Rogers, Everett M. Diffusion of innovations, 5th Edition. Free Press, 2003.

Diffusion of Innovations by Everett M. Rogers discusses factors that lead to the spread and adoption of innovations (really any practice).

Diffusion is the process by which (1) an innovation (2) is communicated through certain channels (3) over time (4) among members of a social system. (11)

An innovation is an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adoption.

Perceived attributes of innovations

  • Relative advantage
    • Better: economic, social prestige, convenience, satisfaction
  • Compatibility
    • Consistent with: needs, existing values, past experiences
  • Simplicity
    • Ease of understanding and use.
  • Trialability
    • Ability to experiment on a limited basis.
  • Observability
    • Visibility of an innovations results to others.

Innovations that are perceived by individuals as having greater relative advantage, compatibility, simplicity, trialability, observability will be adopted more rapidly than other innovations.

note: I have replaced Rogers use of Complexity with Simplicity. Since I prefer positive phrases.

Communication Channels

A communication channel is the means by which messages get from one individual to another.

  • Mass media channels are usually the most rapid and efficient means of informing an audience of potential adopters about the existence of an innovation — that is, to create awareness-knowledge.
  • Interpersonal channels are more effective in persuading an individual to accept a new idea, especially if the interpersonal channel links two or more individuals who are similar in socioeconomic status, education, or other important ways.

Diffusion investigations show that most individuals do not evaluate an innovation on the basis of scientific studies of its consequences, although such objective evaluations are not entirely irrelevant, especially to the very first individuals who adopt. Instead, most people depend mainly upon a subjective evaluation of an innovation that is conveyed to them from other individuals like themselves who have already adopted the innovation. This dependence on the experience of near peers suggests that the heart of the diffusion process consists of the modeling and imitation by potential adopters of their network partners who have previously adopted. Diffusion is a very social process that involves interpersonal communication relationships.

  • Most individuals do not evaluate an innovation on the basis of scientific studies of its consequences.
  • Most people depend on subjective evaluation of an innovation as conveyed to them from other individuals like themselves who have already adopted the innovation.

Time

(1) knowledge, (2) persuasion, (3) decision, (4) implementation, and (5) confirmation.

Adopter Categories: (1) innovators, (2) early adopters, (3) early majority, (4) late majority, and (5) laggards.

Innovators are active information seekers about new ideas. They have a high degree of mass media exposure, and their interpersonal networks extend over a wide area, reaching outside their local system. Innovators are able to cope with higher levels of uncertainty about an innovation than are other adopter categories. As the first to adopt a new idea, they cannot depend upon the subjective evaluations of the innovation from other members of their system.

Social

The most innovative member of a system is very often perceived as a deviant from the social system and is accorded a status of low credibility by the average members of the system. This individual’s role in diffusion (especially in persuading others to adopt the innovation) is therefore very limited. Certain other members of the system function as opinion leaders. They provide information and advice about innovations to many other individuals in the system.

Innovation Decisions

  • Optional
    • made by an individual independent of the decisions of other members of the system.
    • individual has complete responsibility for the decision
  • Collective
    • made by consensus, Individuals usually must conform once the decisions is made.
    • individual has say in the decision
  • Authority
    • made by a few who possess power, status, or technical expertise. Individual members implement the decision once made.
    • individual has no influence

Generally, the fastest rate of adoption comes from authority decisions.

Diffusion in Action