Organizational and Individual Innovation Decisions in an Interorganizational System: Social Influence and Decision-Making Authority. (9th April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fu, Jiawei Sophia; Shumate, Michelle; Contractor, Noshir
• Is Part Of: Journal of communication. Volume 70:Number 4(2020)
• Page Start: 497
• Page End: 521
• Publication Date: 2020-04-09
• Subjects: Social Networks -- Innovation Adoption -- Advice Network -- Organizational Boundary -- Normative Influence -- Social Information Processing -- Social Influence -- Global Health -- Heterogeneity -- Decision-Making; Communication -- Periodicals; Communication and traffic -- Periodicals; Information theory -- Periodicals; Mass media -- Periodicals; 302.2
• DOI: 10.1093/joc/jqaa018
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-9916

Abstract

Abstract: This study examines the processes of complex innovation adoption in an interorganizational system. It distinguishes the innovation adoption mechanisms of organizational-decision-makers (ODMs), who make authority adoption decisions on behalf of an organization, from individual-decision-makers (IDMs), who make optional innovation decisions in their own work practice. Drawing on the Theory of Reasoned Action and Social Information Processing Theory, we propose and test a theoretical model of interorganizational social influence. We surveyed government health-care workers, whose advice networks mostly span organizational boundaries, across 1, 849 state health agencies in Bihar, India. The collective attitudes of coworkers and advice network members influence health-care workers' attitudes and perceptions of social norms toward four types of innovations. However, individuals' decision-making authority moderates these relationships; advisors' attitudes have a greater influence on ODMs, while perceptions of social norms only influence IDMs. Notably, heterogeneity of advisors' and coworkers' attitudes negatively influence IDMs' evaluations of innovations but not ODMs'.