Identifying Patterns of Idea Diffusion in Innovator Networks

The diffusion of innovative ideas throughout a social network of innovators depends crucially on how people are connected and influence each other, and particularly on the advocacy of influential individuals. We contend that existing conceptualizations of innovation diffusion and peer influence do not suffice to capture the multi-faceted nature of idea diffusion. To address this challenge, we adopt concepts from both innovation management and social network analysis to identify patterns of idea diffusion. Using topology analysis and percolation analysis, we examine the impact of peer influence on the percolation of idea-related artifacts. We demonstrate the applicability of our approach using the preliminary results of our study with one of Switzerland’s major independent banking software providers. The outcome will not only have valuable contributions to the studies of innovation management and social network analysis, but also make a methodological contribution by introducing the examination of artifact percolation to study idea diffusion.