The Diffusion and Adoption of Innovations A Quick Summary of The Diffusion of Innovations by Everett Rogers or Really, all you

need to know about innovation diffusion and adoption was written over 50 years ago (and updated a few times since then) Dr. David J. Walczyk

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Sections: 1. Overview of technological diffusion 2. Stages in the innovation-decision making process 3. Attributes of innovations and their rates of adoption 4. Adopter categories 5. Putting it all together: the innovation process is an organization

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1. Overview of technological diffusion

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What is technological diffusion?

A process by which: 1. any innovation 2. is diffused through certain channels and then adopted 3. over time 4. among the members of a social system (for instance a culture, a subculture, an organization) - What is an innovation? - Examples?

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The elements of technological diffusion: 1. the innovation 2. communication channels 3. time 4. the social system (people and the organization)

Lets look at the characteristics of the first element in detail

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Characteristics of the innovation that relate to diffusion and adoption: 1. Relative advantage 2. Compatibility 3. Complexity 4. Trialability 5. Observability

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Relative advantage: degree to which an innovation is perceived as better than the technology it supersedes.

Measured in?

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Compatibility: the degree to which an innovation is perceived as being consistent with existing values, past experiences, and needs of potential adopters. How much change is required Examples?

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Complexity: The degree to which an innovation is perceived as being easy or difficult to adopt.

Examples?

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Trialability: the degree to which an innovation may be experimented with prior to adoption

Why important?

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Observability: the degree to which the benefits (+ and -) are visible to others

Examples?

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2. Stages in the innovation-decision making process

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Innovation-decision process: an information-seeking and information-processing activity in which an individual is motivated to reduce uncertainty with the advantages and disadvantages of the innovation Examples?

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Steps in the innovation-decision process: 1. knowledge 2. persuasion 3. decision 4. implementation 5. confirmation

Lets look at each step in detail

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Knowledge: when an individual (or other decision-making unit) is exposed to an innovations existence and gains an understanding of how it functions

Examples?

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Persuasion: when an individual (or other decision-making unit) forms a favorable or unfavorable attitude towards the innovation

Examples?

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Decision: when an individual (or other decision-making unit) engages in activities that lead to a choice to adopt or reject the innovation

Examples?

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Implementation: when an individual (or other decision-making unit) puts a new technology to use

Examples?

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Confirmation: when an individual (or other decision-making unit) seeks to reinforce or revoke (reject) an innovation-decision

Examples?

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Two types of innovation rejection: Active consideration and then rejection Passive no consideration and no adoption

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A big picture
Communication Channels

Prior conditions 1. Previous practices 2. Felt needs/problems 1. k nowledge 3. Innovativeness 4. Norms of the social system

2. persuasion

3. decision

4. implementation

5. confirmation

1. Adoption Characteristics of the Decision-mak ing unit 1. Socieconomic Characteristics 2. Personality variables 3. Communication behavior Perceived characteristics of the innovation 1. Relative advantage 2. Compatibility 3. Complexity 4. Trialability 5. Observability 2. Rejection

Continued Adoption Late Adoption Discontinuance Continued Rejection

The rate of awareness-knowledge for an innovation is more rapid than its rate of adoption
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3. Attributes of innovations and their rates of adoption

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Attributes of innovations: (differences) in perceived properties of innovations Rate of adoption: the speed with which an innovation is adopted by members of a social system.

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Another big picture

Variables Determining the Rate of Adoption Dependent Variable That is Explained

I. Perceived Attributes of Innovations 1. Relative Advantage 2. Compatibility 3. Complexity 4. Trialability 5. Observability II. Types of Innovation-Decision 1. Optional 2. Collective 3. Authority III. Communication Channels (e.g. mass media or interpersonal) IV. Nature of the Social System (e.g. its norms, degree of network Interconnectedness, etc.)

Rate if Adoption of Innovations

V. Extent of Change Agents Promotion Efforts

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4. Adopter categories

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Adopters: measured in terms of the behavioral, cognitive, and attitudinal openness to change Diffusion follows an S curve (similar to in the real-world) a normal distribution Distribution of adopter categories follows a bell curve

The S-curve and the normal distribution curve overlap to give a general/generic view of technological diffusion

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Categories: (3 to left, 2 to right on a bell curve) - innovators 2.5% - early adopters 13.5% - early majority 34% - late majority 34% - laggards 16%

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Innovators gatekeepers, control flow of new ideas Early adopters highest level of opinion leadership. Potential adopters look to them Early majority Seldom hold positions of opinion leadership Late majority general acceptance is established Laggards do not accept change

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Two main types of diffusion systems: Centralized (linear top-down) Decentralized (non-linear bottom-up convergence)

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5. Putting it all together: the innovation process is an organization

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The innovation Process in an Organization Decision I. Initiation #1 Agenda-setting #2 Matching II. Implementation #3 Redefining/ Restructuring #4
Clarifying

#5 Routinizing

General organizational problems that may create a perceived need for innovation.

Fitting a problem from the organization s agenda with an innovation.

The innovation is modified and re-invented to fir the organization, and organizational structures are altered.

The relationship between the organization and the innovation is defined more clearly

The innovation becomes an ongoing element in the organization s activities, and loses it identity.

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Agenda-setting organizational problem is defined that creates a need for an innovation. For example a performance gap Matching stage at which a problem from the agenda is fit with an innovation Redefining/restructuring reinvention of innovation to organizations needs. Organizations structure is modified to fit with the innovation Clarifying Flexibility. Social construction or technological determinism

Routinizing Integration into everyday life

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But its iterative! Sowe must analyze consequences 1. Desirable vs. undesirable 2. Direct vs. indirect 3. Anticipated vs. unanticipated

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Desirable functional effects on individuals or more Undesirable Dysfunctional effects Direct consequences changes that occur in immediate response Indirect - the consequences of consequences

Anticipated changes that are recognized and intended Unanticipated neither recognized nor intended

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End

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