Diffusion of Innovations, 5th Edition

Diffusion of Innovations, 5th Edition

By: Everett M. Rogers   Everett Rogers  

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Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Since the first edition of this landmark book was published in 1962, Everett Rogers's name has become "virtually synonymous with the study of diffusion of innovations," according to Choice. The second and third editions of Diffusion of Innovations became the standard textbook and reference on diffusion studies. Now, in the fourth edition, Rogers presents the culmination of more than thirty years of research that will set a new standard for analysis and inquiry.

The fourth edition is (1) a revision of the theoretical framework and the research evidence supporting this model of diffusion, and (2) a new intellectual venture, in that new concepts and new theoretical viewpoints are introduced. This edition differs from its predecessors in that it takes a much more critical stance in its review and synthesis of 5,000 diffusion publications. During the past thirty years or so, diffusion research has grown to be widely recognized, applied and admired, but it has also been subjected to both constructive and destructive criticism. This criticism is due in large part to the stereotyped and limited ways in which many diffusion scholars have defined the scope and method of their field of study. Rogers analyzes the limitations of previous diffusion studies, showing, for example, that the convergence model, by which participants create and share information to reach a mutual understanding, more accurately describes diffusion in most cases than the linear model.

Rogers provides an entirely new set of case examples, from the Balinese Water Temple to Nintendo videogames, that beautifully illustrate his expansive research, as well as a completely revised bibliography covering all relevant diffusion scholarship in the past decade. Most important, he discusses recent research and current topics, including social marketing, forecasting the rate of adoption, technology transfer, and more. This all-inclusive work will be essential reading for scholars and students in the fields of communications, marketing, geography, economic development, political science, sociology, and other related fields for generations to come.

Publisher: Free Press

Customer Review: 5 out of 5
Very good book - This is a very good book for those who are trying to understand how innovations can be adopted and how they affect our lifes.

Customer Review: 4 out of 5
Very imoprtant concept - This is, and has been for some time, an important leadership concept. The book is very well written.

Customer Review: 5 out of 5
Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation - Leaders Need This - Rogers' five stages of the innovation-decision process appears simple on the surface, but the detail and substance behind the simplicity bear reflective thinking by leaders of both large and small organizations. Busy leaders may be inclined to shy away from this text, simply because of its length; however, the case studies of real-life situations are worth the expense of time and money. Serious, committed organizational leaders at both strategic and operational levels should review this text in order to better understand the innovation-decision process, the generation of innovations, and how attributes of innovations affect adoption rates. Furthermore, the changing nature and structure of 21st century organizations dictate that leaders need to be aware of, and engaged in, diffusion networks through which innovation and growth can be accelerated. Rogers' text is a must read for the knowledgeable leader who seeks to gain competitive advantage in an accelerating world of disruptive, non-evolutionary change.

Customer Review: 4 out of 5
Interesting - This book is fascinating. It discusses the spread of ideas and products through communities, how they spread and why. Rogers breaks down the process and describes different categories of people depending on when they take up the innovation. This book is very readable, and although written by an academic, not written in academese. It covers various domains of interest (agriculture, sociology, marketing) and has something for everyone.

The one thing I think Rogers has missed is subjective norm. Not only do people weigh the relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability, but they also weigh up what they believe their personal network believes what they should do.

For instance, I will do something that someone important (to me)tells me to do, even if I personally find it silly, simply because I put enough weight and consideration into what I believe is their opinion.

Rogers gets close to that with the discussion of personal networks and adoption of innovations by organisations, but still misses the point. That is why this book only gets four stars, from me.

Customer Review: 5 out of 5
Excellent - Very insightful. A must read for a variety of academic disciplines. I don't know that I've been in a professor's office at my university and not seen this book on the shelf!

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