In the course I’m teaching, one of the optional texts students can choose is Rogers (2004) “Diffusion of innovations”. I first read this book in my master’s program at Indiana University (IU), and it put into words (and importantly … through research) what I’d experienced countless times in my professional life. Time, users/stakeholders, competing priorities, etc. all impact the diffusion and adoption of innovations.
Rogers’ work was so much a part of the program at IU that faculty and students created a simulation/game around the themes. Poke around to see how they’ve converted Rogers research into this simulation/game. I’ve played it several times over the years and used it in classes. If memory serves, I think I had to write a paper about how my experience in the game changed based on making different implementation decisions along the way. It’s eye-opening to realize that there are common themes/patterns associated with the diffusion of innovation that emerge when we analyze these situations as we will be doing throughout this course.