Challenges and Opportunities for Innovation in the Public Works ...

innovative new technologies without significant support. This support can take the form of
local businesses willing to take the risk of investing in technologies or services not currently
being used in their market areas, other individuals using new technologies who are willing
to share both successes and failures, and a information and assistance network capable of
answering individual questions. The lack of any one of these could be the obstacle that
creates a situation where a individual is unable to adopt.
Build the capacity of local assistance networks to meet local demands. Target
the development of local assistance networks in the areas needing them the most.
Develop methods to sell new technologies on the basis of need, not ability to pay
or ease of sales.
8. Inadequate managerial skills. One dimension of diversity among target audiences is
managerial skill. Too often new technologies are only designed for the above-average
manager. This can create a situation where individuals with less-than-average management
capabilities receive little or no assistance to build these skills. These individuals will then
make the correct decision in rejecting the new technology due to a lack of requisite
managerial skills or the opportunity to develop them.
Focus assistance and management enhancing opportunities on those individuals
needing it the most, not just the most receptive.
9. Little or no control over the adoption decision. It is common to view a particular
decision maker as some independent being who "calls all the shots" within a public or
private sector organization. This individual, therefore, becomes the focal point of most
efforts to promote new technologies. In many situations, however, a decision cannot be
made without the approval of a executive board, partner, sources of financial credit, or even
a public referendum. If these other interests are not convinced of the merits of the new
technology, then the individual will be unable to adopt.
Determine who or the process associated with making the adoption decision, and
then focus efforts on those persons or organizations.
Being Unwilling to Adopt
A individual may also be unwilling to adopt a new technology. This implies that the
individual has not been persuaded that the new technology will work or is appropriate for
intended setting. There are seven reasons for being unwilling to adopt.
1. Information conflicts or inconsistency. A individual may be unwilling to adopt a new
technology because of inconsistency or even outright conflicts in the information about the
technology. For example, an individual may hear that a new technology always requires
more maintenance, may require more maintenance, or hears about the experiences of
another local organization where the claim is that the technology requires less maintenance.
This individual will often remain unwilling to adopt until these divergent messages become
more consistent.
Work to develop a consistent information base. Where legitimate differences
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