Unfolding the contested process of innovation diffusion

2017 Fiscal Year Research-status Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K17191
• Research Institution: Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
• Principal Investigator: ALCANTARA L.L. 立命館アジア太平洋大学, 国際経営学部, 准教授 (10584021)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: innovation / diffusion / legitimacy / contestation

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

One of the main objectives of my study is to investigate the role of mass media in setting the agenda for public discourse on innovations. In FY 2017, I have conducted a literature review on cognitive biases and heuristics that may affect evaluation and adoption of new products or services, including contested innovations. In my study, I am focusing on the framing bias and the country of origin heuristic. To investigate the effect of framing bias on innovation diffusion, I have collected mass media articles on Monsanto. Through these articles, I am currently analyzing the different ways of framing the debate on genetically modified organisms. This will also help in designing a supplemental experimental study to test the framing biases associated with the genetically modified organisms debate and country of origin heuristics.

Current Status of Research Progress

2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.

Reason

My research project is mostly progressing as expected. As planned, I have collected and started to analyze the data to explore media discourse on genetically modified organisms.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

In FY 2018, I will focus on analyzing my data, validating my research findings, writing my research paper, and presenting my paper at academic conferences. In analyzing my data I will perform text data analyses using QDA Miner and Wordstat. In addition, to further investigate the framing biases that potentially affect the adoption and non-adoption of genetically modified organisms, I will conduct an experimental study. I plan to finish two research papers: one that analyzes the contested process of innovation diffusion at the country level and the other at the individual level. I will also present my research outputs at the Academy of International Business, the 16th Asia Pacific Conference, and other conferences in APU and Asia.

Causes of Carryover

I have spent less than what I originally planned. I have moved my plan to attend academic conferences to next year, so that I can present not just the conceptual framework but also the findings of the paper. I will then attend conferences not just as a participant but as a presenter as well.