Article ID: | iaor20012651 |
Country: | United Kingdom |
Volume: | 28 |
Issue: | 5 |
Start Page Number: | 485 |
End Page Number: | 499 |
Publication Date: | Oct 2000 |
Journal: | OMEGA |
Authors: | King William R., Kugler Jose L. |
This study addresses a potentially significant deficiency of the extant innovation adoption paradigm: its inability to account for rhetorical actions as a component of the innovation decision process. A multi-stage empirical methodology was created and used to investigate how decision-makers might be affected by arguments supporting an innovation, and how different arguments might influence the adoption process. Unlike most prior research, the arguments were generated systematically and the experimental treatments were developed based on empirical evidence. The results indicate that rhetorical action did influence the choices made by potential adopters. This research thereby suggests new elements and methods that may be used to better study and understand the innovation adoption decision.