National Culture and Innovation diffusion. Exploratory insights from agent-based modeling

The present paper sets to conduct a theoretical investigation on the role of national culture in shaping innovation diffusion patterns in different markets. We build a culturally grounded agent-based model to examine the question and introduce cultural heterogeneity to our simulations by merging two of Hofstede's dimensions of culture (individualism/collectivism and uncertainty avoidance) with Rogers' seminal work on innovation diffusion behavior. Our findings suggest that both dimensions of culture influence diffusion rates. The model also puts forward the importance of network topology as an enabling factor of national culture on diffusion processes.