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Diffusion of Innovations
By: Amber Ward, Jaquoy Castelli, Kaelynn Studebaker, Meredith Law,
Raquel Blamires
IntroductionTerm Definition
Diffusion The process by which a new idea, object, or practice filters through various channels in a community over time
Innovations
The new ideas, objects, or practices that are to be adopted
Theory Indicates that this model has been tested thoroughly
•The idea of this theory deals with the dissemination of new ideas and their adoption by people in a systematic manner•It is a tool for social change
Historical Background•Can be traced back to the 1900s
• Gabriel Tarde, French sociologist, wrote The Laws of Imitation• Described how innovations (new ideas, concepts, etc.) are
accepted• Georg Simmel, German philosopher, introduced the
concept of a stranger• A member of a system but not strongly attached to it
•Empirical work began with hybrid seed corn study
• Sociologists Bryce Ryan and Neal Gross at Iowa State University• Tried to find out how long it would take farmers to fully
adopt or accept the innovation (the use of the hybrid corn seed)
• Took an estimated 12 years for full diffusion
Historical BackgroundPopular in rural
sociology from 1940’s to 1950’s
Everett RogersPursued the theory in
Doctorate degree1962- wrote the book,
Diffusion of Innovations 2003- 5th edition of book
Foremost authority on this theory
The diffusion model has now been around for a long time, almost 60 years. Is diffusion dead or dying? It is not declining. The number of diffusion publications completed per year continues to hold steady. Unlike most models of human behavior that begin to fade after some years of use, the diffusion model continues to attract interest from scholars.
Attributes of Innovation
Innovation
Perceived Relative Advantage
Compatibility
Complexit
y
Dem
onstrabili
ty
Cost
Rev
ersi
bili
ty
Perva
siven
e
ss
Reinvention
Clarity of Results
TIMEFacilitate adoption of
new innovations over time
The interval between becoming aware of an idea and adopting the idea
Communication ChannelsLinks between those who possess the know-
how regarding the innovation and those who have not yet adopted that innovation
Facilitate adoption from person to person
Use homophilous agentsUse social networksUse change agentsUse opinion leaders
SocialSystem People in society connected by a common goal
Diffusion of Innovations in Action!
Innovation- Employees Wear: Sunglasses, Hats, and
Sunscreen
Communication Channels- E-mail
Time-Dec thru March
Social System-
Managers=Change Agents
Ski Patrollers=Opinion Leaders
ConclusionSummary: Diffusion of
innovations deals with adoption of new ideas and practices over a period of time.
Four main constructs: 1. Innovation-9 attributes
2.Communication Channels 3. Time 4. Social System
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
Has existed for over 100 years
Thoroughly tested and refined
Offers several advantages in guiding the adoption of something new or novel
Diffusion occurs slowlyComplex process
occurring across multiple levels and settings
Not very useful for current problems that everyone is already knowledgeable about