1. Diffusion of Innovation
How ideas and technologies can spread and become accepted in a community
What makes an idea acceptable?
It is a good idea, solves a problem, makes sense, saves time, and money. But not always:
British navy took nearly 200 years to wipe out scurvy with citrus after a 1601 experiment with lemon juice.
Fax - Took 150 years from the inception to the idea to success

2. Diffusion is...
The process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among members of a social system.
What’s an innovation?
Channels?
Social System?

3. 4 elements of diffusion Innovation Communication channels
Individual / group process
Social structure

4. A Graphic Presentation of Diffusion Theory
Knowledge I
Confirmation IV
Decision III
Persuasion II
Adoption
Discontinued
Continued
Rejection
Later Adoption
Societal traits
Individual traits
Innovation traits
Time
E. M. Rogers (1995)

5. Innovation
An idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by the recipient.
Uncertainty exists about the innovation’s
purpose and value
evaluation and consequences of use
What are innovations in agriculture? Forestry?
What is the social system in this case?

6. Characteristics of innovations
Relative advantage ($, status, time)
Compatibility with values and norms
Complexity
Trialability
Observability (feedback on results)
Relative advantage – is it better than the tool or technique it is replacing
often judged in economic terms
Reduced Impact Logging, or GMO’s need to prove they are better
Compatibility with values and norms – does it fit prevailing attitudes?
Prescribed burning does not coincide with many people’s existing attitudes. Why?
Complexity – The easier it is to understand the quicker it will be adopted.
When computers were complex and required punch cards and programmers to operate they were rare. Now, even though they are tremendously complex, they seem easy to use and operate.
Trialability – Can potential users give it a try.
Give RIL a try or GMO’s. Need to see that they can adopt the tool.
Observability – Can they see the innovation or its positive effect?
People could see televisions and know immediately what they do?
You do not readily see the results of silvicultural prescriptions.

7. Facilitators and Barriers of Diffusion Process
Personal traits
Social influences
Adoption of an innovation
Technological traits
Perceived traits
Communication

8. Personal Traits Knowledge of the innovation (education, information)
Skills required to use the innovation (education, training)
Ability to own the new media (income)
Curiosity and risk-taking (personality)
Perceived need for innovation (a product of interpersonal and mass communication)

9. Social Influences Pressure from primary group members
Predominant social norms and cultural values (for or against the innovation, and tolerance level for any innovation)
Law, regulations and government policies
Marketing, distribution, financial, and technical support systems

10. Technological/Perceived Traits
Relative advantage of the new media (as compared to the old media)
Compatibility of the new media (with the existing system)
Complexity (ease and convenience of operating the new media)
Trialibility and Observability

11. Communication Channels
Communication creates acceptance and willingness to try.
Mass media channels have largest reach
Personal channels have largest success
Most people depend mainly on advice from people like themselves who have used the innovation.

12. Communication Factors: Channels and Timing
Mass Media
Knowledge
Persuasion
Decision
Confirmation
Interpersonal Communication

13. Similarity is key
Effective communication occurs when individuals are similar in key respects
Social characteristics
Subcultural language
Beliefs
Education
Status
Diffusion happens best when opinion leaders spread information laterally to peers.
It’s not as effective when it is spread to employees or subordinates.

14. Individual Process Steps Media Awareness Mass media
Interest Mass/ Peer users
Evaluation Personal contacts
Trial Personal contact
Adopt/reject
What are natural resource examples?
Awareness – posters, brochures, popular articles, presentations
Interest – more detailed media, extension publications, technical reports, documentaries
Evaluation – talks to peers – extension agents, salesperson
Trail – does it him or herself usually with the help of another person
Adopt/reject – Based on personal satisfaction (weighing the costs and benefits)

15. Diffusion Process Late Adopters 100% Percent of adoptions
Early Adopters 0%
Time

16. The S-Curve Model of Diffusion Process
Decline
Adoption
Saturation
Later Majority
Earlier Majority
Laggards
Takeoff
Earlier Adopters
Innovators
Time
Introduction
Growth
Maturity
Decay

17. Diffusion Curves of Media
Lievrouw (2000)

18. Variation in “innovativeness”
Innovators - venturesome
Early Adopters - respected
Early Majority - deliberate
Late Majority - skeptical
Laggards – traditional
Ask about cell phones.
Who had (or wanted one) one five years ago, three years ago? still doesn’t have one?
GIS is currently being adopted by industry and agencies
Currently becoming an important recreation item, but still only by early majority and innovators.
Innovators – communicate outside the social system, always looking for new things, sometimes considered eccentric by peers (i.e, geeky)
Early Adopters – considered role models in their social system, opinion leaders, have a high degree of credibility
Early Majority – Accept innovation a little sooner than most people
Late Majority – View new ideas with caution and do not like to violate social norms
Laggards – their points of view are in the past, seldom venture outside their own local social system, exhibit suspicion and contempt for innovation.

19. Every population has some
Innovators 2.5%
Early Adopters 13.5%
Early Majority 34%
Late Majority 34%
Laggards 16%

20. The Social Structure
A set of interrelated individuals functioning within a set of rules or norms for communication, decision, leadership, etc.
Opinions leaders are able to influence others’ attitudes in an informal way.
A person can be a member of several social systems.
Be a member of SAF where innovation is important, but work in a traditional forestry office that looks upon innovation with skepticism.
What are other social systems?
church groups
communities – unfortunately becoming rare as communities lose identify
classmates

21. Change Agents
People who try to influence the innovation decisions in the direction desired by change agency: extension agents, health workers, advertisers, marketers
Usually have technical training, maybe a professional degree; therefore are not similar to clients socially.
Change agents are usually different from the people they are trying to change. Ideally they would be similar on some social aspects.

22. Summary
By considering how a message is an innovation, this theory might have suggestions about:
who to teach first
what to emphasize about innovation
how quickly the idea will spread
what may prevent acceptance
what to design into campaign to reduce barriers