Diffusion of

Innovations: A
Recaptulation

By Rabeesh Kumar Verma

Roll no :20508
M.Sc.2nd year.
 Diffusion of
innovation:definition
 The process by which (1) an innovation (2) is
communicated through certain channels (3)
over time (4) among members of a social
system. Rogers, E., Diffusion of Innovations, 5 ed, 2003.
th

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 Innovation
“An idea, practice, or product perceived to be NEW
by the relevant individual or group.”

Idea - new way of thinking about something

Practice – new way of doing something
Product - new equipment, device, or technology

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 Examples of Innovations
 Products
 Phone technology: digital pager, cell phone, camera
phone, Blackberry (phone w/internet), iPod/phone
combination
 Pusa hydrogel, STFR.
 Practices
SRI method of rice transplantation.
 Ideas
Use of IPM approach for plant protection

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An innovation is all about
Perception.
If it is new to the user,
then it is an innovation.

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The Rate of Diffusion of Innovations
P e r c e n t d if f u s io n
The S-Shaped Diffusion Cu
1

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Time

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 Confirmation and
Adoption, Re-
invention, or Rejection

Institutionalization
Implementation
RATE or
SPEED of Full Scale Use
ADOPTION Decision

Trial Use
Persuasion

Understanding

Awareness
Knowledge
Contact

TIME

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The Adoption Process: 5 Stages
 Knowledge —Awareness and understanding
of the innovation
 Persuasion —Form favorable opinion

 Decision —Try it out

 Implementation —Put it to use

 Confirmation—ADOPTION of innovation

or REJECTION, & discontinuation of use

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Factors Affecting the Rate of
Diffusion of Innovations
 1. Perceived Innovation Attributes
 2. Type of Innovation- Decision
 3. Communication Channels
 4. Nature of Social System
 5. Change Agent Efforts

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1. Perceived Attributes of the
Innovation
 Relative Advantage
 Compatability
 Complexity
 Triability
 Observability

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 2. Type of Innovation-Decision
 Optional—voluntary, individual choice.
 Collective—decide as a group, consensus.
 Authoritative—top down decision, must do it!

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3. Communication Channels
 Mass media-public information
 Creates awareness, increases knowledge and
favorable impression about the innovation
 Interpersonal--local interactions with near peers
 Strongly influences personal opinion through
persuasion
 Sources: peers and opinion leaders

Communication channels provide information to

decrease uncertainty about the innovation.

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 Mass Media Communication
 Education: General information, policies,
procedures, documentation
 Staff meetings: Reports, organizational
rationale/goals
 Written: Charts, forms, newsletters
 Verbal: Announcements, focus groups, task
forces
 Promotional campaigns: Posters, fact sheets,
raffles, games, contests

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 Interpersonal Communication
 Most interaction is among “near peers”.
 Connections among staff: number, frequency,
content of interactions. Dense networks are
more functional.
 Interactions are local but effects have a
system-wide effect.

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 Interpersonal
Communication

Mass Media
Communication

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 4. Nature of Social System
 A social system is a group of inter-related
agents or people engaged who are engaged
together to achieve a common goal.
 The social structure and quality of inter-
relationships determines the flow of
information and diffusion of innovation
 The role of opinion leaders and change agents
influences diffusion and adoption.

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 Communication Networks
 Legitimate system
 Chain of command for flow of information-
information moves up or down the hierarchy
 Shadow system
 Rumor mill & gossip grapevine--information
crosses hierarchical boundaries
 Can be made up of many loose connections

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 Opinion Leaders
 Opinion Leadership-
 Individuals within peer group who are admired,
imitated, & identified as a reliable source of
information.
 They exert a strong influence on decision to
adoption.

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 Opinion Leaders…
 Communicate their approval or disapproval of an
innovation. 
 Reduce uncertainty about what will happen if the
innovation is adopted.
 Evaluate the innovation and give it thumbs up or
down.
 The “majority” responds by rapidly adopting. 
 The spread of an innovation hinges on whether opinion
leaders vouch for it.

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 Change Agent
 Develop a perceived need for change among
members of the organization
 Diagnose problems in current practice
 Work effectively with opinion leaders and
direct care staff
 Address negative feedback about the
innovation by uncovering perceptions,
barriers and facilitators
 Promote the innovation

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 Describing People in the System:
Adopter Categories
 Degree to which an individual is relatively
early in adoption of an innovation, compared
to others in the social system.
 Early adopters and opinion leaders lead the
change process, and by their example, others
follow.

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 Adopter Categories:

 Adopter groups: Innovators, early adopters, early

majority, late majority, laggards

 Number of people within adopter groups

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 Types and Description
 Innovators –visionary; eager to explore & willing to try new
things, experiment & on occasion risk failure.
 Early adopters -well connected/respected by peers; tend to be
opinion leaders, willing to try new things if benefit is verified,
likes to influence & lead change.
 Early majority –deliberate; will follow with peer experience &
expert endorsement, are an important link to later adopters.
 Late majority -skeptical and cautious; willing to adopt with
social pressure & convincing information from opinion leaders.
 Laggards -traditionalist; suspicious & uncertain of innovation,
peer pressure necessary, seeks stability & “good old days”.
People place into different categories depending on the
innovation.

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Duke University School of Nursing, 2008
Stop and Reflect: Using the Diffusion of
Innovation Model helps you…
 Identify innovation attributes,
 Uncover facilitators and barriers
 Gain understanding about relationships
between the innovation, individuals and the
social system
 Recognize strengths in the system
 Speed the rate of adoption of the innovation

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Recognize that most people tend to
not desire change!
Human nature gravitates to reducing
and managing uncertainty.

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 Using the Diffusion of
Innovation Model
 Assess Communication Channels
 Who tends to talk most to each other?
 Who is the typical ‘go to person’ for information?
 Who tends to stir up controversy or ‘gossip’? (rumor mill)
 Are all of the right people talking to each other?
 Is information isolated from those who need it?
 Is there a ‘shadow system’?...an informal routing of
communication that is not or top-down/bottom-up, but is
based on personal connections, cliques, or other factors?

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 Some Strategies to promote
adoption
 Education methods
 Quality improvement methods

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 Using the Diffusion of
Innovation Model
 Education methods
 Education necessary but not enough to change practice or
lead to adoption.
 Mass media and didactic information--increases
knowledge and awareness.
 Interpersonal approaches—promotes behavior change &
adoption of innovation
 Experiential learning
 Bedside clinical teaching
 Nursing rounds
 Peer learning--mixed teams co-teach a topic

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 What FACILITATES
Adoption of an Innovation?
 It is useful, better than the status quo
 It is easy to use or do, & simple to understand
 Is congruent with values or previous experiences
 Can see results or outcomes
 Can try it out & modify it to accommodate your
needs
 Favored by opinion leaders & change champions
 Active and diverse social networks help promote a
favorable opinion

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 What INTERFERES with
Adoption of an Innovation?
 Perception that it is not beneficial or better
than what is currently being done
 Difficult to understand or do
 Does not align with values or beliefs
 Unable to try out on small scale
 The innovation or its results are not visible
 Not endorsed by Opinion Leaders or
Management
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 Stop and Reflect: Using the
Diffusion of Innovation Model
 Reduces uncertainty about the innovation.
 Proactively addresses potential barriers, pitfalls
or problems.
 Identify staff perspectives, strengths and
limitations that may affect implementation.
 By addressing key aspects in the model, we can
 Speed up rate of adoption for getting new ideas into
practice, and increase sustainability

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 Let’s Recap the High Points!
 Diffusion of Innovations is a theory that helps explain
the social process of CHANGE.
 DIFFUSION is the process by which an innovation is
communicated through certain channels over time
among members of a social system.
 An INNOVATION is an idea, practice or object that
is perceived as NEW by the individual.
The purpose of the model is to increase the speed or
rate of adoption of an innovation.

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 Summary:
Diffusion is a useful Model to-
 Systematically assess the barriers and
facilitators within the organization and among
individuals and groups.
 Identify strengths in the social network to
promote benefits of innovation.
 Strategically design & plan interventions to
facilitate adoption of evidence-based practices.

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Thank you………

Duke University School of Nursing, 2008