Sustainability Language

Strategy, Targets & Performance Management

Diffusion of innovations

Everett Rogers's theory of how innovations spread through a social system over time, classifying adopters from innovators (2.5%) to laggards (16%).

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Definition

Diffusion of innovations is the theory, set out by Everett Rogers (1962; 5th ed. 2003), that an innovation spreads by being communicated through channels over time among members of a social system. Adoption follows a bell curve segmented into five adopter categories: innovators (2.5 per cent), early adopters (13.5 per cent), early majority (34 per cent), late majority (34 per cent) and laggards (16 per cent). Adoption speed depends on an innovation's relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability.

References

Overview

What it means

New sustainable technologies and practices follow predictable adoption patterns, so interventions can be targeted at the categories that accelerate spread.

How it is used

The theory informs clean-technology deployment strategies, behaviour-change campaigns and market-transformation programmes for efficient products and practices.

Why it matters

It is the reference model for understanding how sustainability innovations move from niches to the mainstream.

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