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An Assignment on UNIT I ELEMENTS OF DIFFUSION Course No: EXT.503 Course Title: Diffusion and Adoption of Innovations (2+1) SUBMITTED TO Dr. J. B. Patel Associate Professor Department of Extension Education B A College of Agriculture AAU, Anand-388 110

SUBMITTED BY Haseena Bibi (04-2599-2015) M.Sc. (Agri.) Extn. Edu. 2nd Semester

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What is diffusion? • The process by which an innovation is communicated

through certain channels over time among the members of a social

system.

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• In this context communication is:

• ‘A process whereby participants share information to reach a mutual understanding’.

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• Diffusion is a special type of communication in which the messages are about a new idea.

• The newness of the idea gives diffusion its special character – it ensures that a degree of uncertainty is involved in diffusion.

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• Uncertainty – the degree to which a range of alternatives are perceived with regard to the occurrence of an event.

• Uncertainty implies lack of predictability and therefore of information.

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• To put this in a nutshell - for Rogers, “Diffusion of innovations" means

• The dissemination of uncertainty-reducing information embodied in products or processes through a social system.

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The Process of the diffusion of Innovations

• Diffusion is a process where an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among members of a social system

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Four Elements in Diffusion of Innovations:

• Diffusion is a process where:1) an innovation2) is communicated through certain channels3) over time4) among members of a social system

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The Innovation

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

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Characteristics of Innovation – 1. Relative Advantage 2. Compatibility 3. Complexity 4. Trialability5. Observability

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• Relative Advantage – Over existing technologies - can be perceived, may be measured in Economic terms, Social prestige, Convenience and Satisfaction.

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• Compatibility – with existing values, past experiences, needs of potential adopters (and their social system)

• Complexity - degree to which an innovation is perceived as difficult to understand and use.

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• Trialability – degree to which an innovation may be experimented with on a limited basis. A trialable innovation represented less uncertainty to a potential adopter.

• Observability – Degree to which the results of an innovation are visible to others.

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.Communications Channels

• The means by which messages get from one individual to another.

• The nature of the information-exchange relation determines the conditions under which a source will/will not transmit the innovation to the receiver and the effect of the transfer.

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• Mass-media – most efficient way to create awareness knowledge of an innovation

• Interpersonal channels – more effective in persuading in individual to accept a new idea.

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• The closer (more homophilious) two individuals are, the more frequently and more successful the transfer of ideas between them.

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Time• Time - third element in the diffusion

process. Involved in: – the innovation-decision process– the innovativeness of an individual – an innovation’s rate of adoption in a system

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THE INNOVATION-DECISION PROCESS • THE INNOVATION-DECISION PROCESS - the

process through which an individual passes from first knowledge of an innovation to forming an attitude toward the innovation, to a decision to adopt or reject it.

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• Five stages in the innovation-decision process: (1) Knowledge,

(2) Persuasion, (3) Decision, (4) Implementation, and

(5) Confirmation.

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• Knowledge occurs when an individual (or other decision-making unit) learns of the innovation’s existence and gains some understanding of how it functions.

• Persuasion occurs when an individual (or other decision-making unit) forms a favourable or unfavourable attitude toward the innovation.

• Decision occurs when an individual (or other decision-making unit) engages in activities that lead to a choice to adopt or reject the innovation.

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• Implementation occurs when an individual (or other decision-making unit) puts an innovation into use. Re-invention is especially likely to occur at the implementation stage.

• Confirmation occurs when an individual (or other decision-making unit) seeks reinforcement of an innovation-decision that has already been made, but the individual may reverse this previous decision if exposed to conflicting innovation.

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• At the knowledge stage the individual wants to know what the innovation is and how and why it works.

• Mass media channels

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• At the persuasion stage the individual wants to know the innovation’s advantages and disadvantages in his or her own situation.

• Interpersonal networks

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• Ultimately, the innovation-decision process leads to either ‘adoption or to rejection’.

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INNOVATIVENESS AND ADOPTER CATEGORIES

• “Innovativeness” - the degree to which an individual or other unit of adoption is relatively earlier in adopting new ideas than the other members of a system.

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• The adopter categories

(1) Innovators, (2) Early adopters, (3) Early majority, (4) Late majority, and (5) Laggards.

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RATE OF ADOPTION

• Rate of adoption - the relative speed with which an innovation is adopted by members of a social system.

• When the number of individuals adopting a new idea is plotted on a cumulative frequency basis over time, the resulting distribution is an “S-shaped curve.”

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• Most innovations have an S-shaped rate of adoption.

• But there is variation in the slope of the “S” from innovation to innovation;

• Some new ideas diffuse relatively rapidly and the S-curve is quite steep.

• Other innovations have a slower rate of adoption, and the S-curve is more gradual, with a slope that is relatively lazy.

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A Social System• Defined as: a set of interrelated units that

are engaged in joint problem-solving to accomplish a common goal.

• This sharing of a common objective binds the system together.

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• The social structure of the system affects the innovation’s diffusion in several ways. Here we deal with:–how the system’s social structure affects

diffusion, – the effect of norms on diffusion, – the roles of opinion leaders

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Social Structure

• To the extent that the units in a social system are not all identical in their behaviour, structure exists in the system.

• Structure - the patterned arrangements of the units in a system.

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SYSTEM NORMS AND DIFFUSION

• Norms are: Established behaviour patterns for the members of a social system.

• They define a range of tolerable behaviour and serve as a guide or a standard for the members’ behaviour in a social system.

• The norms of a system tell an individual what behaviour is expected. Thus a system’s norms can be a barrier to change.

• Norms can operate at the level of a nation, a religious community, an organisation, or a local system like a village.

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OPINION LEADERS

• Some members of the system function as opinion leaders.

• They provide information and advice about innovations to many in the system.

• They are opinion leaders

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• Opinion leadership is: the degree to which an individual is able to influence other individuals’ attitudes/behaviour.

• This leadership is not a function of the individual’s formal position.

• Opinion leadership is earned and maintained by the individual’s – technical competence, – social accessibility, and – conformity to the system’s norms.

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