Social Influence on Innovation - Essay Example

The article emphasizes the motivation of employees in the workplace in order to achieve organizational success. To bring a sense of direction to the article, the introduction then discusses the social change brought about by innovation. This change affects individual behavior in an organization as well as the organization’s work design. Individuals, therefore, have to change their attitudes and behavior in order to successfully utilize innovation. The study in the article develops a model about the influence of the social environment on the adoption of innovation. Other previously formulated innovation-acceptance models have also been referred to.

The study in the article has three listed specific objectives. Generally, the broad objective is to analyze the impact of social factors on the adoption of innovation at the individual level. The specific objectives seek to look into the impact of peers and the social network as well as the moderating effect brought about by age and gender. The research methodology is also well laid out. Data were collected from the entire management personnel at the University of South Australia. Online survey questionnaires were used as the primary procedure for data collection during the study. Microsoft outlook was also used because of its relevance in the field of study. The types of questions used in the questionnaires were well varied to involve a wide scope of study and a pilot study is done to pre-test the study instruments. The measurement of constructs was done through modified measures that suited each particular construct in the study. Statistical analysis was then done in order to test the model.

The results obtained from the study show the important role that social network plays in the formation of attitudes toward innovation. Apparently, positive attitudes influence the usage and adoption of innovations, especially in the workplace. The relationship between the social network and the utilization of innovation is understandable and expected. This study, however, brought out unexpected and surprising results. Peer influence, for example, was found not to be a predictor of the usage of innovation. Generally, this study confirms that social network has an impact on user behavior, unlike the impact of peers.

In conclusion, social factors play an integral role in the utilization of innovations in the workplace. These social factors can be used to drive implementations in organizations where the management needs to introduce new and innovative ideas. Innovations normally face resistance in the workplace. The social network can be activated to melt down this resistance and motivate employees. Therefore, motivation and peer influence can be useful tools in the activation of social factors.

Article 2- Journal of Computer Information Systems

The article reviewed in this paper deals with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and the impact that the utilization of this technology has on manufacturing firms. The introduction of the article gives an insightful review starting with a brief history of RFID. Apparently, this technology started sometime during the Second World War in Britain. During this period, it was used for security purposes. In recent years, however, this technology has been used in different areas like asset tracking and inventory management. Apart from describing the history and uses of this technology, the introduction of this article also highlights the implications and the impact of the technology on the supply chain level. Although it is an expensive technology, RFID is more advantageous than other technologies such as the bar code.

The objectives of the study are to examine the impact that RFID technology has on the organization of firms, especially manufacturing firms. The methodology used in the study involves data collection using the sampling method. The sampled data was collected from 328 individuals who were employees of manufacturing firms in the U.S. The data was collected through an online process in the year 2009. There were, however, concerns that the response rate in the study was lower than expected.

The findings of the study have also been outlined in the article. These results support five of the six hypotheses of the study. The utilization of RFID, therefore, has a positive impact on organizational agility and operational performance in firms. We can, therefore, conclude that even though RFID technology has an impact on a firm’s organizational agility, it does not affect the logistical performance of such a firm. However, the relationship between RFID and logistics performance is a subject worthy of future research.