Research Note ---A Dynamic View of the Impact of Network Structure on Technology Adoption: The Case of OSS Development

Gang Peng () and Debabrata Dey ()
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Gang Peng: Williamson College of Business Administration, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio 44555
Debabrata Dey: Foster School of Business, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195

Information Systems Research, 2013, vol. 24, issue 4, 1087-1099

Abstract: We examine how network centrality and closure, two key aspects of network structure, affect technology adoption. In doing so, we consider the content of potential information flows within the network and argue that the impact of network structure on technology adoption can be better understood by separately examining its impact from two groups of alters---current and potential adopters. We contend that increased network centrality and closure among current adopters contribute positively to adoption, whereas the same among potential adopters has exactly the opposite impact. Accordingly, we propose a dynamic view where the fraction of current adopters in the network positively moderates the impact of network centrality and closure. We empirically test the theory by analyzing the adoption of software version control technology by open source software projects. Our results strongly support the theory.

Keywords: technology adoption; network structure; network centrality; network closure; dynamic view; software version control technology; open source software (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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