ways been the ideal, and the process is slowed by the 

 fact that inefficient plants are not placed in a se- 

 verely disadvantageous position. Yet the greater ac- 

 cent now placed on branch-wide performance compari- 

 sons may ultimately have a favorable impact on tech- 

 nology diffusion. 



In large part, however, the factors outlined pre- 

 viously which influence technology delivery and uti- 

 lization by the first producer similarly influence 

 succeeding adopters. Plans may stipulate introduc- 

 tion and in general are the basic coordinating and 

 motivating mechanism for diffusion. Organizational 

 and financial mechanisms may be employed to create 

 a favorable disposition toward innovation in all po- 

 tential adopters. The impact of clearly superior 

 economic performance is exemplified by the experi- 

 ence of developing new ceramic tile manufacturing 

 technology: 



In this case it is also vital to note that the 

 socio-economic consequences of replacing the 

 old technology of producing ceramic tiles in 

 tunnel kilns with a new technology using auto- 

 mated conveyer assembly lines with slit kilns 

 were so obvious that adoption of the new meth- 

 od in industry . . . not only encountered no re- 

 sistance, but, on the contrary, a whole number 

 of enterprises and agencies sought additional 

 ways to move up the fixed schedule for putting 

 this system into operation. 99 



In certain instances, however, the age of a product 

 determines the applicability of a special innovation- 

 related program. For example, compensation for high 

 start-up costs from the Fund for Assimilation of New 

 Technology is only permitted for new products, where 

 "newness" is defined bureaucrat ically to apply "if 

 (a) it is the first instance of the product's pro- 

 duction in the USSR, or (b) no more than two years 

 have elapsed since it was first introduced in the 

 USSR." 10t) 



Special Soviet programs to facilitate diffusion 

 resemble those in any advanced industrial country. 



239 



