THE
DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION THEORY AS POSITED BY EVERETTE ROGERS
In Diffusion
of Innovations, Rogers teaches us that knowledge acquisition, risk
evaluation, value acceptance, social/economic/political constraints, adaptation
to specific situations, time, money, and the expertise of change agents all
influence the adoption of an innovation.
Diffusion
of Innovations seeks to explain how innovations are taken up in a population.
An innovation is an idea, behaviour, or object that is perceived as new by its
audience.
Diffusion of Innovations offers three valuable insights into the
process of social change: Diffusion of Innovations takes a radically different
approach to most other theories of change. Instead of focusing on persuading
individuals to change, it sees change as being primarily about the evolution or
“reinvention” of products and behaviours so they become better it’s for the
needs of individuals and groups. In Diffusion of Innovations it is not people
who change, but the innovations themselves. Reinvention is a key principle in
Diffusion of Innovations. The success of an innovation depends on how well it
evolves to meet the needs of more and more demanding and risk-averse individuals
in a population (the history of the mobile phone is a perfect example).A good
way to achieve this is to make users into partners in a continuous process of
redevelopment. Computer games Companies, pharmaceutical corporations and rural
research institutes are examples
Of organizations that seek to make users active partners in
improving innovations by supporting user communities or by applying
participative action research techniques.
The concept of reinvention is important because it tells us that no
product or process can rest on its laurels: continuous improvement is the key
to spreading an innovation.
The second important insight is that impersonal marketing methods
like advertising and media stories may spread information about new
innovations, but it’s conversations that spread adoption. Because the adoption
of new products involves the management of risk and uncertainty.
