To identify the different types of adoption costs faced by organizations involved in the adoption of RFID within supply networks, and to understand how these potential costs affect the likelihood of RFID adoption. Design/methodology/approach: The paper applies an existing generic theoretical framework of costs associated with process innovation adoption (Bunduchi & Smart, forthcoming) to the case of RFID technology. Data was collected by interviewing participants in the RFID adoption process in supply network settings, and by examining a range of publicly available information on RFID development. The data were used to test and expand the theoretical framework. Findings: Of the six main categories of generic process innovation costs, four were identified as applicable in the case of RFID adoption by early adopters: development, switching, cost of capital and implementation. No evidence was found for initiation and relational costs. In addition, a seventh category of costs was identified as applicable to the adoption of RFID in supply networks: ethical costs associated with privacy and health issues. Research limitations: Further empirical work is required to test the generalisability of the findings. Because RFID technology is still in the early phases of development, the research has been able to consider only early adopters: further work is required as the technology matures to assess the impact of costs throughout the technology development lifecycle. Practical implications: The work demonstrates that when considering the adoption of RFID managers need to look at a range of potential costs in making the investment decision. Policy makers also need to consider how organizations consider a range of costs that may not be explicitly specified when making adoption decisions. Originality/value: The paper tests and extends the generic framework of costs associated with process innovations in supply networks. The study also clarifies the various costs involved in the adoption of RFID technologies by early adopters, and their influence on the decision to adopt.

The advent of Internet technologies during the past decade has accelerated the diffusion of interorganizational networks and has intensified collaboration among organizations. Currently, most interorganization systems have moved to the public Internet network and rely on Internet and associated standards such as XML to codify and exchange data. Though often portrayed as a narrow technical matter, interorganizational systems standard setting is a complex social process, shaped by the power relations among the potential participants. This paper discusses the role that the power relations among the automotive industry actors played during the early development stages of Covisint -an interorganizational system aiming to set up a de-facto platform for e-commerce in the automotive industry. Whereas current empirical studies on standardization focus on the success of coalitions of large users to establish de facto standards, our study explores the failure of such an initiative. The study finds that changes in the balance of power among car manufacturers and suppliers and the inability of car manufactures to relinquish control over standard development to suppliers can explain why coalitions can fail to set up and adopt industry wide e-commerce platform standards.

Inter-organizational collaboration requires systems interoperability which is not possible in the absence of common standards. However, empirical research has shown that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) standards can be a major barrier in the progress of Information Technology (IT)-enabled inter-organizational collaboration [1][2][3]. Though often portrayed as a narrow technical matter, standard setting is a complex social process, shaped by an array of factors and representing embodiments of social relationships between the actors. This paper approaches standardization from a Social Shaping of Technology (SST) perspective. The paper explores the characteristics and factors that shape the development and implementation of a standard in the case of a portal implementation in the automotive industry.

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