Diffusing Software Product and Process Innovations addresses the problems and issues surrounding successful diffusion of innovations in software. Everett Rogers' classic text, Diffusion of Innovations, provides a valuable framework for evaluating and applying technology transfer methods. In today's new economy, the most important innovations may well be new software products and processes.

Topics covered in this valuable new book include: Implementation and coordination issues;

New interpretations of diffusion theory;

Diffusion of software processes;

Contextual factors;

Communication of information;

Experience reports.



This volume contains the edited proceedings of the Fourth Working Conference on Diffusing Software Product and Process Innovations, which was sponsored by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) Working Group 8.6, and held in Banff, Canada in April 2001. It reflects the latest experiences of practitioners and theories of academics in this fast-changing field.

Preface. Message from the General Chair. Telling an Innovation Story; E. Burton Swanson. Part I: Implementation and Coordination Issues. A Web Innovations on Software Process-Center for Diffusing Techniques; C. Freericks. (BLANCK PURPER) Diffusion and Adoption of IT Products and Processes in a Danish Bank; J. Pries-Heje, S. Tryde. Part II: New Interpretations of Diffusion Theory. The Phenomenon of Diffusion; T.J. Larsen. A Perspective of the Innovation-Diffusion Process from the Self-Organizing System; T. Mitsufuji. The Illusion of Diffusion in Information Systems Research; T. McMaster. Part III: Software Process. Understanding and Changing Software Organizations; K.H. Kautz, H. Westergaard Hansen, K. Thaysen. Diagnosing Diffusion Practices Within a Software Organization; I. Andersson, K. Nilsson. Part IV: Contextual Factors. The Diffusion of Components; R. Veryard. Across the Divide: Two Organisations Form a Virtual Team and Codevelop a Product; L. Levine, G. Syzdek. What's Wrong with the Diffusion of Innovation Theory? K. Lyytinen, J. Damsgaard. Part V: Communication of Information. Influences of Sources of Communication on Adoption of a Communication Technology; W.D. Stuart, T. Callawat Russo, H.E. Sypher, T.E. Simons, L.K. Hallberg. Knowledge Creation in Improving a Software Organisation; P. Pourkomeyluian. Part VI: Experience Reports. How To Live With Software Problems; K.J. Jeppesen. Introducing Concurrent Functional Programming in the Telecommunications Industry; B. Däcker. Change and Adaptive Behavior in Organizations; A.P. Jansma. In Search of an Efficient EDIcebreaker; H. ZinnerHenriksen. Process Definition in Web-Time; A.S. Koch.