THE ADOPTION OF INNOVATIONS OVER TIME - STRUCTURAL DETERMINANTS AND CONSEQUENCES IN LIBRARY ORGANIZATIONS

In accordance with the adaptation perspective of organizational change, three groups of organizations were delineated according to their rate of innovation over time. Organizational characteristics and performance levels of the three groups were discussed and illustrated by a sampling of empirical data culled from public libraries. Significantly different structural characteristics were found among the three groups, supporting the study's contention that models of organizational innovation should expand beyond the simple division of innovative and noninnovative organizations, and incorporate longitudinal data.