Late Adopters Research Articles

Antecedents of Lead Director Selection

ABSTRACTResearch Question/IssueThis paper investigates the antecedents of lead director selection in the US context. Specifically, how do rational and social factors influence the likelihood of being selected as the lead director?Research Findings/InsightsResults for independent directors in S&P 1500 firms from 2000 to 2021 support the positive effect of both board capital (human capital and social capital) and social embeddedness with the CEO (university ties and demographic similarity) as factors in the selection of lead directors. Results also show that among late adopters, the effect of human capital (board experience) on selection is strengthened, and the effect of demographic similarity to the CEO on selection is weakened.Theoretical/Academic ImplicationsFirst, building on the director selection model, this paper further differentiates the rational and socialized perspectives by integrating the diffusion model. Specifically, among late adopters, rational factors play a larger role, and socialized factors play a smaller role in the lead director selection. Second, for the literature on the boards of directors, this paper provides unique individual‐level insights about directors' attributes and their interactions with firm‐level timing of practice adoption.Practitioner/Policy ImplicationsThe new governance practice of having a lead director, a leader of independent directors, has emerged and spread in the United States since 2000. As attention to the lead director governance practice increases, this paper focuses on the complexity of its adoption. Specifically, both rational (board capital) and socialized (social embeddedness with the CEO) factors can play a role in the lead director selection. Related stakeholder groups such as directors, investors, and policymakers should be aware of the potential symbolic adoption of this new governance practice.

Corporate social responsibility sophistication: Company‐specific drivers among early and late adopters

Corporate social responsibility sophistication: Company‐specific drivers among early and late adopters

The net zero wave: identifying patterns in the uptake and robustness of national and corporate net zero targets 2015–2023

ABSTRACT Since the 2015 Paris Agreement, a growing number of states and firms have adopted targets to reach net zero emissions. These pledges vary significantly both in the timing of adoption and in robustness – measured by whether they adopt procedural best practices. We introduce a novel time-series dataset measuring the uptake and robustness of net zero targets of states and the world’s largest listed firms between 2015 and 2023. The new data allow us to identify patterns that speak to a key debate in the literature: what explains the rapid uptake of net zero targets by firms and countries? Descriptive inference yields several insights. First, the timing of net zero adoption by both states and firms strongly tracks international mobilization efforts, highlighting the importance of the United Nations (UN) process for target setting. Second, on average, firms set targets before countries. Third, there is an increase in some best practices for companies, such as setting interim targets and including Scope three emissions in targets, alongside a lack of progress in others, such as safeguards on the use of offsetting. Importantly, we do not find significant variation in timing or robustness of net zero pledges across firms in different sectors. For countries, early adopters tend to have more robust targets from the beginning than late adopters, suggesting the latter may be adopting more symbolic targets. In sum, our results show the rapid growth of the net zero wave, but also its limits in driving robust targets.

Understanding the rationales and information environments for early, late, and nonadopters of the COVID-19 vaccine

Anti-vaccine sentiment during the COVID-19 pandemic grew at an alarming rate, leaving much to understand about the relationship between people’s vaccination status and the information they were exposed to. This study investigated the relationship between vaccine behavior, decision rationales, and information exposure on social media over time. Using a cohort study that consisted of a nationally representative survey of American adults, three subpopulations (early adopters, late adopters, and nonadopters) were analyzed through a combination of statistical analysis, network analysis, and semi-supervised topic modeling. The main reasons Americans reported choosing to get vaccinated were safety and health. However, work requirements and travel were more important for late adopters than early adopters (95% CI on OR of [0.121, 0.453]). While late adopters’ and nonadopters’ primary reason for not getting vaccinated was it being too early, late adopters also mentioned safety issues more often and nonadopters mentioned government distrust (95% CI on OR of [0.125, 0.763]). Among those who shared Twitter/X accounts, early adopters and nonadopters followed a larger fraction of highly partisan political accounts compared to late adopters, and late adopters were exposed to more neutral and pro-vaccine messaging than nonadopters. Together, these findings suggest that the decision-making process and the information environments of these subpopulations have notable differences, and any online vaccination campaigns need to consider these differences when attempting to provide accurate vaccine information to all three subpopulations.

The Returns of Early Adoption of Information Technologies: Order of Adoption or Level of Adoption Advantages?

We study whether the early adoption of information technologies provides competitive advantages and examine the source of such advantages. Existing research in this area has failed to differentiate between the advantages arising from the timing of adoption (e.g., asset preemption) and those that are related to higher levels of adoption (e.g., organizational learning). In this paper, we break down these advantages into two components: order of adoption (early vs. late adopters) and level of adoption (high vs. low internal diffusion levels). The empirical analysis examines the adoption and subsequent intrafirm diffusion of the automated teller machine in a sample of Spanish savings banks using a long data panel extending from 1988 to 2004. The results show that the advantages associated with the order of adoption outweigh those associated with the level of adoption and have the potential to be long lasting. Our findings are consistent across various estimation methods, and we assess different performance dimensions (ROA, income, and efficiency). Our modeling and findings have implications for managers and can be applied to the study of the early adoption of modern technologies.

Identifying electric vehicle charging styles among consumers: a latent class cluster analysis

The market share of electric vehicles (EVs) is growing rapidly, making it crucial to understand the charging behaviour of current and prospective users. Such understanding is essential for designing policies that positively influence consumers’ charging behaviour and facilitate EV adoption. In this study, we examined the heterogeneity in charging preferences of 994 respondents across Australia using a latent class cluster model that considers indicators of charging behaviour as outcomes of interest. We used sociodemographic characteristics, travel needs, and EV adoption status as covariates to predict class membership. Our findings indicate five segments of consumers with distinct charging preferences: routine-focused frugals, cost-oriented deliberators, range seekers, flexibility seekers, and indifferent late adopters. These segments differ in the importance they attach to charging attributes, their coping strategies with limited battery resources, and their risk attitude. Our results suggest that a uniform approach to EV-related policies is not appropriate, as each consumer segment has unique charging preferences and requirements. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the significance of accounting for charging behaviour heterogeneity in demand modelling, as assumptions in current models may not accurately represent the decision-making of most segments.

Diffusion theory, economic consequences, and adoption of international standards on auditing around the world

This paper examines the economic consequences of adopting the International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) from a diffusion of innovation theory perspective. Using a very extensive dataset with 160 countries over 20 years and generating 3,200 country-year observations, this study examines the impact of ISAs adoption on the economic consequences of adopting countries. Our findings are threefold. First, we show that early ISAs adoption has positively and significantly influenced three economic indicators of the adopting countries: (i) economic growth, (ii) foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, and (iii) exchange rate. Second, our results show that late ISAs adoption has positively and significantly influenced two economic indicators: (i) exports and (ii) interest rates, but negatively with imports. Third, we find a significant positive association between ISAs adoption with amendments or translation and two economic indicators: (i) FDI and (ii) exchange rate, but negative with inflation. Finally, and by contrast, we find a negative link between early ISAs adoption, economic growth rate, and exports. Our findings have implications for theory and practice.

Understanding consumers’ non-compensatory and heterogeneous preferences for electric vehicles

Previous studies eliciting preferences for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) assume the compensatory behavior of consumers, where all attributes of available alternatives are weighted in reaching a choice. However, consumers might follow non-compensatory rules where BEVs may become unattractive beyond certain attribute thresholds (i.e., cutoffs). To investigate non-compensatory and heterogeneous BEV preferences, we estimate a latent class model with attribute cutoffs using the preferences of over 800 potential car buyers from Singapore. We distinguish between early and late BEV adopters and their behaviors, highlighting the relevance of our findings in accelerating BEV adoption across various stages. For example, while current incentives primarily target reducing upfront costs, subsidizing electricity could be particularly effective for late adopters who prioritize future savings on operational expenses. Additionally, increasing the availability of BEV models from top-selling brands could effectively drive early BEV adoption in Singapore because early adopters place higher value on the availability of BEV models from the preferred brands when it is below their cutoff.

Telehealth Availability for Mental Health Care During and After the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Telehealth services expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). To evaluate changes in availability of telehealth services at outpatient mental health treatment facilities (MHTFs) throughout the US during and after the COVID-19 PHE. In this cohort study, callers posing as prospective clients contacted a random sample of 1404 MHTFs drawn from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Behavioral Health Treatment Locator from December 2022 to March 2023 (wave 1 [W1]; during PHE). From September to November 2023 (wave 2 [W2]; after PHE), callers recontacted W1 participants. Analyses were conducted in January 2024. Callers inquired whether MHTFs offered telehealth (yes vs no), and, if yes, whether they offered (1) audio-only telehealth (vs audio and video); (2) telehealth for therapy, medication management, and/or diagnostic services; and (3) telehealth for comorbid alcohol use disorder (AUD). Sustainers (offered telehealth in both waves), late adopters (did not offer telehealth in W1 but did in W2), nonadopters (did not offer telehealth in W1 or W2), and discontinuers (offered telehealth in W1 but not W2) were all compared. During W2, 1001 MHTFs (86.1%) were successfully recontacted. A total of 713 (71.2%) were located in a metropolitan county, 151 (15.1%) were publicly operated, and 935 (93.4%) accepted Medicaid as payment. The percentage offering telehealth declined from 799 (81.6%) to 765 (79.0%) (odds ratio [OR], 0.84; 95% CI, 0.72-1.00; P < .05). Among MHTFs offering telehealth, a smaller percentage in W2 offered audio-only telehealth (369 [49.3%] vs 244 [34.1%]; OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.44-0.64; P < .001) and telehealth for comorbid AUD (559 [76.3%] vs 457 [66.5%]; OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.50-0.76; P < .001) compared with W1. In W2, MHTFs were more likely to report telehealth was only available under certain conditions for therapy (141 facilities [18.0%] vs 276 [36.4%]; OR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.10-3.26; P < .001) and medication management (216 facilities [28.0%] vs 304 [41.3%]; OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.48-2.21; P < .001). A total of 684 MHTFs (72.0%) constituted sustainers, 94 (9.9%) were discontinuers, 106 (11.2%) were nonadopters, and 66 (7.0%) were late adopters. Compared with sustainers, discontinuers were less likely to be private for-profit (adjusted OR [aOR], 0.28; 95% CI, 0.11-0.68) or private not-for-profit (aOR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.14-0.48) after adjustment for facility and area characteristics. Based on this longitudinal cohort study of 1001 MHTFs, telehealth availability has declined since the PHE end with respect to scope and modality of services, suggesting targeted policies may be necessary to sustain telehealth access.

Characteristics associated with early vs. late adoption of lung cancer screening

BackgroundAlthough lung cancer screening (LCS) reduces lung cancer mortality among high-risk individuals, uptake overall remains low. With all cancer screening modalities, a period of diffusion among medical providers and the public is expected, with screening uptake exhibiting a distribution among early vs. late adoption. We aimed to characterize individuals undergoing LCS based upon the timeframe of screening adoption. MethodsThis retrospective study examined patients who underwent LCS between January 2015 – December 2022 in a centralized LCS program. Based on United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) criteria for LCS, early and late adopters of LCS – defined by time from eligibility to screening completion – were compared. A multivariable regression model was constructed to identify factors associated with early adoption of LCS. ResultsAmong patients screened during the study period, 90.4% were eligible based on USPSTF 2013 criteria, and 9.6% were eligible based on USPSTF 2021 criteria. Of the USPSTF 2013 eligible persons, multivariable analysis demonstrated Black/African-American individuals and current smokers had significantly greater odds of early adoption (aOR 1.428 and 1.514, respectively). Those without a family history of lung cancer or without a personal history of cancer had significantly lower odds of early adoption of LCS. ConclusionsEarly adopters were more likely to report Black/African-American race or current smoking status after adjustment for covariates. Future research should examine how screening diffuses across the overall LCS-eligible population, as well as identify factors that drive and inhibit diffusion to create programs and policies with the ultimate goal of increasing timely LCS uptake.

Digital infrastructure and innovation: Digital divide or digital dividend?

With more activities being moved online during the COVID-era, digital infrastructure, as a public service, is now playing a greater role in influencing innovation and making the symbiotic relationship between innovation subjects closer. While the surge in patenting in China is associated with a significant innovation gap, there is noticeable regional disparity in digital infrastructure. This study investigates whether the digital infrastructure divide widens the innovation gap in the context of the innovation ecosystem. Based on the entropy weight method, a comprehensive index of digital infrastructure was constructed using provincial panel data from China for the years 2013 to 2018. The findings suggest that the digital infrastructure divide widens the innovation gap; however, this gap can be narrowed by upgrading the industrial structure. The relationship between different regions in China involves both competitive and reciprocal symbiosis. The mediating effect of the industrial structure in the eastern region is smaller than that in the non-eastern region. Moreover, the digital infrastructure divide has a disadvantage for late adopters when digital infrastructure falls below a specific threshold. Once this threshold is crossed, its impact changes from a digital divide to a digital dividend.These findings have several theoretical implications. In digital economy literature, our support for comprehensively assessing the level of digital infrastructure is noteworthy. In innovation ecosystem literature, the broad framework that encompasses the evolution of innovation, including digital infrastructure and industrial structure, is significant. This study highlights the digitization of the innovation ecosystem and offers practical implications for narrowing the innovation gap between researchers, individuals, and policymakers.

Transferability of new methods for health technology assessment in the field of diabetes between early and late adopters’ countries

This study aimed to investigate the transferability of novel artificial intelligence (AI) methods for prediction modelling of diabetes based on real-world data (RWD) between early and late adopters of emerging health technologies from the perspective of developers and health technology assessment (HTA) experts. A two-step approach was used. Developers of the new AI methods within HTx consortium completed a survey about the benefits, usability, barriers associated with implementing the new prediction models in routine HTA practices. Then, HTA experts from Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries participated in a focus group discussion. Developers generally expressed optimism regarding the transferability of the methods, while acknowledging potential disparities across CEE countries. Key benefits that were identified included enhanced understanding of diabetes, improved cost-effectiveness modelling, and refined patient stratification, all of which could contribute to clinical and reimbursement decisions across various jurisdictions. The focus group underscored the value of real-world data for diabetes prediction modelling, serving as a beneficial resource for both clinicians and HTA agencies. However, there was a recognized need to clarify the processes of integrating randomized clinical trial data with real-world data. For the other stakeholders, the advancement of the methodology will improve the diagnosis and therapy during the process of decision making. Experts from CEE countries recognized the potential of artificial intelligence-based methods employing real-world data for diabetes modelling. These methods are seen as instrumental in elucidating the heterogeneous nature of the disease, supporting clinician decision-making and holding promises for HTA purposes.

Reac4Cat-Ontology: Harnessing the Power of Ontological Description Logic in Catalysis Research as a Practical Approach to Knowledge Inferences

Maximizing the use of digitally captured data is a key requirement for many of the late adopters of digital infrastructure. One of the newcomers is the chemical industry in the area of digitized laboratories. Here, tools and services that satisfy individual needs still need to be developed and distributed within the community. This work explores the potential of using graph databases — specifically those modeled via ontological knowledge graphs — to describe complex data linkages and draw logical conclusions. While knowledge graphs are not widely utilized in catalysis research, this study introduces a methodology to highlight their usability for semantic description and integration into diverse value chains with contact to the domain of (bio)chemistry and catalysis.A demonstration is performed how ontologies and their knowledge graphs can be applied to perform essential functions of semantic annotation to chemical reactions, which are difficult to model relational. Traditional data description methods can be neglected using description logic, showing how logical inferences at the machine level can enrich data. This work also illustrates the seamless integration of this enhanced data into process simulations, connecting semantic description with practical applications. The immediate benefits for catalysis research are emphasized and the development of new tools and services envisioned. By clarifying how these graphs can be integrated into existing workflows, researchers are empowered to make the most of digitally acquired data in catalytic processes. This practical methodology lays the foundation for improved decision-making and innovation, fostering advancements in the field of catalysis research.

Pre-Mamom Pottery Producers in the Heart of the Yucatan Peninsula

Recent research in the Maya Lowlands has revealed substantial new evidence for the first pottery producers at about 1000-600 bc, during the early Middle Preclassic period. This comparatively late adoption is a special case in Mesoamerica, where pottery appeared elsewhere up to a millennium earlier. Although archaic lifeways had long been established in the region, and pottery technology was likely known to some archaic communities, these new data reveal the complex set of circumstances that prompted the shift to ceramic production across the Yucatan Peninsula, Peten, and Belize. This article reviews these data from the perspective of the upland region of central and southern Yucatan, known as the Elevated Interior Region (EIR). Its rather complex early settlement links the EIR to contemporary pottery industries throughout the peninsula, suggesting well-established exchange systems were in place even as the first populations chose to settle more permanently on the landscape. Most significant among these cultural shifts was the increasing dependence on maize foodways as a primary subsistence strategy. Intensive maize agriculture has not been documented in Mesoamerica much before 1000 BC, yet ceramic technology was adopted independent of its use in other areas. Current evidence suggests, however, that the two were linked in the Maya Lowlands, where a relatively rapid transition took place as horticultural communities became more dependent on maize crops, followed waterways to settle more permanently on the landscape, and began producing pottery locally.

Reject, Reject, Reject...Passed! Explaining a Latecomer of Emigrant Enfranchisement

Despite the extensive spread of external voting across the world, exceptions remain as some countries have not passed such regulations (e.g., Uruguay) or have passed them but lag implementation (e.g., Nicaragua). Others still took a long time to join the trend, possibly presenting a pushback to the commonly accepted notion of norm diffusion to explain migrant enfranchisement. We examine a latecomer by asking why Chile took so long to enfranchise emigrants. Classified as a liberal democracy with a century of legal history of foreign-resident voting, it repeatedly rejected proposed bills on external voting since 1971. Chile enacted external voting only in 2014, regulated it in 2016, and applied it in 2017. Through legal historical content analysis, we identify which political actors proposed the bills, when, and why each failed. Left and right-leaning actors gave normative, legal, and procedural reasons that resulted in rejection and stagnation at various institutional stages. This latecomer’s constitutional tradition, strongly focused on territory and territorial links, potentially sheds light on dozens of other country cases of late adoption of the external franchise.

Improving Vaccine Assessment Pathways and Decision Making in the Polish Immunization Program.

This study examines the vaccine market access pathway in Poland to evaluate its efficiency and propose recommendations for its improvement. The research spans a comprehensive analysis of the vaccine assessment process, ranging from pre-registration to sustainability, encompassing critical components such as national immunization technical advisory groups (NITAGs), health technology assessments, resource evaluations, and decision making. This investigation utilizes a multi-phase approach. Initial desk research aimed to collect accumulated evidence about each step of the vaccine access pathway. This constituted the background for an expert panel discussion (n = 13) and a final online questionnaire (n = 12), evaluating the timeframes, inclusiveness, transparency, and consistency of the elements of the process. Poland is a late adopter of new vaccines. The country faces budget constraints and lacks a formalized framework for the inclusion of vaccines into the national immunization program. Notably, NITAGs play a crucial role, yet their limited resources and dependence on public health stakeholders diminish their impact. A formal and well-supported advisory body may become a foundation for decision-making processes. The health technology assessment conducted by the national agency is recognized for its timeliness and transparency, though the absence of fiscal analyses in vaccine assessments is identified as a gap that limits the understanding of the value of vaccinations. Resources are key drivers of decision making, and recent changes in legislation offer increased flexibility in financing vaccines. Challenges in the procurement process include a limited consideration of non-acquisition costs and an increased absence of a documented general strategy for immunization program development in Poland, pointing to a need for strategic planning. In conclusion, this study recommends the establishment of a robust NITAG with enhanced resources, incorporating fiscal analyses, transparent resource allocation, and strategic planning for immunization program development. Addressing these recommendations is crucial for optimizing Poland's vaccine market access pathway, ensuring timely and efficient population-wide vaccine access.

Response, awareness and requester identity in FOI law: Evidence from a field experiment

Freedom of Information (FOI) is considered a crown jewel of reforms fostering public administration transparency and accountability. However, FOI's symbolic power alone cannot overcome the organizational barriers and obstacles to its effective implementation. This paper presents the results of a field experiment performed in Italy, a late FOI adopter, where an FOI request was sent to the 307 municipalities with more than 30k inhabitants. The experimental design exploits marginal wording variation in the requests to test whether municipalities discriminate between ordinary citizens and high-profile requesters. The experimental evidence suggests that most Italian municipalities reply to FOI requests. The results show two opposite types of discretionary bias: Northern municipalities tend to favor high-profile requesters, whereas Southern municipalities tend to respond to them with a higher degree of attrition. The study investigates the determinants of this difference.

What Are the Differences in the Area of Profitability and Efficiency When Early and Late Adopters Are Analyzed Regarding the Basel III Leverage Ratio?

This research investigates whether banks that adopted new regulatory requirements earlier, such as Basel III, are more profitable, as well as more efficient, than banks that adopted these requirements later. In addition, all 138 banks are based in the G7 member countries, which are the most developed countries in the world. Also, banks are categorized into early and late adopters based on Basel III Leverage Ratio performance by using Fitch Connect. Moreover, profitability ratios, such as the Return on Equity, Return on Assets and efficiency ratio Operating Efficiency, were collected from Fitch Connect to analyze if early adopters were more profitable and efficient than the late adopters. Also, STATA is used to analyze descriptive statistics and a univariate analysis of both groups. Furthermore, the finding is that early adopters of the Basel III Leverage Ratio are not the more profitable or efficient firms compared to late adopters as anticipated. In addition, the results of early and late adopters do not differ that much in the analysis regarding profitability and efficiency ratios. This implies that it is not necessarily correct to assume that stricter regulation, such as Basel III, will negatively affect the profitability or efficiency of banks. In addition, these results are useful to regulators and policymakers of the G7 member countries for two reasons. Also, regulators can clearly see how banks are adopting new stricter regulation.

Mobility, Change, and A Shared History

It was only in 1727 that the first Turkish‑Muslim printing house was established by Ibrahim Müteferrika with the support of Sultan Ahmed III. It came into existence in Istanbul at the beginning of the eighteenth century during a peaceful interlude known as the Tulip Era – a brief period characterized by increasing consumerism, religious tolerance, interest in philosophy and openness to the West. Many reasons have been put forward for this late adoption: Sultanic firmans, opposition from scribes, lack of a market for printed texts, and the difficulty in printing Arabic script. What forms of mobility in print material and technology existed before 1727 in the Ottoman Empire, and how did they interact with the creation of a Turkish‑Muslim printing press during the Tulip Era? It was Rabbi Jacob ben Asher’s incunable of 1493 – "Four Rows" – that marked the inauguration of printing of any type in the Ottoman Empire. This text will be briefly analyzed, along with the ensuing centuries‑long Hebrew and Ladino print traditions, and finally their continuation through the Tulip Era. This article will frame the historical development of Jewish print culture in Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire from the fifteenth century to the eighteenth century while situating it within the international marketplace. The exchanges between the intercontinental Jewish print culture, the first Turkish‑Muslim printing house, and European intellectuals emphasize interconnectedness as well as the reimagination of the Tulip Era not as the initial thrust of Ottoman "modernization" but rather the amalgamation of previous technological and socioeconomic forces. Using Ottoman Jewish printing as a comprehensive example, "modernization" in the Ottoman Empire is shown to have occurred over many centuries, with its achievement the result of a blending of different coexisting cultures and trends.

Willingness to pay for innovative heating/cooling systems: A comprehensive appraisal of drivers and barriers to adoption in Ireland and Italy

This paper investigates drivers or hindrances to households' adoption of behavioural changes concerning energy efficiency at home. A Choice Experiment survey has been conducted to elicit households’ preferences regarding adoption of innovative heating/cooling systems in Ireland and Italy. The choice data is analysed through a Latent Class model, and posterior analysis is used for class profiling, aimed to detect the emergence of factors identified in the literature. In both country samples respondents could be grouped in three classes according to their preferences and willingness to pay for adoption of innovative heat pump systems. Early adopters, younger and with higher education, exhibit strong pro-innovation attitudes. Conversely, Laggards, typically older and less educated, display hesitancy, and may require substantial subsidies for adoption. Late adopters value trialability and rely less on social networks. Information processing varies according to individual capabilities and social contexts. Hence, we recommend targeted information to enhance awareness of benefits and on feasibility of installation in different types of dwelling. Technical information and support, possibly complemented by demonstration activities, is suggested to foster innovation, especially among less advantaged households.