Understanding the Adoption of ADA: A Field Study Report
August 1989 • Technical Report
W. Cohen, Gordon N. Smith, William E. Hefley, D. Levinthal
This report examines the extent to which the ADA adoption behavior of DoD contractors is influenced by their expectations of the technological opportunity provided by ADA.
Publisher:
Software Engineering Institute
CMU/SEI Report Number
CMU/SEI-89-TR-028
Abstract
In 1983, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) established for the development of all new DoD mission-critical computer applications. A multi-industry field study was conducted with seven business units from DoD contractors that have made decisions about the adoption and use of ADA. This report examines the extent to which the ADA adoption behavior of these contractors is influenced by their expectations of the technological opportunity provided by ADA, market demand for ADA, and appropriability conditions in the product market of firms. Findings indicate contractor decisions about adopting ADA are influenced both by the technical merits of the language and the economic impact on the firm.