An empirical study of the determination of innovation adoption takeoff point by using content analysis

The study focuses on a concept of innovation adoption takeoff point. The point divides the behavior of adopters and determination of adoption trajectories is then critical to be able to understand better adopters´ behavior and the process of diffusion. Only recently has this takeoff phenomenon attracted research, which, however, has not yet focused on critically evaluating identification methods. Using data about the adoption of innovations in 42 countries concerning three different innovations, we examine one identification method for determining the takeoff point. The results suggest that content analysis as a method for takeoff point identification is reliable in self-evident cases. When takeoff is not self-evident, the method requires more expertise to achieve reliable results. Especial benefit of the method is the easiness and the quickness of the use. The study also demonstrates that it is critical to an organization to select knowledgeable, informed persons that understand adoption dynamics and its underlying factors to determine the takeoff point