Analysis of quantitative empirical papers on diffusion and adoption of methods, techniques and tools for innovation

Abstract

Effective use of methods, techniques and tools for innovation (MTT-I) has been considered an important factor for successful innovation management. However, studies related to the topic are still scarce, especially those using the quantitative empirical approach for research. Thereby, with the analysis of quantitative empirical papers related to diffusion and adoption of methods, techniques and tools for innovation, we intend to present a portrait of the empirical research on the topic. The analyzed papers were obtained through a systematic survey on two databases: Scopus and Web of Science. It resulted on a corpus of 18 publications, from which main papers, authors, countries and journals that most published about the theme and the most common keywords were identified. Later, the analysis of papers generated an overview of quantitative empirical research related to the topic and indicated areas for further study, contributing to the development of the subject. The study identified the scarcity of research related to the theme of diffusion and adoption of MTT-I and the concentration of quantitative empirical researches in product development, rather than in other results of innovation, such as services and processes. Methodological variations between studies were also identified, making it impossible to compare different contexts. This paper concludes displaying important points for further development of the field.