In this paper we provide non-parametric and parametric estimations of the initial diffusion process of point-of-sale optical scanners that illustrate the importance of controlling for supplier behavior and government regulations. In particular, we show that discrete changes in the early...

There exists general agreement that the steam engine’s rise in importance occurred at the same time as large increases in firm size and growing urbanization, but no consensus concerning the degree to which the steam engine served as an exogenous force fueling urban growth. We reexamine the...

This paper is a draft of a chapter in a forthcoming book entitled, The Economics of Persistent Innovators,to be published by Springer. We consider the persistent adoption of innovations by firms that are not directly involved in the innovation process. In addition to a survey of the literature,...

The diffusion literature implicitly assumes that a technological innovation remains homogeneous throughout the time period of the study with the sole modification being an assumed reduction in the real price of the technology over time. We argue that the technology can change in significant ways...