Web services innovation research: Towards a dual-core model

The paper is based on the rationale that existing enterprise process integration technologies are unlikely to be able to tackle problems with the growth and complexity of current e-business practices. In order to clarify our understanding of Web Services adoption we propose a dual-core model that treats such innovation at a strategic level according to its peculiar characteristics. We question the validity of using two prevailing innovation theories: Tornatzky and Fleischer's contextual framework, and Swanson's innovation typology respectively. We argue that simply applying either of these theories would miss important attributes of Web Services; if we use both then it would be too complex leading to poor generalizability. We therefore, compose a synthetic viewpoint, on the basis of Web Services primary characteristics, in order to obtain a thorough understanding of innovation research. We also suggest that adoption of IS innovation may reflect a pattern in terms of the scope of e-business enablement across organizations. The argument is exemplified through the diffusion of Web Service innovation.