A multidimensional framework for the diffusion and adoption of innovation in the travel industry: A case-study of an online B2B travel solution system

In the contemporary world, businesses need to innovate to survive, grow and be effective in global conditions, which are dominated by limitless competition, advances in technology, and increasing resource scarcity. In this regard, innovation development is of utmost importance, but so are the diffusion, sharing, and usage of innovations. It is important for companies that develop new products to understand the diffusion process of innovation well. Because the process of diffusion and adoption guides the prospect of a product's success and failure in the market. Thus, this study aims to identify facilitating and inhibiting factors that affect the diffusion and adoption of disruptive innovations developed using information communication technology in the travel industry. For this purpose, a local Turkish entrepreneurial firm that developed a "multisided platform (MSP)" as a travel solution system based on cloud-based software as a solution (SaaS) technology is considered as a case, which has been diffused on a global scale in the travel industry. The qualitative research design was chosen as a research method to study the experiences and emerging meanings regarding the diffusion and adoption of innovation. Data were collected in two stages with semi-structured interviews. In the first stage, the data were collected from 17 country representatives, and in the second stage, the data were collected from 11 country representatives. Besides, method triangulation was applied to enhance data richness, which included the use of multiple data collection tools such as observation, preliminary interviews, field notes, and document review. The findings contribute to the literature that the diffusion and adoption of disruptive innovations in the travel industry are driven by factors at both firm and individual levels.