A MODEL TO EVALUATE STAKEHOLDER DYNAMICS DURING INNOVATION IMPLEMENTATION

Abstract

The introduction of innovations in organizations with high professionalization seems to lead to mixed results in practice. It is widely known that innovation adoption success is largely dependent on user commitment and absorption of the innovation in work processes. However, the hardest task for any person interested in innovation implementation activities is how to achieve high levels of commitment and acceptance of those stakeholders that matter the most. In this article, we argue that much can be gained by having good insights in indicators of both influence and acceptance of stakeholders during innovation implementation and adoption phases; the so-called stakeholder dynamics. To gain insights in a stakeholder's potential influence and potential acceptance of the innovation during the innovation implementation project, we argue that stakeholder capacity and intentions are key characteristics. By reviewing relevant theoretical foundations relating to innovation implementation, technology acceptance and stakeholder theory, we argue that literature considering the combination of both capacity as well as intentions in an integrated evaluation model is scarce. In this article, we are presenting a synthesized model and methodology for the iterative evaluation of stakeholder dynamics during innovation implementations; the stakeholder-based innovation acceptance web (SIAW). Insights in the combination of capacity and intentions dimensions can help in focussing and matching engagement strategies. The practical model, as part of the iterative methodology, aids in visualizing and classifying stakeholders in order to determine stakeholder engagement priorities during an innovation implementation project.