A Comparison of Two Theories of Resistance to Innovation in Medical Record Administration Baccalaureate Degree Programs

Resistance to innovation is a major obstacle to the successful implementation of planned change in colleges and universities. The purpose of this study was to compare two explanations of resistance to innovation to determine which one best explains the variance in receptivity and proposed innovations among faculty members in medical record administration programs. One explanation holds that organizational members\u27 receptivity to change is a function of their personalities. The second explanation holds that members respond to specific innovations and that they do so in terms of whether the innovation would increase or reduce their present status. The faculty of baccalaureate degree programs were queried to measure their receptivity to computer-assisted instruction and televised courses. The data was collected using four semantic differential scales, the short form of Rokeach\u27s Dogmatism Scale (1965), the Trumbo Work-Related Change Scale (1961) and the Dye Local-Cosmopolitan Scale (1963). The findings revealed that status variables accounted for the greatest variance in receptivity for each innovation. Significant relationships between selected status variables and receptivity to each innovation were found. However, no relationships were found between the personality variables and receptivity to the innovations. A negative relationship was found between threat to job perquisites and level perceived risk for each innovation. A positive relationship was found between perceived risk from each innovation and receptivity to that innovation