Four case studies of the adoption of work-site AIDS programs are inves
tigated,, two of which were modifications of the Centers for Disease C
ontrol and Prevention's Business Responds to AIDS (BRTA) program. AIDS
work-site programs were mainly initiated by the four study companies
as a result of the efforts of a champion (defined as an individual who
gains attention and resources for an issue in a system) or the occurr
ence of a tragic event, such as a company employee contracting AIDS. T
he BRTA program is an innovation that has not yet reached critical mas
s, which is the point after which further rates of adoption occur rapi
dly in a self-sustaining process.