Developing technological innovation diffusion models: a framework

Abstract

A framework consisting mainly of five different approaches to generate mathematical models of the innovation diffusion process has been considered. The five approaches are associated, respectively, with the nature of the innovation diffusion process itself, biological and social diffusion processes, the concavity property of entropy measures, linear combinations of existing models, and relationships among models. In order to demonstrate the usefulness of these approaches, some of the existing models have been generated by them as examples. The capabilities and limitations of each approach are highlighted. The most desirable approach appears to be the first approach, that based on the insight into the nature of the innovation diffusion process.<>