INNOVATION PROJECT PRESENTATIONS KRISTEN, SHAIFALI, AMBER AUDREY, JUSTIN

CHANGE ACTIVITY EXAMPLE THREE GROUPS, EACH ON AN ISLAND ISLAND 1– CAN SPEAK AND SEE, HAS NO RESOURCES AND NO INFORMATION ISLAND 2–CANNOT SEE, BUT CAN SPEAK, HAS THE RESOURCES TO COMPLETE THE TASK ISLAND 3– CANNOT SPEAK, BUT CAN SEE, HAS THE TASK INFORMATION COMPLETE THE TASK USING THE RESOURCES PROVIDED

REVIEW FROM LAST WEEK What are the adopter categories? Classification by Innovativeness Innovators (2.5%), Early Adopters (13.5%), Early Majority (34%), Late Majority (34%), Laggards (16%) How do earlier adopters differ from later adopters on the following? Age? Socioeconomic Status? Personality Variables? Communication Behavior? What is Audience Segmentation? A strategy in which different communication channels are used to reach each sub audience

DIFFUSION NETWORKS EVERY HERD OF WILD CATTLE HAS ITS LEADERS, ITS INFLUENTIAL HEADS. GABRIEL TARDE, THE LAWS OF IMITATION (1903), P. 4

OBJECTIVES Describe the role of opinion leadership in diffusion networks. Discuss the generalizations associated with diffusion networks. Analyze case studies for diffusion network generalizations. Describe the strategies used for getting to critical mass.

WHAT IS OPINION LEADERSHIP? Opinion leadership—the degree to which an individual is able informally to influence other individuals’ attitudes or overt behavior in a desired way with relative frequency. They are important in determining the rate of adoption of an innovation in a system. How does interpersonal communication drive the diffusion process in creating a critical mass of adopters?

GENERALIZATIONS 8-1 Interpersonal diffusion networks are mostly Homophilous. 8-2 When interpersonal connections are heterophilous, followers seek opinion leaders Compared to followers, opinion leaders have greater mass media exposure, more cosmopoliteness, greater contact with change agents, greater social participation, higher social status, and more innovativeness. 8-9 Opinion leaders conform more closely to a system’s norms than do their followers. When a system’s norms change, opinion leaders are especially innovative.

GENERALIZATIONS CONTINUED 8-10 The network interconnectedness of an individual in a social system is positively related to the individual’s innovativeness The information exchange potential of communication network links is negatively related to their degree of communication proximity and homophily Individuals tend to be linked to others who are close to them in physical distance and who are relatively homophilous in social characterstics An individual is more likely to adopt an innovation if more of the other individuals in his or her personal network adopted previously.

FIND EXAMPLES OF THESE GENERALIZATIONS IN THE FOLLOWING CASE STUDIES IN YOUR TEXT IN PAIRS (CHOOSE ONE) 1. Opinion Leadership in the Diffusion of Modern Math (pp ) 2. Role of Alpha Pups in the Viral Marketing of a Cool Electronics Game (pp ) 3. Paul Revere’s Ride (pp ) 4. Networks in the Diffusion of a Medical Drug (pp ) 5. Building a Network for the Diffusion of Photovoltaics in the Dominican Republic (pp ) 6. Dr. John Snow and the Cholera Epidemic in London (pp ) 7. The Critical Mass in the Diffusion of Fax (p. 345) 8. Diffusion of the Internet (pp )

WHAT ARE THE STRATEGIES FOR GETTING TO CRITICAL MASS? FOUR STRATEGIES ON PAGE 361

OVERVIEW Described the role of opinion leadership in diffusion networks. Discussed the generalizations associated with diffusion networks. Analyzed case studies for diffusion network generalizations. Described the strategies used for getting to critical mass.

REMINDERS Next week we will start our first group of change activities. If you have questions or want to discuss what you have planned, please let me know. Our first group is Kristen, Marie, Amber, and Justin. Next week we will be discussing “The Change Agent.” Proposal: For our December 1 meeting, do we want to meet off campus? I can reserve a room somewhere 3:00-5:00.