Identify a model of change to help explain change within an organisation which you have experienced
Diffusion of innovation curve illustrates a new product or new things accept by different kinds of people in a time line. The curve is divided into five sorts according to the time.
l Innovators: Who prefer innovation and willing to attempt it, most of these people will be an organization pioneer.
l Early adopters: following the innovators, and always to be the top leaders of the organization
l Early majority: Compared to the first two kinds, this level can be more careful about the innovation.
l Late majority: They have suspicious attitude at the beginning. But with the time pass by, they gradually adopt the change.
l Laggard: These group refuses or do not like change. Adopting the innovation should cost them a long time.
My experience about the “E-class”
When I was in SHU (Shanghai University), the school leaders propagandize a new website called “E-class” (http://www.21campus.cn/) and force students to use it. It just like Facebook. But the only difference is that, each class or each course will establish a learning group in the website, in there students can exchange their knowledge or opinion. The purpose of the “E-class” is to enrich the students’ life not only in campus but also outside the school. But unfortunately, the project does not process in a smooth way as leader expected.
Now I want to use the diffusion of innovation model to explain such situation.
The leader want the saturated point can be in red even blue area, while the fact is the saturated point in black area.
- Innovator: These people almost are school leaders or information technology teachers. Leaders consider rate of utilization rather than the effects, because of the pressure from the Shanghai Bureau of Education (It is common in mainland China). And the information technology teachers should take part into such ICT practice, so they always to be the innovators.
- Early adopters: When school leaders accept such change, teachers have to adopt the new teaching method or environment, and one part of curious students will attempt to use the “E-class”, may be just for fun.
- Early majority: After teachers use the “E-class”, they always tell their students to use it as an order. Of course, majority of students will try to use “E-class”, but when using 3 or 4 times, big half of students find it just copy “Facebook”, and less helpful on their study, finally the saturated point appeared in this area.
Why the change (E-class) not popular among the students?
l To be honest, the “E-class” is terrible, because when I use it, many Bugs I found.
l It imitates SNS (Social Networking Services). Students already have Facebook, mirco blog and other colorful SNS, they need a creative one not a follower.
l Publicity is not enough.
Innovation diffusion is always carried out with the help of a certain social network. In the process of promoting and diffusion of relevant knowledge and information to people, interpersonal communication is more important and effective. Of course the change or the innovation should be a good idea or good objects which can bring more benefit to the user and society.
With the low rate of acceptance by students and possibly low rate of usage by students, I suppose both the school and the Shanghai Bureau of Education would consider the adoption of E-class as a failed project after all. Authority-based decisions where a decision is imposed by another person or organization which possesses requisite power, status or technical expertise, as suggested by Rogers (2003), in your case seems to have delivered unsuccessful results than anticipated by the authority. The marked Saturated Point at Early Majority was the possible consequence of authority-based decision in lack of appropriate roles such as change aides assigned to the innovation process. It is interesting to know, though, how the school and the Shanghai Bureau of Education would handle the issue at the end!
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of Innovations. New York: Free Press.