Innovation Diffusion Channels and Community Policing: The Impact of Institutional Forces on Organizational Practice.

Empirical research examining channels of communication capable of spreading knowledge of innovative programs is lacking. Instead, research has typically focused on the factors that give rise to the need for organizational change rather than factors that influence the content of that change. This paper examines channels used to diffuse innovation by assessing their influence in organizational change, situating them within an institutional theory framework. These channels—journals and government publications, accreditation criteria, other agencies, grants, community and government pressures, academic courses/seminars, and professional associations—are studied within the context of community policing reforms. Using existing data collected from over 440 local law enforcement agencies, the relative importance of communication channels is assessed along with commonly studied factors of organizational change. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]