Innovation Complexity and the Sequence of Innovating Stages

Abstract

In case histories of innovation adoption by local governments, seven innovating stages orfunctionsfrom need identification to diffusion were coded on time ofoccurrence. A method using gamma was applied to measure the time sequence offunctions at each site, and their separation from other functions. These data were used to test the hypothesis that the stages will appear more overlapping and the innovating process more "disorderly "for innovations that are more complex. The hypothesis was supported for a measure of technical complexity but not for one of organizational complexity. The innovating process was found to be most orderly when a technically simple innovation was neither "custom-made" nor copied "ready-made, " but was modified or adapted. When the time sequences at each site were grouped into patterns such as problem-oriented versus solution-oriented, few differences on effectiveness were found, although one contingent effect was observed. Perhaps any single-factor explanation of effectiveness is bound to fall short.