Abstract
BackgroundDiffusion of innovations theory has been widely used to explain knowledge mobilization of research findings. This theory posits that individuals who are more interpersonally connected within an organization may be more likely to adopt an innovation (e.g., research evidence) than individuals who are less interconnected. Research examining this tenet of diffusion of innovations theory in the knowledge mobilization literature is limited. The purpose of the present study was to use network analysis to examine the role of interpersonal communication in the adoption and mobilization of the physical activity guidelines for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) among staff in a community-based organization (CBO).MethodsThe study used a cross-sectional, whole-network design. In total, 56 staff completed the network survey. Adoption of the guidelines was assessed using Rogers’ innovation-decision process and interpersonal communication was assessed using an online network instrument.ResultsThe patterns of densities observed within the network were indicative of a core-periphery structure revealing that interpersonal communication was greater within the core than between the core and periphery and within the periphery. Membership in the core, as opposed to membership in the periphery, was associated with greater knowledge of the evidence-based physical activity resources available and engagement in physical activity promotion behaviours (ps < 0.05). Greater in-degree centrality was associated with adoption of evidence-based behaviours (p < 0.05).ConclusionsFindings suggest that interpersonal communication is associated with knowledge mobilization and highlight how the network structure could be improved for further dissemination efforts. Keywords: diffusion of innovations; network analysis; community-based organization; knowledge mobilization; knowledge translation, interpersonal communication.
Highlights
Diffusion of innovations theory has been widely used to explain knowledge mobilization of research findings
We examined the adoption of new evidence-based physical activity guidelines for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) among the staff of a community-based organization (CBO) that assists people with SCI and other physical disabilities [25]
Degree centrality and knowledge mobilization Knowledge Point-biserial correlations revealed that neither indegree centrality nor out-degree centrality were associated with knowledge of SCI Action Canada or the guidelines
Summary
Diffusion of innovations theory has been widely used to explain knowledge mobilization of research findings This theory posits that individuals who are more interpersonally connected within an organization may be more likely to adopt an innovation (e.g., research evidence) than individuals who are less interconnected. Research examining this tenet of diffusion of innovations theory in the knowledge mobilization literature is limited. Diffusion of innovations theory has been widely used by researchers to begin to understand the mobilization of research findings in healthcare and public health settings [10,11,12]. Despite Rogers’ assertion that interpersonal communication may be pivotal for the process of knowledge mobilization to occur, research examining the nature of interpersonal communication in knowledge mobilization is limited
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