  Rogers' diffusion of innovations theory asserts that cultural similarity
among individuals plays a crucial role in the acceptance of an innovation in a
community. However, most studies on the diffusion of innovations have relied on
epidemic-like models where the individuals have no preference on whom they
interact with. Here, we use an agent-based model to study the diffusion of
innovations in a community of synthetic heterogeneous agents whose interaction
preferences depend on their cultural similarity. The community heterogeneity
and the agents' interaction preferences are described by Axelrod's model,
whereas the diffusion of innovations is described by a variant of the Daley and
Kendall model of rumour propagation. The interplay between the social dynamics
and the spreading of the innovation is controlled by the parameter $p \in
[0,1]$, which yields the probability that the agent engages in social
interaction or attempts to spread the innovation. Our findings support Roger's
empirical observations that cultural heterogeneity curbs the diffusion of
innovations.
