Diffusion of Innovations Within Organizations: Electronic Switching in the Bell System, 1971–1982

Although diffusion processes take place in a variety of social systems, they have rarely been studied within the context of an organization. Yet when the intraorganizational part of the diffusion of an innovation is gradual or differs among organizations, the overall diffusion of that innovation is affected. The authors explore the applicability of the traditional diffusion perspective in an intraorganizational context. They compare the explanatory power of factors emphasized by the traditional diffusion perspective with that of factors deemphasized or neglected by that perspective. The setting is the diffusion of electronic switching technology within the operating companies of the Bell System before its divestiture. The results suggest that the traditional perspective may not apply exactly within organizations because factors other than those traditionally emphasized seem to play an important role in the diffusion of innovations within organizations.