2005/02/01 by Zachary Elkins, Beth A. Simmons, Beth Simmons · 19 citations
Social Sciences · Business, Management and Accounting · #Policy Transfer and Learning #Political Influence and Corporate Strategies #Social Policy and Reform Studies
paper · doi:10.1177/0002716204272516
This article makes a conceptual and theoretical contribution to the study of diffusion. The authors suggest that the concept of diffusion be reserved for processes (not outcomes) characterized by a certain uncoordinated interdependence. Theoretically, the authors identify the principal sources of clustered policy reforms. They then clarify the characteristics specific to diffusion mechanisms and introduce a categorization of such processes. In particular, they make a distinction between two types of diffusion: adaptation and learning. They argue that this categorization adds conceptual clarity and distinguishes mechanisms with distinct substantive consequences.