Vic Matta

Initiation, Experimentation, Implementation of Innovations: The Case for Radio Frequency Identification Systems

This research primarily examines the stages hypothesis of the process of technology adoption by management personnel of organizations in the supply chain sector involving the Initiation, Experimentation, and Implementation stages. Further, this research examines key antecedents that may influence the various stages, including top management support, external pressure, and organization size. Using responses provided by top management representatives of 210 supply chain organizations on their organizations’ engagement with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies, this research finds that the stages hypothesis holds for RFID technologies. Specifically, organizations were seen to sequentially progress through the Initiation, Experimentation, and Implementation stages. Over 80% of organizations, who had reached the Implementation stage of adoption, had gone through the Initiation and Experimentation stages as well. Additionally, the data showed that the antecedents exerted varying levels of influences on the three stages. Top management support strongly influenced all three stages; external pressure influenced the Initiation and Implementation stages, and organizational size influenced Experimentation and Implementation stages. The paper discusses several implications for research and practice.

Evaluating Variance in Cost-Benefit Perceptions of RFID Systems in the Supply Chain Sector

Since the introduction of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems, retailers such as Wal-Mart have pushed their suppliers for adoption. The Cost-Benefit justification for retailers is more direct and stronger than it is for other supply chain sectors, especially manufacturers, who bear the cost of affixing tags. Their cost-benefit scenario improves if the technology can be used to streamline the manufacturing process. Prior studies have noted this imbalance in the costs and benefits between Supply Chain entities, and even conducted case studies to examine specific industries. No studies were found to attempt to capture the comparative perceptions of the costs and benefits across the supply chain echelons. This paper therefore attempts to explore and understand the variance in perceived costs and benefits for the use of RFID systems by managers of organizations on different echelons of the supply chain. The study is based on 210 responses to a validated instrument used in prior research on novel information technology.