Title: Reasons for incomplete innovation implementation: why do they matter?

Authors: Eelko K.R.E. Huizingh, Maryse J. Brand

Addresses: Department of Innovation Management & Strategy, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands. ' Department of Innovation Management & Strategy, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands

Abstract: Many organisational innovations, such as e-commerce, can be adopted at multiple levels. This implies that experiences at one level may influence the intention to adopt the next level. In this paper, we investigate 98 companies where innovation implementation is incomplete and study how the level of implementation relates to the intention to further adopt the innovation. Our findings show that the usual association of incomplete implementation with failure is not correct. In over a third of the companies that we surveyed, the implementation is not yet finished. Furthermore, the results highlight the importance of taking into account the reason for incomplete implementation. When the implementation is unfinished, the degree of implementation is negatively related to the intention to further adopt. When either the implementation process or the innovation failed, implementation is not related to intention. We also find a strong and positive direct effect of unfinished implementation on intention.

Keywords: innovation implementation; adoption intentions; incomplete implementation; moderating effects.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEIM.2009.025178

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 2009 Vol.10 No.2, pp.122 - 137

Published online: 16 May 2009 *

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