Diffusion of Innovations

DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS
Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) Theory, developed by E.M. Rogers in 1962 in his book
Diffusion of Innovation, is one of the oldest social science theories.
The theory analysis how the social members adopt the new innovative ideas and how they
made the decision towards it. Both mass media and interpersonal communication channel is
involved in the diffusion process. The theory heavily relies on Human capital. According to
the theory, innovations should be widely adopted in order to attain development and
sustainability. In real life situations the adaptability of the culture played a very relevant role
where ever the theory was applied. Rogers proposed four elements of diffusion of innovations
they are
i. Innovations – an idea, practice, or object perceived as new by an individual. It can

also be an impulse to do something new or bring some social change
ii. Communication Channel – The communication channels take the messages from
one individual to another. It is through the channel of communication the Innovations
spreads across the people. It can take any form like word of mouth, SMS, any sort of
literary form etc
iii. Time – It refers to the length of time which takes from the people to get adopted to
the innovations in a society. It is the time people take to get used to new ideas. For an
example consider mobile phones it took a while to get spread among the people when
it is introduced in the market
iv. Social System – Interrelated network group joint together to solve the problems for a
common goal. Social system refers to all kinds of components which construct the
society like religion, institutions, groups of people etc
Further Roger identifies the Mechanism of Diffusion of Innovation Theory through five
stages.
a. Knowledge : An Individual can expose the new innovation but they are not showing
any interest in it due to the lack information or knowledge about the innovation.
b. Persuasion : An Individual is showing more interest in the new innovation and they
are always seeking to get details or information about the innovation
c. Decision: In this stage, an individual analysis the positive and negative of the
innovation and decide whether to accept / reject the innovation. Roger explains “one
of the most difficult stages to identify the evidence”.
d. Implementation: An individual’s take some efforts to identify the dependence of the
innovation and collect more information about the usefulness of the innovation, then
its future also.
e. Confirmation: An individual conforms or finalize their decision and continue to use
the innovation with full potential.
Adoption of a new idea, behavior, or product (i.e., "innovation") does not happen
simultaneously in a social system; rather it is a process whereby some people are more
apt to adopt the innovation than others. Researchers have found that people who adopt an
innovation early have different characteristics than people who adopt an innovation later.
When promoting an innovation to a target population, it is important to understand the
characteristics of the target population that will help or hinder adoption of the innovation.
There are five established adopter categories:
1. Innovators - These are people who want to be the first to try the innovation. They
are venturesome and interested in new ideas. These people are very willing to take
risks, and are often the first to develop new ideas. Very little, if anything, needs to
be done to appeal to this population.
2. Early Adopters - These are people who represent opinion leaders. They enjoy
leadership roles, and embrace change opportunities. They are already aware of
the need to change and so are very comfortable adopting new ideas. Strategies to
appeal to this population include how-to manuals and information sheets on
implementation. They do not need information to convince them to change.
3. Early Majority - These people are rarely leaders, but they do adopt new ideas
before the average person. They typically need to see evidence that the
innovation works before they are willing to adopt it. Strategies to appeal to this
population include success stories and evidence of the innovation's effectiveness.
4. Late Majority - These people are skeptical of change, and will only adopt an
innovation after it has been tried by the majority. Strategies to appeal to this
population include information on how many other people have tried the
innovation and have adopted it successfully.
5. Laggards - These people are bound by tradition and very conservative. They are
very skeptical of change and are the hardest group to bring on board. Strategies to
appeal to this population include statistics, fear appeals, and pressure from people
in the other adopter groups.
The stages by which a person adopts an innovation and whereby diffusion is

accomplished include awareness of the need for an innovation, decision to adopt (or
reject) the innovation, initial use of the innovation to test it, and continued use of the
innovation.
The Diffusion of Innovations Theory plays a crucial role in development communication,

offering insights into how to effectively introduce and promote new ideas and practices in
developing communities. The theory helps identify potential barriers and facilitators to
adoption, allowing communication strategies to be tailored accordingly. It predicts different
adoption rates among various groups (innovators, early adopters, etc.), enabling targeted
messaging and community mobilization. Analyzing the innovation's characteristics (relative
advantage, compatibility, complexity) guides communication efforts to highlight benefits and
address concerns. The theory emphasizes the importance of communication channels,
highlighting the role of interpersonal communication, trusted opinion leaders, and appropriate
media formats. It encourages two-way communication, addressing questions, concerns, and
feedback throughout the adoption process. The stages of the decision process (knowledge,
persuasion, decision, implementation, confirmation) inform the design of communication
interventions at each stage.
In public health, Diffusion of Innovation Theory is used to accelerate the adoption of

important public health programs that typically aim to change the behaviour of a social
system. For example, an intervention to address a public health problem is developed, and the
intervention is promoted to people in a social system with the goal of adoption (based on
Diffusion of Innovation Theory). The most successful adoption of a public health program
results from understanding the target population and the factors influencing their rate of
adoption.
Note:
(a) Diffusion is the process by which an innovation or information makes its way over
time to members of a social system.
(b) An innovation is the introduction of something new—a project, practice, or idea.
(c) The innovation–decision process is the process of progression an individual goes

through from first encountering an innovation to its adoption.
(d) Innovativeness is a measure of early adoption; individuals are considered innovative

and potential change agents if they are more willing to adopt new ideas than other
members of a system and likely to do so earlier than others.
(e) The rate of adoption of an innovation is the relative speed with which an innovation is
adopted.

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DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS

i. Innovations – an idea, practice, or object perceived as new by an individual. It can

The stages by which a person adopts an innovation and whereby diffusion is

The Diffusion of Innovations Theory plays a crucial role in development communication,

In public health, Diffusion of Innovation Theory is used to accelerate the adoption of

(b) An innovation is the introduction of something new—a project, practice, or idea.

(c) The innovation–decision process is the process of progression an individual goes

(d) Innovativeness is a measure of early adoption; individuals are considered innovative

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