Annu. Rev. Sociol. 2002. 28:297–326 doi: 10.1146/annurev.soc.28.110601.141051 Copyright c  2002 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved INTEGRATING MODELS OF DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS: A Conceptual Framework Barbara Wejnert Department of Human Development, G85 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853; e-mail: bw15@cornell.edu Key Words diffusion models, adoption of innovations, adopters, decision making ■ Abstract This chapter provides a conceptual framework for integrating the array of variables defined in diffusion research to explicate their influence on an actor’s deci- sion to adopt an innovation. The framework groups the variables into three major components. The first component includes characteristics of the innovation itself, within which two sets of variables are defined concerning public versus private con- sequences and benefits versus costs of adoption. A second component involves the characteristics of innovators (actors) that influence the probability of adoption of an innovation. Within this component six sets of variables concern societal entity of innovators (either people, organizations, states, etc.), familiarity with the innova- tion, status characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics, position in social networks, and personal qualities. The third component involves characteristics of the environmen- tal context that modulate diffusion via structural characteristics of the modern world. These latter characteristics incorporate four sets of variables: geographical settings, societal culture, political conditions, and global uniformity. The concluding analysis highlights the need in diffusion research to incorporate more fully (a) the interactive character of diffusion variables, (b) the gating function of diffusion variables, and (c) effects of an actor’s characteristics on the temporal rate of diffusion. INTRODUCTION Sociology has long been interested in the factors that influence the spread of inno- vations across groups, communities, societies, and countries. With the more recent phenomenon of globalization, encompassing highly efficient communication sys- tems and global interdependencies in economics, business, marketing, language and culture, this interest has begun to focus on modeling processes at work in this spread, an area of inquiry referred to formally as diffusion. Diffusion of innovations refers to the spread of abstract ideas and concepts, technical information, and actual practices within a social system, where the spread denotes flow or movement from a source to an adopter, typically via communication and influence (Rogers 1995). Such communication and influence alter an adopter’s (an actor’s) probability of adopting an innovation, where an actor may be any 0360-0572/02/0811-0297$14.00 297