ASGARI, MANOOCHEHR; PHD

                         UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, 1985

                         ECONOMICS, GENERAL (0501)
 

                         The diffusion of process innovation is concerned with the impact of technical or managerial changes in
                         the production process. The often observed S-curve is a salient feature of process innovation. This
                         curve contains the characteristic of process innovation from birth to maturity. This particular behavior has
                         been of interest to many researchers. In this study it has been shown that the observed S-curve is the
                         result of economizing behavior of firms. That is, the behavioral aspect of a firm is responsible for such a
                         curve. Empirical results for one of the most significant innovations in shipping industry has been
                         analysed. Two methods for estimation of diffusion rate are suggested and their results are compared with
                         the traditional two-step approach. (Copies available exclusively from Micrographics Department, Doheny
                         Library, USC, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0182.)
 
 

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