Diffusion
Subtitle: consumers and innovation
By: Dave Elliot
Contributors: Open University
Series: T307 Innovation : designing for a sustainable future -- Block 4; T307 Innovation : designing for a sustainable future -- Block 4.
Publisher: Open University
Published: 2006
Place of publication: Milton Keynes
Language: eng
Number of pages: 158
ISBN-13: 9780749269258
Subjects: Technological innovations; Inventions; Industrial design; Product design
Notes: This publication forms part of an Open University course T307 Innovation : designing for a sustainable future.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 154-156) and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: Aims and learning outcomes; title: 1 Diffusion; title: 1.1 Introduction; title: 1.2 Diffusion theory; title: 1.3 Product life cycles and s-curves; title: 1.4 Consumers and diffusion; title: 1.5 Consumers and innovation; title: 1.6 Consumer involvement in innovation; title: 1.7 Technological selection; title: 2 Conventional consumer involvement; title: 2.1 Passive consumer; title: 2.2 Brief history of mobile phone innovation and diffusion; title: 2.3 Mobile phone diffusion in the UK; title: 2.4 Diffusion around the world; title: 2.5 Consumer reactions to products; title: 2.6 Consulted consumer; title: 3 Consumer choice and new energy technologies; title: 3.1 Conscientious consumer; title: 3.2 Energy efficiency and renewable energy; title: 3.3 Green power retailing; title: 3.4 Impact on technology diffusion; title: 3.5 Future of green power schemes; title: 3.6 Conclusion; title: 4 Empowered consumers; title: 4.1 Specialist consumers; title: 4.2 California power crisis; title: 4.3 Domestic-level self-generation in the UK; title: 4.4 Conclusions; title: 5 Consumers innovate; title: 5.1 Consumer developer; title: 5.2 Grass-roots solar energy initiatives; title: 5.3 Danish wind power initiative; title: 5.4 From grass-roots to commercial success; title: 6 Consumers, producers and pressure groups; title: 6.1 Consumers as innovators; title: 6.2 Bottom-up initiatives in computing; title: 6.3 Producers as independent innovators; title: 6.4 Role of designers : design for need; title: 6.5 Role of pressure groups; title: 6.6 Conclusion; title: 7 Government and sustainable energy; title: 7.1 Innovation and the government; title: 7.2 Government energy policy options; title: 7.3 Support options; title: 7.4 Supporting renewable enrgy in the UK; title: 7.5 Impacts of the UK support schemes; title: 7.6 Supporting the complete innovation process; title: 7.7 Conclusions; title: 8 Picking winners; title: 8.1 Picking a winner; title: 8.2 Supporting diffusion; title: not innovation?; title: 8.3 Following through; title: 8.4 Learning curves; title: 8.5 Lessons of learning curves; title: 8.6 Conclusion; title: 9 Global diffusion; title: 9.1 Emissions trading; title: 9.2 Market take-up in the European Union; title: 9.3 Outside the Kyoto zone; title: 9.4 Technology transfer; title: 9.5 Conclusion; title: 10 Technological transitions and niche management; title: 10.1 Strategic niche management; title: 10.2 Technological regime change and disruptive technologies; title: 10.3 Sustainable innovation?; title: 10.4 Supporting diffusion : social acceptance; title: 10.5 System innovation and regime change; title: 10.6 Conclusions and wider applications; title: 11 Conclusion; title: 11.1 Industrial involvement; title: 11.2 Community involvement; title: 11.3 Consumer and corporate responses; title: 11.4 Sustainable consumption?; title: Answers to self-assessment questions; title: References and further reading; title: Acknowledgements.