The Role of Professional Associations in Technology Diffusion

It is important for firms to be able to adopt technologies that offer them com petitive advantage. Before adoption can occur, knowledge about new technolo gies needs to be diffused so that firms can decide what is relevant to their needs. Professional associations see themselves as key agents in this diffusion of knowledge. Members of professional associations working in industry may act as boundary spanners who, through their involvement in these inter organizational networks, are able to learn about new technological develop ments. This paper examines the relevance of a professional association for this diffusion process, using the example of a specific technological domain — production and inventory control (PIC). The research investigated a profes sional PIC association in Canada. A survey of members revealed that this association was perceived to be an important network for learning about new developments in PIC. Predictors of technological innovation in PIC included involvement in the professional development activities of this professional association, as well as firm size and members' communication within their firm. The findings support the idea that professional associations impart knowl edge that is important for the diffusion of technology. However, the influence of this professional association was limited by its rather small size and its lack of penetration into small firms. The results from the Canadian association are compared with earlier work conducted with similar associations in Britain and the United States and suggest that there are national differences in the roles of these associations in the knowledge diffusion process.