Innovation diffusion theory provides a useful perspective on one of the most persistently challenging topics in the IT field, namely, how to improve technology assessment, adoption and implementation. For this reason, diffusion is growing in popularity as a reference theory for empirical studies of information technology adoption and diffusion, although no comprehensive review of this body of work has been published to date. This paper presents the results of a critical review of eighteen empirical studies published during the period 1981-1991. Conclusive results were most likely when the adoption context closely matched the contexts in which classical diffusion theory was developed (for example, individual adoption of personal-use technologies) or when researchers extended diffusion theory to account for new factors specific to the IT adoption context under study. Based on classical diffusion theory and other recent conceptual work, a framework is developed to guide future research in IT diffusion. The framework maps two classes of technology (ones that conform closely to classical diffusion assumptions versus ones that do no0 against locus of adoption (individual versus organizational), resulting in four IT adoption contexts. For each adoption context, variables impacting adoption and diffusion are identified. Additionally, directions for future research are discussed. 1.

Typically, the success of a collaboration technology depends on its adoption by all participants in the collaboration. But as organizations become more distributed (Castells, 1996), the challenge increases to achieve uniform adoption across geographic distance, and across organizational boundaries. In an earlier study, Mark and Poltrock (2001) discovered that the rapid and widespread adoption of data conferencing across the entire Boeing Company occurred as a grassroots effort on the part of the employees. They explained this large-scale grassroots diffusion effort as technology being introduced through individuals ’ social worlds in the organization. A typical example of a social world is a distributed team. Boeing has stopped the use of the previous data conferencing service and has now introduced a new kind of data conferencing along with a management mandate. The purpose of this study is to compare the adoption of data conferencing in the large distributed organization as a grassroots effort vs. as mandated by management. The project plan will involve collecting data using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to provide an overview of the diffusion process. Data collection will involve interviews