Monopolistic Competition and the Diffusion of New Technology

This article analyzes the adoption and diffusion of new technology in a market for a differentiated product with monopolistic competition. I show that in a noncooperative equilibrium ex ante identical firms adopt a new technology at different dates. This equilibrium can be described by a simple distribution function. For nonidentical firms, I state the conditions under which a positive relationship between firm size and speed of adoption exists. The model integrates rank and stock effects. I demonstrate that increased competition often promotes diffusion