Focus is on the institutionalization-termination phase of change in an attempt to explain why innovation fails or why it declines prior to achieving its intended purposes. Four questions are asked: (1) Why do innovations decline or fail after being adopted? (2) In what manner do innovations decline or fail? (3) Why do innovations persist or prosper after being adopted? and (4) In what manner do innovations persist or prosper? Part One (Questions and Answers About Innovation) establishes the areas to be examined. Part Two (A Study of Fourteen Innovations) examines innovation in colleges from creation to institutionalization. Part Three (Conclusions) attempts to understand why innovation fails and offers a literature review on the implications of the failure. Appendices include methodological notes and a synthesis of theories on planned change. Among the conclusions are: innovation resistance is related to organizational stability; organizational variables and organizational character contribute to failure factors; and failure often results when the institution is not considered as a whole. Suggestions for innovation's success include: create a climate for change; avoid hard-line approaches; appreciate timing; engage in information dissemination and evaluation; establish awards; and plan for the post-adoption period. A bibliography and index are also provided. (LC)