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Abstract:
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Communication ,Tourism & Fine Arts, University of Bahrain, Kingdom
of Bahrain. Manama, April 7-9, 2009. 11-13 Jami’dil Awal 1430.
Diffusion of Innovations:
Summary:
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social sciences ranging from the field of communication, rural
sociology, education, marketing, general sociology, public health,
anthropology, geography, population studies, sociology and
agricultural extension works. To date I believe the total numbers of
diffusion studies have increased more than three folds, more than
what was initially recorded in 1980’s. This demonstrates the under-
pinning potential applications of the theory has, across many fields
of social sciences. To date it represents large numbers of scholars
worldwide associated with such a theory .
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– the spread of committed innovations could be classified into
different groupings of adopters as described by Rogers (1983) in
his S-shape curve. This curve represents grouping of participants
known as: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority
and laggards, all operating within a social system. Innovations and
expansions of new media communication technologies in many
ways are quite similar to the ‘S-shape curve graph’ syndrome as
cited by Rogers and others, but it might also differ in it’s heterophily
factors.
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imagine. These scenarios created mis-match between the process
of adoption of the innovation and reinvention.
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Introduction:
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(Ryan & Cross, 1943) but it was not until 1970’s, that the diffusion
studies became popular among social scientists. By the time when
Rogers’s diffusion of innovation’s book was updated in 1971, the
numbers of diffusion studies have increased to about 1,500 out of
which 1,200 were empirical research reports and the other 300 were
bibliographies, syntheses, theoretical writings and non empirical
writings (Rogers, 1976: 47). By 1983, the diffusion publications had
reached to about 3,085. To date I believe the diffusion studies has
surpass an estimated more than three fold from the last count (see
Table 1.1) Perhaps, no other field of behavioral science research
that represents more efforts by more scholars in more nations than
that of the diffusion studies.
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population studies, public relations, advertising, marketing,
consumer beheaviour, rural sociology and many other fields of
study just to name few. The application of diffusion approaches
in agricultural developments and family planning are often
synonymous in many Latin America, Africa and Asian countries.
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beneficial ideas that do not necessarily entailed with the sale of
commercial products. Marketing concepts thus are integrated with
healthy life styles and environmental concerned to consumers. In
other words today, market research examined data beyond the
purchasing behaviors.
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Secondly, the other significant attraction among many scholars
who are interested in the diffusion ideas is the increased interest in
the aspects of organization processes. In another words this theory
is also capable of providing some explanations as to the process of
how organizational decision-making made by individuals, groups
and organizations.
In order to help understand the model fully , two factors that we have
to take into account. First we have to understand two important
facets of the model, namely we have to examine the model’s
characteristics and secondly we have to understand the rate in
which the model gets diffused or adopted or not adopted.
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(b) The main elements of in the Diffusion of Innovation’s Model.
Figure 1.1. The S-shape Curve Diffusion Model It the process by which
(1) an innovation (2) is communicated through certain channels
(3) over time (4) among members of a social system.
(extracted form Rogers’s Diffusion of Innovation’s Model : page 11)
As explained earlier the diffusion model takes into account four major
elements of the diffusion ideas such as (1.1) it must be classified
as an innovation, (1.2) it must be communicated through certain
channels, (1.3) it takes into account the duration or time factor and
(1.4) lastly it must be adopted among members of within the social
system. These criteria must be met if the innovation is to ‘take off’
as predicted according to the S-shape as illustrated above.
E.g how innovations were applied in the field of marketing &
advertising.
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Firstly, the diffusion starts with an innovation. An innovation could
be an idea, practice (e.g. services) , object (e.g. product) that is
perceived as ‘new’ by individuals who wishes to adopted the idea.
It matters little whether the ideas involve is a new knowledge or
not, as long as it ‘must be perceived’ by the potential adopters as
‘something new which they have not heard before’ and must be
seen desirable to be adopted.
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(c) New product development (i.e. it refers to development of new
products specifically geared to the needs and suitability of the local
market –e.g Heinz developed a special rice line of rice based baby
foods for the China’s market or the Pepsi ‘tarek’ for the Malaysian
market by adding the component of coffee or ‘Maharaja Masala
Pizza’ (hot and spicy taste) by the Pizza Hut for the local market.
Added recipes are an added innovation. Adaptation were made on
products sold to specific markets.
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(e) Joint ownerships (i.e this refers to the process by which two
or more firms in the different countries joint forces to create
local business in which they share joint ownership and control of
management, marketing and services – e.g in the Sultanate of
Oman – the Oman Marketing LLC company for Honda, Saud Bahwan
for Toyata, Sohil Bahwan LLC for Nissan Zawawi for Mercedes, Naza
Motor Sdn. Bhd for KIA or Pantai Medical Groups just to name few,
with the foreign participation in the Holdings. This joint partnership
as part of the innovation.
(v) What would be the significant factors learned from this theory?
Rogers (1993:211-236) itemized other characteristics of
innovations as being perceived by individuals quite differently. This
helps to explain the different rate of adoptions . He explained that
the reasons for the different rate of adoption of any innovations
differs are because of the following reasons namely:
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more simpler the innovation for understanding it will be more rapidly
adopted than innovation that require more complex understanding.
More complex understanding require the adopter to develop new
skills thus the rate of understanding, slows down the process of the
diffusion,
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length of time from which an innovation is fully convinced by the
adopters from one stage to believability to the other stage that
than led to the process of decision-making. There are five steps to
decision-making process that happened in the diffusion model.
They are namely: knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation
and confirmation. The occurrences takes place perhaps in a linear
format.
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The innovators are the first group of adopters who initiated an
innovation with in the system. They play a gate keeping roles in the
flow of this new ideas. This groups normally belongs to 2.5 % batch
or early birds. The early adopters are the second batch of adopters
who are convince with the ideas initiated by the early innovators.
Early adopters normally belongs to 13.5 percent grouping. Early
majority adopts new ideas just before the majority adopts the idea.
This group normally occupied about 34 percent Late majority on
the other hand implies that this group adopts new ideas fairly late
because they are very much skeptical in the beginning. As time
proceed they then joint the main stream of adopters. Laggard are
those who adopt the innovation last. This grouping consistent of
about 16 %. This is the last batch of adopters.
In conclusion, the pace of innovation depended on the different
level that individuals belief in adoption itself.
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diffusion ideas were used for agricultural extension and for national
family planning. In the west marketing theories and promotional
campaigns supports the diffusion ideas (Baran & Davis, 2003:
170).
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In the case of new media communication technology like computers,
the evolution of the invention – e.g micro chips like 8086, 8088, 286,
386, 486, Pentium 1,2, 3,4 (with dual core) and core 2 duo by itself
often times supersede what the users can adopt in terms of financial
investment. Another example the mobile phone. Sets bought today
– in due short period of time are already obsolete. That is the nature
of fast growth technology.
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Conclusion:
In this short paper I have attempted to trace the growth and analyze
the popularity of the theory of diffusion mainly from the theoretical
point of view. It has helps us explain the characteristics and the rate
of any innovation adoption. As illustrated in this paper the beauty
of this model is not culturally or disciplinary bounded theory. It is
a theory applicable to cross cultural and multi-disciplinary. It is a
theory that could accommodate both the tangible and the non-
tangle items of innovations. It provides us with a useful explanations
of a social phenomena in field of social sciences without being
dogmatically attached to certain ideology.
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References:
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