Why does the adoption of new technology vary across seemingly similar contexts? Even in the presence of well-documented benefits and widespread access, diffusion often remains uneven.
We propose that new technology adoption is shaped by the micro-geographic embeddedness of exchange relationships. Specifically, we theorize that local exchange—commercial transactions between technology providers and buyers embedded in the same local community—facilitates adoption. We test this idea in the context of contemporary agricultural aviation, where drone operators choose between manual and autonomous flight. Using a novel dataset of more than 300,000 DJI drone flight paths over five years in rural China, we find that operators are significantly more likely to employ autonomous flight when servicing farms located within their own local community. These results highlight the role of local exchange in shaping diffusion dynamics and suggest that technology strategy should account for the spatial and social structure of market transactions.
By characterizing the role of local exchange in enabling technology adoption, we contribute to research on technology strategy, economic geography, and innovation diffusion.
Enrico Forti is an Assistant Professor of Strategy and the inaugural Director of Research in the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University.
His research program lies at the intersection of strategy and organization theory with a specific interest in strategy evolution in entrepreneurial ventures and coordination and performance in contexts characterized by gig and remote work. His work has been published in leading academic journals, such as Administrative Science Quarterly, Organization Science, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, Journal of Product Innovation Management, and Research Policy.
Enrico has taught courses and performed research at leading institutions in the US, UK, EU, and China, including Columbia Business School, the UCL School of Management at University College London, the University of Bologna, and Peking University. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in the area of strategy.
Enrico received a Ph.D. in Strategic Management from the University of Bologna and was a visiting doctoral student at London Business School. Before joining Seton Hall University, he was the Gabriel Hauge Assistant Professor of Strategy in the O’Malley School of Business at Manhattan College. Previously, he was a Lecturer in the Strategy & Entrepreneurship group at University College London, UCL School of Management and served as a Chazen Visiting Associate Research Scholar at Columbia Business School.
The seminar will be held in English.
Major information: Elisa Villani (e.villani@unibo.it).