An Empirical Test of an Innovation Implementation Model

Although innovation implementation success has become a survival issue for organizations given today's turbulent economic environment, it remains unclear which variables make the implementation of an innovation successful. The authors tested a model for innovation implementation that highlights the role of attitudes toward change. They proposed manager and supervisor expectations and supervisor support, as well as personnel value-fit with the project and personnel expectations, as critical antecedents for innovation implementation success. On the basis of data from 65 innovation projects, the authors found that congruence between manager and supervisor expectations and supervisor support significantly predicted innovation implementation success. Even though there was a significant relationship between the perceived value-fit employees had with the innovation purpose and the subsequent expectations they had for the innovation when the project started, neither of these variables significantly predicted the success of the implementation.