to determine what actions they should take to fully incorporate an innovation. Originality/value: Although recognized as an important area of investigation in other literature streams, post‐adoption activities are almost entirely overlooked in SCM research. This study provides both the motivation and a starting point for scholars to consider such activities.