The scarcity of development funds, combined with the magnitude of development needs,
makes diffusion of innovations a crucial process for less developed countries. We reviewed
the diffusion of innovation literature in an attempt to identify a general strategy for
identifying diffusion that occurs after the introduction of an innovation. The existing
literature provides little guidance for the central problem of where to look for diffusion;
this article suggests possible solutions. Prior research has relied heavily on a single
data-collection strategy: sample surveys. The article reviews advantages and disadvantages
of alternative data-collection strategies.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Agnew, P.C. and F.L.K. Hsu (1960) "Introducing change in two mental hospitals." Human Organization19: 195-198.
2.
Alers-Montalvo, M. (1957) "Cultural change in a Costa Rican village." Human Organization15, 4: 2-7.
3.
Becker, M. (1970) "Socioeconomic location and innovations: reformulation and extension of the diffusion model." Amer. Soc. Rev.35: 267-282.
4.
Brown, L.A. and B. Letnek (1972) "Innovation diffusion in a developing economy: a mesoscale view." Economic Development and Cultural Change21: 274-292.
5.
Caplan, N., A. Morrison, and R.J. Stambaugh (1975) The Use of Social Science Knowledge in Policy Decisions at the National Level: A Report to Respondents. Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor .
6.
Chambers, R. (1980) "Rapid rural appraisal: rationale and repertoire ." Discussion paper 155, Institute of Development Studies , Mysore, India.
7.
Ching-Ching, E., J.J. Lee, and M.Y. Lin (1974) "Family planning telephone services in two Asian cities." Studies in Family Planning5, 4: 111-114.
8.
Choudhary, K.M. and M. Maharaja (1966) "Acceptance of improved practices and their diffusion among wheat-growers in the Pali District of Rajasthan." Indian J. of Agricultural Economics2,1: 161-165.
9.
Coleman, J., E. Katz, and H. Menzel (1966) Medical Innovation: A Diffusion Study. New York: Bobbs-Merrill.
10.
Dubey, D.C. and H.M. Choldin (1967), "Communication and diffusion of the IUCD: a case study in urban India." Demography4, 2: 601-614.
11.
Evans, W.M. and G. Black (1967) "Innovations in business organizations." J. of Business40: 519-530.
12.
Fairweather, G.W., D.H. Sanders, and L.G. Tornatzky (1974) Creating Change in Mental Health Organizations . New York: Pergamon.
13.
Feller, I. (1979) "Three coigns of diffusion research." Knowledge.1, 2:293-312.
14.
Fliegel, F.C. and J.E. Kivlin (1966) "Attributes of innovations as factors in diffusion . Amer. J. of Sociology72: 235-248.
15.
Hammond, R.W. (1978). "The oil drum: humble appropriate technology building block." Pictorial Monograph 3, Engineering Experiment Station, Georgia Institute of Technology.
16.
Junghare, Y.N. and R. Prodipto (1963) "The relation of health practice innovations to social background characteristics and attitudes." Rural Sociology28, 4: 394-400.
17.
Longhurst, R. (1981) Rapid Rural Appraisal: Social Structure and Rural Economy. Institute of Development Studies Bull.12, 4 (special issue): 1-54.
18.
Marble, D.F. and J.D. Nystuen ( 1963) "An approach to the direct measurement of community mean information field." Papers and Proceedings of the Regional Sci. Assn.2: 99-109.
19.
Opar E, K.D. (1977) "The role of agricultural extension in the adoption of innovation by cocoa growers in Ghana." Rural Sociology42 (Spring): 72-87.
20.
Panse, V.G. and D. Singh (1966) "Promotion and assessment of technological change in Indian agriculture." Indian J. of Agricultural Economics21, 1: 121-131.
21.
Patton, M.Q. (1978) Utilization-Focused Evaluation. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
22.
Ramachandian, R. (1975), Spatial Diffusion of Innovation in Rural India . Mysore, India: Institute of Development Studies, University of Mysore.
23.
Rogers, E. (1978) "Re-invention during the innovation process," pp. 1-18 in M. Radnor, I. Feller, and E. Rogers (eds.) The Diffusion of Innovations: An Assessment. Evansville, IL: Northwestern Univ. Press.
24.
--- K.P. Magill, and R.E. Rice (1979) The Innovation Process for Dial-A-Ride. Stanford, CA: Institute for Communication Research, Stanford University.
25.
U.S. Agency for International Development ( 1980) Kitale Maize: The Limits of Success. Washington, DC: U.S. Agency for International Development.
26.
Warner, K.E. (1974), "The need for some innovative concepts of innovation: an examination of research on the diffusion of innovations." Policy Sciences5: 544-451.
27.
Weiss. C. (1981) "Measuring the use of evaluation," in J. A. Ciarlo (ed.) Utilizing Evaluation: Concepts and Measurement Techniques. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
28.
Whyte, W.F. (1982) "Social inventions for solving human problems." Amer. Soc. Rev.47: 1-13.
29.
Yin, R. ( 1978) Changing Urban Bureaucracies: How New Practices Become Routinized. Santa Monica, CA: Rand Corporation.
