Die Diffusion von Innovationen der Telematik in der Schweiz

Abstract

This article analyses the reasons for the spatial variations in the diffusion process of innovations of the new information technology. A model of the diffusion process is developped in which hypotheses from well-known economic and geographical research have been integrated and combined with hypotheses which have been derived from the peculiarities of the examined innovations. The model is tested with Statistical methods such as discriminant analysis. Statistical evaluation of three different innovations (electronic data processing, data processing by means of telecommunications and facsimile machines shows empirical evidence for several hypotheses though the estimated functions are only moderatly correlated with the explained variables. The most important variables of the decision to adopt the new information technology by firms are the size of plants and a high Proportion of routine information activities. Spatial factors have much less influence but may prove statistically significant.