Bifocal technology adoption: a case study of a technology transfer tool

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to provide a bifocal view of technology adoption from both organizational and network perspectives. It is based on a case study of a technology transfer tool which allows the exploration of the adoption process as users first engage with the tool internally within a technology transfer office and then externally with agencies using the same tool. It contributes a bifocal framework to the technology adoption literature by integrating the technology-organizationalenvironment theory at the organizational level with the network theory at the network level. It offers both practitioners and academics a richer and more comprehensive view of adoption than existing alternatives. This is critical as the success of inter-organizational tools, like the organizations which they serve, is influenced not only by the organization but also by the inter-organizational networks in which they are entrenched.