Adequacy of Stage Models for Decisions on Adoption of Innovation

Although a large number of stage models of the adoption process have been proposed in the literature on innovation, there is little or no evidence that any of these models mirror the actual process by which decisions on adoption of innovation are made in organizations. In a study of 34 transportation innovations from six firms, a six-stage model of the adoption process (awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, adoption, implementation) adequately describes the decision-making sequence in about 60% of the cases. Where respondents recommend modification of this six-stage model it usually reflects the absence of the trial stage or the merging of the evaluation and trial stages. Discussion of results and suggestions for needed methodological refinements are also included.