A presentation that I did on 02-Nov-2020 within the "Seminar in Communication Theories and Literature" course under the supervision of Dr. Shahira Fahmy @ The American University in Cairo. Dr. Everette Rogers is inspirational and Innovator himself!

1. Diffusion of
Innovation
Dr. Everette M. Rogers
1962 onwards

2. The American University in Cairo
Mass Communication Theory and Literature - JRMC 5200-1
Course Instructor: Dr. Shahira Fahmy
Presentation by: Christine Saad Eskander Guirguis – ID: 800170215

3. Presentation Agenda
Diffusion main
players
Criticism to the
theory
Diffusion theory
Main elements
1
2
3 4
Innovativeness
+
Adopters

4. • "How did I get trapped into this business? It happened very easily I can
tell you that, and very naturally. I had grown up on an Iowa farm as I
said; I was puzzled, I had NOTICED the same thing that Ryan and
Gross found in their study. My father and other neighboring farmers
were very reluctant in adopting agricultural innovations“ (Rogers, 2004).
• In 1854 speech by Louis Pasteur: application of science is impossible
without pure research and theory building (Koelbing,1969).
“Chance, by the way, favours the prepared mind only”
(Koelbing, 1969).
• Ex. Telegraph (Hans Oersted), Penicillin (Alexander Fleming), X-Rays
(Wilhem Rontengen) … etc. (Pearce, 1912; Neil, 2017).
“Chance Only Comes to Prepared Minds”

5. 1st : Diffusion theory
main elements
Innovation Communication
Channels
Over time
In a social
System
Diffusion (of innovation): it is a
special type of communication where
messages exclusively about
innovations, i.e. new ideas, are
communicated through channels
among members of a social system
over time.
1
2
3
4
Rogers about the Hybrid Corn study by
Ryan and Gross in 1943:
“one of the most influential diffusion
studies of all time”.
Why?

6. Diffusion theory main elements, continued
“An innovation is an idea, practice, or
object that is perceived as new by an
individual or other unit of adoption.”
The process by which individuals within a
community create and exchange information
to reach common understanding through
communication channels (interpersonal &
Mass Media) were messages go back and
forth between the members.
Set of interrelated units that are
engaged in joint problem solving to
accomplish a common goal.
1. Innovation-decision process: (Knowledge,
Persuasion, Decision, Implementation and
Confirmation).
2. Innovativeness: earliness/lateness.
3. Full adoption within a community.
The Innovation
Communication Time

7. What facilitates/hinders the diffusion of an innovation?
Uncertainty/
Unpredictability
Homogeneous/
Homophilous
Characteristics of
Innovation

8. What facilitates/hinders the diffusion of an innovation?
Continued,
• Perceived benefit versus perceived cost.
• This is tackled by a Technology which is an action that targets to reduce the uncertainty of
the innovation through the Hardware (innovation design) and the Software or the information
about the innovation which doesn’t only aim at reducing the uncertainty around an innovation
but also reduces uncertainty in the future and thus improves life in general.
Ex.: - Cost of the hybrid corn in the Great Depression.
- In 1996-97 only 16% of the U.K households owned
mobile phone, a decade later the figured jumped to
80% mobile phone ownership.
Why? Vodafone non-contract service.
1. Uncertainty/ unpredictability:

9. What facilitates/hinders the diffusion of an innovation?
Continued,
2. Characteristics of Innovation:
• Relative Advantage of the Innovation: the more the perceived desired outcome or advantage the
speeder the rate of adoption.
• Compatibility: how compatible/congruent/ consonant is
the innovation is with the social system it diffuses in.
This is related in part to the taboo innovations and
how they are made acceptable in the society through
well-designed communication. Ex.: Indian birth control campaign.
• Complexity: how difficult or easy an innovation is to understand. Ex.: Peru boiling water campaign.
• Triability: the degree to which an innovation can be tried on small scale before the actual adoption.

10. What facilitates/hinders the diffusion of an innovation?
Continued,
3. How Homophilous the social system is:
• “Homophily” is the degree to which individuals who
interact together are similar in attributes like beliefs,
education, social status, and the like. Rogers say “more
effective communication happens when two individuals
are homphilous.
• “Heterophily” on the other hand, means how different
the individuals communicating together are.
Therefore, Extreme homophily means no diffusion of
innovation takes place and extreme heterophily means
hindrance to the communication process. The solution is
something in between.

11. Innovation-decision process
1. Knowledge: awareness of the innovation and how it functions.
4. Implementation: when an individual adopts the innovation.
2. Persuasion: forming a favorable or unfavorable attitude towards the
innovation.
3. Decision: engagement in innovation-related activities that lead to
the adoption or the rejection of the innovation.
5. Confirmation: reinforcement of innovation adoption decision.
Note
Discontinuation might occur if the individual becomes dissatisfied by the innovation or the innovation has
become replaced by another one.

12. Q. After watching Elon Musk’s
conference last August and have
become more informed now, how
likely are you willing to undergo a
brain chip implantation surgery? If
yes, why? If no, do you have other
reasons besides uncertainty?

13. 2nd: Diffusion Main Players
Change Agent: is the one who
communicates the innovation and
facilitates the process of its
adoption by the members of a
community. They act as linkers,
who also conveys the individuals’
feedback to the change agency.
Change Agency: is the source of
the innovation, the most innovative
member in a society and are
viewed as deviant, dubious and of
low credibility, therefore have
limited ability to affect others.
Opinion Leader: informal leaders within a
social system, have the ability to influence
other individuals’ attitudes and behaviors,
have high social accessibility, conformity
to the system’s norms and technical
competence. They affect collective rather
than individual decisions.

15. Opinion leadership
Polymorphic
The degree of the ability of the
individual to lead the public
opinion in a variety of topics.
Monomorphic
The tendency of an individual
to act as an opinion leaders in
one single topic.

16. It is not necessary that all
innovations have change
agencies, some innovations
actually are decentralized
and unplanned. Example:
leaders-free revolutions
where the potential adopters
are solely responsible for the
self-management of the
diffusion of innovation.

17. “From Cocoon to Butterfly”

18. Innovativeness
• It is how early an individual is likely to adopt an innovation in comparison to other individuals
within a social system.
• Innovativeness is a central theme in the “Diffusion of Innovation”:
“We know more about Innovativeness than any other concept in diffusion research”
(Rogers, 1983, p. 242)
• Why Innovativeness is so important?
Because, it is all about Persuasibility of the the Change Agent. According to Oliver, Raney and
Bryant (2019, chp.4, p.5), “Persuasion” (2nd step in the Innovation decision process) targets
behavioral change which is the ultimate goal of Diffusion process (Rogers, 1983, p. 242).

19. Early Adopters (13.5%): a.k.a localites, more integrated into the local system than
the innovators. They have the highest degree of opinion leadership (in most not all
systems (Rogers, 1983, p.259)) and members of a society count them as an
informed individual in their society so they look up to him/her as a role model and a
source of credible information.
Innovators (2.5%): a.k.a venturesome and cosmopolites (global citizen). They are
risk takers and actively engaging in new innovations. They are of high socio-
economic class; therefore, they aren’t afraid of financial losses.
Early Majority (34%): a.k.a deliberate they are a linking point between the
high level of innovativeness of the 2 previous categories and the following
categories, since they don’t easily adopt an innovation like the early
adopters and innovators but they more likely to adopt an innovation faster
than the following categories.
Adopters

20. Late Majority (34%): a.k.a. skeptical. Adoption of innovation may be out of
necessity to possess or as a result of peer pressure. They decide to adopt after
most of the members in the same social system have already adopted the
innovation. They are cautious and respond to the peer pressure after they check the
availability of their scarce resources.
Laggards (16%): they are the most localite individuals and the last to adopt any
innovations, sometimes they do adopt an innovation after it becomes no more an
innovation and gets displaced by newer innovations. They are the most suspicious
regarding any innovation and they make decisions on purely rational standpoints.
They are fixed in the past and look “on the rear-view mirror”.
Adopters
Continued,

22. Factors Influencing Adoption Decision
• Dogmatism and Fatalism are negatively
related to innovativeness.
• Socio-economic class is positively related to
innovativeness.
(Knowledge gap/Digital Divide?)

23. Points of Criticism
• Pro-innovativeness bias: the assumption that an
innovation should be diffused and adopted by all members
of a social system is criticized.
• Individual-blame bias: blaming someone for not adopting
an innovation while not blaming this on their social system.
• Recalling problem: inaccuracies may happen due to some
people aren’t not able to accurately recall when they
adopted an innovation.
• Equality issue: innovation adoption makes people of higher
innovativeness more able to access many facilities and
resources than the less innovative.

24. Diffusion
of
Innovation
in
Points Central thesis: Diffusion is a special type of communication where messages exclusively about innovations,
i.e. new ideas, are communicated through channels among members of a social system over time.
Kinds of evidence that developed and supported the thesis: 155 interviews (PhD). Then, meta-analysis of
empirical research findings to reach general theoretical conclusion.
Major terms/concepts: Innovation/ Diffusion/ Communication Channels/ Social System/ Change Agency/
Change Agent/ Opinion Leader(ship)/ Homophily/ Heterophily/ Innovativeness/ Innovators/ Early Adopters/
Early Majority/ Late Majority/ Laggards.
Main Assumptions: Diffusion process consists of 4 main elements/ It passes through 5 stages/ Factors
facilitating or hindering diffusion/ Diffusion main actors/ Different rates of adoption among different groups
(innovativeness).
1
2
3
4
Limitations: Biases (Pro-innovativeness, Individual blame, recalling problem, equality issue), cross-sectional
studies, and an innovation should reach to a maturity phase so that individuals of a social system can be
divided on a bell shaped graph.
5
Contribution(s): Extending the Diffusion of Innovation theory outside the agricultural innovations (from
“cocoon to butterfly”).
6

25. Diffusion
of
Innovation
in
Points Relationship between this theory and other theories/models: 2-step flow of comm. → multi-step flow of
comm. Within social networks.
Modernization theory (Thussu, 2002, P.57) (and similar related theories like Cultural Imperialism).
Digital Divide : the socio-economic imperative of the innovation adopters widens their gap.
Problems/Questions suggested: Network communication analysis to study how the diffusion occurs among
social networks.
Longitudinal Studies tracing the change in innovativeness over a period of time.
More realistic and less normative model of the Adopters.
7
8

26. Thanks

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