MANAGING INTRAORGANIZATIONAL DIFFUSION OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS

Industrial market sales processes are often long and protracted. hese processes typically involve a ''trial'' stage when several competing o ptions may be tested. Then, a smaller set of products may be bought in greater quantities for use. Hence, the central marketing problems in industrial (or business-to-business) markets for technological product s are related to obtaining ''adoption'' (initial trial) and subsequent ly, to effecting diffusion of the new product or technology within the buying organization. In the context of technology-based product-marke ts characterized by compression of technology cycles, it is imperative that vendors of such products develop appropriate strategies to speed -up both trial adoptions and subsequent organization-wide purchases. U nfortunately, most research on diffusion of technological innovations in business organizational settings is devoted to initial adoption. Th e importance of post-trial sales in business markets underscores the n eed for research on intraorganizational diffusion of innovations. To t his end the authors suggest a framework and research propositions for intraorganizational diffusion of technological products based on five sets of variables: characteristics of buying organizations, buying cen ter dynamics, buying organization's environmental characteristics, pro duct characteristics, and the competitive environment of selling organ izations. More effective management and control of these factors contr ibute to better key account management practices. Consequences of more effective intraorganizational diffusion create advantages for both se lling and buying organizations These advantages, in turn, lend to more profitable long-run buyer-seller relationships. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sci ence Inc.