As distributed organizations ~n c i~e a s~n g l~~ reb: on technological innovations to enhance organizational efficiencj. a d competitiveness, interest in agile environments [hat enhance the d@rslon and adoptron of innovations has grown. Although Information Sjstems has c o n j h e d that social influence factorsplay an rmportarit role in the adoption oftechnological innovations by individuals, less is understood about the n~echanisms within social conlnztinication networltr thatjircilitafe

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... 2on: ofsocial irzjluence andlrno~,ledge and about the orgar~izationalcapacrtj~ to acquire and absorb new knowledge. This exploratory study helps tospec$ interactions andfeedbackcwilhin social comrnunication networks m d or;oanizat~onaI capacities in a nenhodi organization environment. We rise an e.splor.atop case study design to docunlent h o~r theflow ofknowledge withln social communmztion nefworlis affected the adoption ofn large-scale software system m severidcounties within New York state. Data from decision ma1ce1.s in two coriipar~able network organizations were analyzed for differences in social colnmunicatiorz networks and the organization's capability to absorb and exploit new knowledge. The data suggest that irljbrmation systeni aduptioil was influerlced by con~n~urzicatiorz processes that re~nforcedsoclalirifl~tences ands~rpportedkno~vledge transfer: and hampered whe71 those processes were absent. Implications for the developnlent of theory about the relationship behveen social information processing and the ability of an organization to absorb and adopt new techno log}^ are discussed.