Communication networks in the diffusion of an innovation in an organization

Research on decision-making processes and the diffusion of innovations in o rganizations has been focused on the influence of formal organizational str uctures. Since the Successful implementation of most innovations requires t he cooperation of employees, it is important to investigate how employees' knowledge, opinions, and individual decisions concerning an innovation are influenced by other employees. The present study investigates how informati on acquisition and adoption decisions of employees are influenced by the qu antity and strength of their informal communication ties in the organizatio n, and how strong this influence is in comparison with influence from forma l communication sources. Results indicate that formal communication sources contributed more to the process of information diffusion, whereas informal communication sources (especially the employees' strong ties), were more i nfluential on attitudes and adoption intentions.