Diffusion and adoption of livestock innovations, adopter category, process,

1. Diffusion & Adoption
of
Livestock Innovations
By
Dr.Harshita Bhumra
Assistant Professor
Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry
Extension Education
Apollo College of Veterinary Medicine, Jaipur.

2. What is an
Innovation?

3. Innovation
It is any idea or product perceived by the potential adopter to be
new. New products are ideas, behaviour or things that are
qualitatively different from existing forms.
or
It is an idea or object which is perceived as new by an
individual.

4. What is an
Diffusion?

5. Diffusion
It is a process by which an innovation is
communicated through communication channels
over time among the members of a social system

6. What is an
Adoption?

7. Adoption
It is a decision to make full use of an innovation as
the best course of action available.

8. Diffusion of Innovation
 Diffusion is the process by which an innovation is
communicated through certain channels over time among the
members of social system.
 It is a special type of communication in which the messages
are compared with a new idea. It is the newness of the idea in
the message content of communication that gives diffusion its
special character.
 A process through which a new product moves from initial
introduction to regular purchase and use
 A process by which an innovation (idea) is communicated
through certain channels over time among the members of a
social system – Everett Rogers

9. Diffusion Variables
1. Innovation
2. Communication
3. Time
4. Social System

10. 1. Innovation – Perceived Attributes
1. Relative Advantage
An innovation is perceived as better than the idea it supersedes
2. Compatibility
An innovation is perceived as consistent with the socio-cultural values and
beliefs, previously introduced ideas and client needs for innovation
3. Complexity
An innovation is perceived as difficult to understand and use
4. Trialability
An innovation may experimented with on a limited basis
5. Observability
The results of an innovation are visible to others
6. Predictability
Degree of certainty of receiving expected benefits from the adoption of an
innovation

11. Innovation – Perceived
Attributes
 Relative advantage: It is the degree to which an innovation is perceived as
better than the idea it supersedes. The degree of relative advantage may be
measured in economic terms, but social prestige factors, convenience and
satisfaction are also often important components. The greater the perceived
relative advantage of an innovation, the more rapid its rate of adoption is
going to be.
 Compatibility: It is the degree to which an innovation is perceived as being
consistent with the existing values, past experience and needs of potential
adopters. An idea that is not compatible with the prevalent values and norms
of a social system will not be adopted as rapidly as an innovation that is
compatible. An example of incompatible innovation is the use of
contraceptives in countries where religious beliefs discourage use of birth
control measures, as in Muslim and Catholic nations.

12.  Complexity: It is the degree to which an innovation is perceived as difficulty
to understand and use. Some innovations are readily understood by most
members of a social system; others are more complicated and adopted more
slowly. In general, new ideas that are simpler to understand will be adopted
more rapidly than innovations that require the adopter to develop new skills
and understandings.
 Trialablity/divisibility: it is the degree to which an innovation may be
experimented with on a limited basis. New ideas that can be tried on the
instalment plan will generally be adopted more quickly than innovations that
are not divisible. An innovation that is trialable represents less uncertainty to
the individual who is considering it for adoption, as it is possible to learn by
doing.
 Observability/communicability: It is the degree to which the results of an
innovation are visible to others. The easier it is for individuals to see the
results of an innovation, the more likely they are to adopt. In general,
innovation that are perceived by receivers as having greater relative
advantage, compatibility, trialabiIity, observability and less complexity will be
adopted more rapidly than other innovations.

13. 2. Communication Channels
Communication channels are the means by which messages get from
one individual to another. For example, mass media channels are often the
most rapid and efficient means to inform an audience or a potential adopter
about the existence of an innovation, that is, to create awareness about it.
Mass media channels are all those means of transmitting messages that
involve a mass medium, such as radio, TV, newspaper etc, which enable a
source of one/ a few individuals to reach an audience of many.

14. 3.Time
The time dimension is involved in diffusion: in the innovation-decision
process by which an individual passes from first knowledge of an innovation
to its adoption or rejection, in the innovativeness of an individual i.e., the
relative earliness/ lateness with which an innovation is adopted compared
with other members of a system, and an innovation's rate of adoption in a
system, is usually measured as the number of members of the system that
adopt the innovation in a given time period.

15. 4.Social System
A social system is defined as a set of interrelated units
that are engaged in joint problem-solving to accomplish a
common goal. The members or units of social system may
be individuals, informal groups, and/ or subs-systems.
The social system constitutes boundary within which an
innovation diffuses. The social structure, norms, roles of
opinion leaders and change agents affects the degree of
diffusion process.

16. Innovation-Decision - A Five
Stage Process

17. Adoption Process
Adoption process is the mental process through which an
individual passes.
The adoption behaviour of an individual farmer has been
conceptualized by researchers as a process composed of a
number of successive stages. They are, awareness, interest,
evaluation, trial and adoption.

18. Adoption Process

20. Awareness
 At this stage an individual becomes aware of some new ideas. He
knows about the existence of the idea, but he lacks details about
it. For instance, he may know only the name and may not know
what the idea or product is, what it will do or how it will work.
 This is stage has been observed by some authors as the stage is
to initiate the sequence of later stages, which will lead to adoption
or discontinuance or rejection. This is stage otherwise known as
stage of random or non-purposive occurrence.

21. Interest
 At this stage an individual wants more information about the idea
or product. He wants to know what it is, how it works and what it
potentialities are.
 The individual favours the information but he has not yet judged
its utility in his work situation the main function of this stage is to
increase the individual's information about the innovation. This
stage is otherwise known as knowledge stage and interest
information stage.

22. Evaluation
 At this stage the individual mentally applies the innovation to his
present or future anticipated situation and then decides whether
to try the innovation or not. He asks himself: "Can I do it? And if I
do it, will it be better than what I am doing now, will it increase my
income; or otherwise bring me satisfaction?"
 This stage has been described by some researchers as
application, acceptance and conviction stage.

23. Trial
 At this stage the individual uses the innovation in a small scale in
order to determine the utility of the innovation in his own situation.
 The purpose or main function of this stage is to demonstrate the
new idea in the individual's own situation and determine its
usefulness for possible complete adoption.
 This stage has been described by some authors as dry-run
stage. Rejection of innovation may also occur at this stage.

24. Adoption
 At this stage the individual decides to continue the full use of the
innovation. The main function of this stage is consideration of the
trial results and decide to continue the innovation.
 Discontinuance: It is a decision to cease use of an innovation
after previously adopting it.
 Rejection: It is a decision not to adopt an innovation.

26. Adopter Categories
 It is obvious that people do not adopt new ideas at the
same time. Some people adopt ideas when they are first
introduced, others wait a long time; while some never
adopt an idea.
 The criterion for adopter categorization is
innovativeness, which is the degree to which an
individual is relatively earlier to adopt new ideas than
other members of his social system
 It was given by “Everett Rogers” in 1962.

28. Adopter Categories

29. Time

30.  All individuals in a social system do not adopt an innovation at the same time.
Rather, they adopt in an ordered time sequence, and they may be classified into
adopter categories on the basis of when they first begin using a new idea.
 In technology transfer programme, it is of great practical utility for the
extension workers to identify the individuals who are likely to adopt
innovations early and who may lag behind.
 The adoption of an innovation over time follows a normal, bell-shaped curve
when plotted over time on frequency basis. If the cumulative number of
adopters is plotted, it results in an S-shaped curve.
 The S-shaped curve rises slowly at first when there are few adopters in a time
period, accelerate to a maximum when about half of the individuals in the
system have adopted and then increases at a gradually slower rate as the few
remaining individuals finally adopt.
 The S-shaped curve is like that of a 'learning curve' as propounded by the
psychologists. Each adoption in the social system is in a sense equivalent to a
learning trial by an individual.

31.  Both of these curves are for the same data, the adoption of an innovation over time by
the members of a social system. But the bell-shaped curve shows these data in terms
of the number of individuals adopting each year, whereas the S-shaped curve
shows these data on cumulative basis.
 The distribution of adopters over time closely approaches normality, and may be
explained by the statistical concept of normal curve.
 The distribution of the adopters may be partitioned into five adopter categories by using
the mean (x) and standard deviation.
 The area lying to the left of the mean time of adoption minus two standard deviations
includes 2.5 per cent of the individuals who are the first to adopt an innovation and are
known as innovators.
 The next 13.5 per cent between the mean minus one standard deviation and the mean
minus two standard deviations to adopt the new idea are called as early adopters.
 The next 34 per cent of the adopters between the mean date of adoption and minus
one standard deviation are known as early majority.
 Between the mean and one standard deviation to the right of the mean are located the
next 34 per cent to adopt the new idea, the late majority.
 The last 16 per cent to the right of mean plus one standard deviation are the last to
adopt the innovation the laggards.

32. Innovators
 They are venturesome and the first people to adopt new idea.
 They are very few in number.
 The salient value of the innovator is venturesomeness
 He desires the hazardous, the rash, the daring, and the risky.
 The innovator also must be willing to accept an occasional setback when one of the
new ideas he adopts proves unsuccessful.
 These are the first people to adopt a new idea, much ahead of other people. They are
very few in numbers, probably not more than one or two in a community.
 They often by pass the local extension worker in getting information from the
originating sources and may learn about new things even before he does.

33. Innovators Characteristics:
1. Have larger farms.
2. High net worth and risk capital.
3. Willing to take risks.
4. Usually not past middle age
5. Generally well educated
6. Have respect and prestige in progressive communities but not in conservative type of communities.
7. Mentally alert and actively seeking new ideas.
8. Their sphere of influence and activity often goes beyond the community boundaries.
9. They have many formal and informal contact outside the immediate locality.
10. They often by-pass the local extension worker in getting information from the originating sources, and may
learn about new things even before he does. They sometimes manage to get samples of seeds or chemicals
even before they are released for public use.
11. They subscribe to many farm magazines and specialised publications.
12. Other farmers may watch the innovators and know what they are doing but the innovators are not generally
named by other farmers as "neighbours and friends" to whom they go for information.

34. Early Adopters
 They are respectable. While innovators are cosmopolite, early adopters are
localite.
 Younger than others but not necessarily younger than the innovators.
 They are quickest to use tried ideas in their own situation.
 They may be regarded as "Community adoption leaders".
 The early adopter is considered by many as "the man to check with" before
using a new idea.
 This adopter category is generally sought by change agents to be a local
missionary for speeding the diffusion process. Because early adopters are not
too far ahead of the average individual in innovativeness, they serve as a role
model for many other members of a social system.
 Members of a social system respect the early adopter.
 The early adopter is respected by his peers.

35. Early Adopters Characteristics:
 Younger than those who have a slower adoption rate, but not necessarily
younger than the innovators
 They are not the persons who test the untried ideas but they are quickest to
use tried ideas in their own situations.
 Have large farms.
 Higher education than those who adopt more slowly.
 High income.
 They participate more in the format activities of the community.
 They also participate more in government programmes.
 This group usually furnishes a disproportionate amount of the formal
leadership (elected positions) in the community.
 They read papers and farm journals and receive more bulletins than people
who adopt later.
 They may be regarded as community adoption leaders.

36. Early Majority
 They are deliberate (local adoption leaders), and slightly above average in age,
education and farming experience.
 They have medium high social and economic status.
 They adopt new ideas just before the average members of social system.
 They are most likely to be informal leaders, but not holders of elected positions.
 They associate mainly with people of their own community.
 The early majority interact frequently with their peers, but leadership position;
are rarely held by them.
 The early majority's unique position; between the very early and relatively late to
adopt make; them an important link in the diffusion process.

37. Early Majority Characteristics:
 Slightly above average in age, education and farming experience.
 They take a few more farm journals and bulletins than the average.
 They have medium high social and economic status.
 Less active in formal groups than early adopters, but more active than those
adopting later.
 In many cases, they are not formal leaders in the association
 They also attend extension meetings and farm demonstrations.
 They are most likely to be informal resources than early adopters and
innovators, and so cannot afford to make hasty or poor decisions.
 They associate mainly with people of their own community.
 They value highly the opinions their neighbours and friends hold about them;
for this is their main source of status and prestige.
 They are mostly mentioned as "neighbours and friends" from whom the
majority of farmers seek information.

38. Late Majority
 They are skeptical.
 The late majority adopt new ideas just after the average member of a
social system.
 Those in this group have less education and are older than the early
majority.
 Pressure of peers is necessary to motivate them to adopt new ideas.
 They take fewer leadership roles than the earlier adopters i.e., little
opinion leadership.
 They read few newspapers and journals. They have little mass media
exposure. They are below average in social status
 Adoption may be both an economic necessity and the answer to
increasing social pressures. Innovations are approached with a skeptical
and cautions air, and the late majority do not adopt until most other in
their social system have done so.

39. Late Majority Characteristics:
 Those in this group have less education and are older than the early
majority.
 They form the major part of formal organisational membership,
although they participate less in such formal groups.
 They take fewer leadership roles than the earlier adopters.
 They take and read fewer papers, magazines and bulletins, than the
early majority.
 They do not participate in as many activities outside the community as
do people that adopt earlier.

40. Laggards
 They are traditional.
 Laggards are the last in the social system to adopt an innovation.
 Decisions are often made in terms of what has been done in previous
generations and these individuals' interests primarily with others who also
have relatively traditional values.
 The point of reference for the laggard is the past.
 They have least education – Old people - Smallest farm- Lowest income -
Little specialisation.
 They possess opinion leadership.
 They possess almost very little/ no opinion leadership.

41. Laggards Characteristics:
 Least education.
 Oldest.
 Participate least in formal organisations, cooperatives and
government programmes.
 They hardly read farm magazines and bulletins.

42. Adopter Categories

43. Important Points: Adopter Categories
Categorization on the basis of innovativeness:
 Innovators or Venturesome
 Early adopters or Respectable
 Early Majority or Deliberate
 Late majority or Skeptical
 Laggards or Traditional