Why are firms in some regions or nations so successful at adopting particular new production technologies and work practices, while those in other places are not? What role do culturally defined characteristics, traits, and attitudes play in determining the degree of success in this process?...

This thesis examines the process by which innovative new products come to be accepted and adopted in the marketplace. As these products are inherently uncertain and not readily accepted and adopted, market intermediaries play an important role in the validation and subsequent diffusion of...