1. Review
Diffusion of Innovations
Diffusion is the process by which an
innovation
_________ is communicated through
certain _____________ channels over a
communication _______
period of time among the members of a
____
_____ system
social ______.

2. Review
Pace of Diffusion Process
Relative advantage
Compatibility
An innovation is perceived as difficult
to use and understand
Trialability
Observability

3. Diffusion of Innovations
Innovation-Decision Process
Huynh Minh Ngoc – s3311659
Nguyen Cong Thanh – s3309949
Le Ha Ai Vi – s3296952

4. Contents
Review
Innovation-Decision Process
Case study
Applications
Activity

5. Innovation – Decision process
Five stages:
1. Knowledge
2. Persuasion
3. Decision
4. Implementation
5. Confirmation

6. Innovation-Decision process
WINTER
“The process through which an individual (or
Template
other decision-making unit) passes
(1)from first knowledge of an innovation,
(2)to forming an attitude toward the innovation,
(3)to a decision to adopt or reject,
(4)to implementation of the new idea,
(5)and to confirmation of this decision”.
(Rogers 1995)

7. Prior conditions:
 Previous practice Innovation-Decision Process
 Felt needs/problems
 Innovativeness
 Norms of the social system
Communication Channels
1 2 3 4 5
Knowledge Persuasion Decision Implementation Confirmation

8. Innovation-Decision process
Knowledge
- Occurs when an individual learns of the innovation’s
existence and gains some understanding of how it functions.
- Mental activity is mainly cognitive (Rogers 1995).
- Use mass media channels as means (Haider and Kreps 2004).
- Three individual generalizations:
Socioeconomic status
Personality variables
Communication behaviors
Figure 1. Reproduced from: childbehaviorsolution 2012

9. Innovation-Decision process
Persuasion
- Occurs when an individual forms a
favorable or unfavorable attitude toward
the innovation.
- Five attributes of the innovation affecting
its rate of diffusion: relative advantage,
compatibility and so on.
- Mainly based on feelings
- Focus on interpersonal channels

10. Innovation-Decision process
Decision
- Occurs when an individual engages in activities that lead to a
choice to adopt or reject the innovation.
Adoption: make use of an innovation as the best course of
action available.
Rejection: not to adopt an innovation.
Active rejection: considering and trying the innovation out on
a limited basis, then deciding not to adopt.
Passive rejection (non-adoption): consists of never really
considering the use of the innovation.
(Rogers 1995)

11. Innovation-Decision process
Implementation
- Occurs when an
individual utilizes an
innovation.
- However, the degree
of uncertainty about
the expected Figure 2. Reproduced from: Certified Green Business 2012
consequences of an
innovation still exists.

12. Innovation-Decision process
Confirmation
WINTER
- Occurs when individuals seek reinforcement
Template
to the decision that they have already made or
reverses a previous decision to adopt or reject
the innovation if exposed to conflicting
messages about the innovation.
- Whether the final choice is adoption or
rejection, it will be a long term effect.

13. CASE STUDY: DIFFUSION OF
HYBRID SEED CORN IN
IOWA, USA

14. Background
-Hybrid seed corn: Introduced to Iowa farmers in 1928 and remained
as one of the most important new agricultural technologies.
-Characteristics:
. Increased productivity by 20%.
. Suitable for mechanical corn pickers -> Reduced the need for a
large number of farmers to harvest the corp.
. More drought-resistant.
Figure 3. Reproduced from Urban Farmer 2012 Figure 4. Reproduced from Urban Farmer 2011
(Rogers 2003)

15. Background
- In 1941, Ryan and Gross investigated on the diffusion of hybrid
seed corn in the area. In general, their findings suggested that
(a) The diffusion process took 12 years to reach widespread
diffusion.
(b) The average farmer needed 7 years to progress from initial
awareness of the innovation to full-scale adoption.
- Specifically, a qualitative research was conducted in 2 communities
in Iowa and a total of 259 famers were interviewed to understand
farmers’ decision to adopt the hybrid seed corn.
 Most farmer-respondents recognized that they went through a
series of stages.
(Rogers 2003)

16. Innovation-Decision process
Knowledge
-Salesmen from the seed corn company introduced the innovation to
Iowa farmers.
- Influencing factors:
Socioeconomic characteristics: The seed lost it hybrid vigor after
the first generation -> required annual purchase -> costed quite
amount of money given the Depression context.
Previous practice: Previously, farmers had selected the best-
looking corn plants to use as seed for the following years -> the
adoption of hybrid corn meant an important change in the corn-
growing behavior.
 Obstructed knowledge-gaining process.
 Slowed down the diffusion process as a whole.
(Rogers, Singhal & Quinlan 2009)

17. Innovation-Decision process
Persuasion
-Iowa farmers mentally applied the new idea to their present or an
anticipated future situation before deciding whether or not to try it.
- However, like any innovation, hybrid seed corn carried some
degree of uncertainty.
 Sought social reinforcement for their attitude toward the
innovation by referring to the neighbors .
 The neighbor gave meaning to the innovation, leading to the
forming of positive attitude and persuasion.
(Rogers, Singhal & Quinlan 2009)

18. Innovation-Decision process
Decision
-The small-scale trial is often an important part of the decision to
adopt.
-In 1930s, the seed corn salesmen gave a small bag of the new seed,
which was enough to plant about an acre of corn, to Iowa farmers
entering the decision stage.
 A large enough trial to convince the farmer to adopt the new idea
on all of his corn acreage in the next few years.
(Rogers, Singhal & Quinlan 2009)

19. Innovation-Decision process
Implementation
- Implementation usually follows the decision stage rather directly.
 With such facilitations from the seed corn company, the
famers-respondents trialed the seed corn.
(Rogers, Singhal & Quinlan 2009)

20. Innovation-Decision process
Confirmation
WINTER
- Innovators and early adopters were more likely to positively confirm
their decision to implement the innovation than later adopters, meaning
Template
that the rate of adoption was faster. (Rogers, Singhal & Quinlan 2009)
Figure 5. Reproduced from Rogers 2003

21. Activity
Explain the popularity of The Voice using
Innovation – Decision Process
Figure 6. Reproduced from Hoang Lan 2012

22. Applications of DOI theory
An overarching, theoretical framework that have
wide applicability (Horsky & Simon 1983).
Advertising
Fashion
Technology
Health Care
Agriculture
Culture
Figure 7. Reproduced from Innovation Group 2012

23. Key terms
•Diffusion is the process by which an innovation is
communicated through certain communication
channels over a period of time among the members of
a social system.
•Innovation-decision process: knowledge 
persuasion  decision  implementation  confirmation.
•5 attributes: relative advantages, compatibility,
complexity, trialiability, observability
•Adopter categories: innovators, early adopter, early
majority, late majority, laggard
•S-curve

24. References
Certified Green Business 2012, ‘Certification Process’, image, Certified Green
Business , viewed 1 August 2012, <http://www.smcsbdcgreen.org/certification-
process/>.
Childbehaviorsolusion 2012, ‘Control TV watching children’, image, blogspot, viewed
1 August 2012, <http://childbehaviorsolution.blogspot.com/2012/01/tv-
watching.html>.
Horsky, D & Simon, LS 1983, ‘Advertising and the diffusion of new products’,
Marketing Science, vol.2, no.1, pp. 1-17.
Hoang Lan 2012, ‘The Voice cua Vietnam chinh thuc khoi dong’ (The Voice Vietnam
officially runs), image, Hanoimoi, viewed 2 August 2012,
<http://hanoimoi.com.vn/newsdetail/Giai-tri/541668/the-voice-cua-viet-nam-chinh-
thuc-khoi-dong.htm>.
Innovation Group 2012, ‘Innovation Crisis’, image, InnovationGroup, viewed 1 August
2012, < http://innovate.ucsb.edu/ >.
Oklahoma Farm Report 2011, ‘Corn growing’, image, Oklahomafarmreport, viewed 2
August 2012,
<http://oklahomafarmreport.com/wire/news/2011/08/media/02223_cornGrowing.j
pg>.

25. References
Rogers, EM 1995, ‘The Innovation-Decision Process’, Diffusion of Innovations, 4th edn,
The Free Press, New York, pp. 161-203.
Stacks, D & Salwen, M (eds) 2009, An integrated approach to communication theory
and research, 2nd edn, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah.
Urban Farmer 2012, ‘Hybrid corn seed’, image, llnwd, viewed 2 August 2012,
<http://imavex.vo.llnwd.net/o18/clients/urbanfarm/images/Corn/Bodacious_Corn.jp
g>.