1. IDT 752/852
Innovation Development
Theories of Change

2. Class Notes
 Week 3!
 Should be well on your way with two assignments
 852 Abstracts are due June 23
 Relaxed guidelines about participation time
frames

3. Innovation Development

4. Six Main Stages of the Innovation-
Development Process
Needs/
Problems
Research
Development
Commercialization
Diffusion &
Adoption
Consequences

5. Diffusion Networks
IDT 752/852

6. Groups
 Membership
 Verifiable criterion for inclusion
 Reference
 Identity
King and Anderson (2002). Managing innovation and change:
A critical guide for organizations. U.S.: Thomson.

7. Asch’s Experiment
A B C

8. Nemeth and Wachtler
 Implication is that an environment
conducive to expressing ideas is beneficial.
Providing ideas that depart from the norms
makes the majority group think more
critically and creatively. They are more
likely to adopt change that goes against the
established procedures.
Nemeth, J. G. & Wachtler, J. (1983). Creative problem-solving as a
result of majority vs minority influence. European Journal of Social
Psychology, 13, 45-55.

9. Discussion Question
 A radical group of professors in the English
department at ODU have adopted blogs in a group
general education courses to encourage students
reflect on their readings and assignments. Being
radical and from English, this group is seen as an out-
group by the rest of the faculty. However, the
administrators like the idea and want all faculty to
adopt the use of blogs to encourage reflection
 How would you deal getting others to adopt this
innovation that has the approval of an out-group?

10. Discussion Question
 The Rogers text (Ch. 8) discusses the role of
social learning theory in diffusion networks.
Based upon your understanding of social learning
theory, what roles or activities might a leader
engage in to promote the adoption and diffusion
of a new technology within a
system/organization?

11. Change Agent Strategies

12. Change Agents at Siemens
 Dover, P. A. (2003). Change agents at work:
Lessons from Siemens Nixdorf. Journal of
Change Management, 3(3), 243-257
 Case Study report

13. Recommendations/Lessons
 Incorporate change agents into the culture of
change
 Need to include an implementation plan
 Create realistic program expectations
 A transparent plan for selecting the participants
 Make change task driven
 Determine the locus of control
 Establish performance measures

14. Havelock’s model
1. Care
2. Relate
3. Examine the problem
4. Acquire
5. Try
6. Extend
7. Renew
http://www.cited.org/library/site/Guiding%20Change%20w%20planning%
20questions.pdf

15. Change Agent Skills
 Interpersonal ease
 Group functioning
 Training and
conducting
workshops
 Educational general
(master teacher)
 Educational content
 Administrative and
organizational skills
 Initiative taking
 Trust/rapport building
 Support
 Conflict mediation
 Collaboration
 Confidence-building
 Diagnosing
individuals
 Diagnosing
organizations
 Managing and
controlling
 Resource bringing
 Demonstration
Miles, M. B., Saxl, E. R., & Lieberman, A. (1988). What skills do educational “change
agents” need? An empirical view. Curriculum Inquire, 18(2), 157-193.

16. Discussion Question
 Rogers list four factors in change agent’s
success. They are:
 Change Agent Effort
 Client Orientation
 Compatibility
 Change Agent Empathy
 Of these four, in your opinion, which is more
important? Which is the least important?