The Change AgentDiffusion of Innovations

Chapter 9

Highlights

• Targeting

• Change Agents as Linkers

• Factors in Change Agent Success

• Communication Campaigns

• Homophily and Change Agent Contact

• The Use of Opinion Leaders

• Client’s Evaluative Ability

• Centralized and Decentralized Diffusion Systems

• Advantages and Disadvantages of Decentralized Diffusion

Summary

• This chapter defines change agent• lists the two main problems faced by change agents and the

seven roles of the change agent.

• The chapter also lists eight generalizations related to an agent’s success in securing the adoption of innovations by clients.

• Information on centralized and decentralized diffusion is also provided.

• Two main problems faced by change agents:• Their social marginality, due to their position midway

between a change agency and their client system

• Information overload, the state of an individual or a system in which excessive communication inputs cannot be processed and used, leading to breakdown).

Seven roles of the change agent:

•Develop a need for change on the part of clients

•Establish an information-exchange relationship

•Diagnose problems

•Create an intent to change in the client

•Translate intention into action

•Stabilize adoption and prevent discontinuance

•Achieve a terminal relationship with clients

Eight generalizations

• Extent of the change agent’s effort in contacting clients

• A client orientation, rather than a change agency orientation

• Degree to which the diffusion program is compatible with clients’ needs

• Change agent’s empathy with clients

• His or her homophily with clients

• Credibility in the clients’ eyes

• Extent to which he or she works through opinion leaders

• Increasing clients’ ability to evaluate innovations

Targeting

Targeting is the process of customizing the design

and delivery of a communication program based

on the characteristics of an intended audience

(Dearling et al., 1996).

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Change Agents…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93ATKY2g2YA

Communication Campaigns

The term derives from military origins and from

Latin meaning “to go to the field”. Military

terminology, like “target”, for example, still is

utilized in describing campaigns. So a campaign

is purposive, intended to bring about certain

specific effects.”

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Change Agents…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFxOEBTPzoA&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL950F973150855EEA

The Use of Opinion Leaders

Opinion Leadership is the degree to which an

individual is able to influence other individuals’

attitudes or overt behavior in a desired way with a

relatively high frequency.

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More on Opinion Leaders…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUE84Y22eUg

Rogers states, “Change agents usually posses a high degree

of expertise regarding the innovations that are being

diffused. Change agency personnel may have a Ph.D….

Their superior know-how actually poses a barrier making

it difficult for them to communicate directly with clients.”

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How do you feel about the above comments?

What can change do for you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc