Everett M. Rogers
Everett M. Rogers was a prominent American sociologist and communication scholar, best known for his groundbreaking work in the field of diffusion of innovations. Born on March 6, 1931, in Carroll, Iowa, Rogers grew up on a farm and faced the challenges of the Great Depression, which shaped his understanding of technology adoption in agricultural communities. His academic journey began at Iowa State University, where he earned degrees in agriculture before shifting his focus to sociology and statistics for his doctorate.
Rogers's seminal book, "Diffusion of Innovations," published in 1962, established a framework for understanding how new ideas and technologies are communicated and adopted by individuals and groups. He categorized adopters into five groups: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards, each with distinct characteristics and motivations regarding technology acceptance. Throughout his career, Rogers held faculty positions at several universities and became a respected figure in communication studies, receiving numerous accolades for his contributions to the field.
He continued to influence academic thought until his passing on October 31, 2004, leaving a lasting legacy through his extensive research and publications, which include discussions on the impact of the internet on communication. Rogers's work remains highly cited and influential in social science research, reflecting his profound impact on understanding the dynamics of innovation and technology adoption.
Everett M. Rogers
Sociologist, communication specialist, author
- Born: March 6, 1931
- Birthplace: Carroll, Iowa
- Died: October 31, 2004
- Place of death: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Education: Iowa State University
Significance: Everett M. Rogers was a sociologist, communication specialist, writer, and professor. He is best known for developing the theory of diffusion of innovation, which explains the process individuals undergo when accepting or rejecting a new technology. Rogers is the author of thirty books and hundreds of articles.
Background
Everett M. Rogers was born on his family's farm in Carroll, Iowa, on March 6, 1931. Rogers grew up during the Great Depression, and his family struggled financially. Rogers was first educated in a one-room schoolhouse, and his after-school chores included milking cows and greasing farm machinery.
Rogers did not plan to go to college until a high school teacher drove him and some of his classmates to Iowa State University. With his teacher's encouragement, Rogers enrolled in the school and studied agriculture. He earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in agriculture from Iowa State. After this, he served two years in the US Air Force during the Korean War (1950–1953). Then he returned to Iowa State to pursue a doctorate degree in sociology and statistics.
Rogers's doctoral dissertation was inspired by his father, who was reluctant to use new biological-chemical innovations on his farm. He chose not to plant new hybrid seed corn even though it yielded more corn and resisted drought. During the Iowa drought of 1936, the elder Rogers's corn crop withered and died while his neighbor's hybrid seed corn grew tall. Rogers wanted to find out why Iowa farmers resisted using new technologies, which included chemical fertilizers and weed sprays in addition to hybrid seed corn. His father's decision not to use the technology sparked Rogers's interest in the diffusion of innovations. Diffusion, in this instance, refers to the process in which a new idea is accepted or rejected by the consumer.
Life's Work
According to Rogers, the process of diffusion begins when an individual first acquires knowledge of a new innovation. He or she then develops an attitude about the innovation and makes a decision to either accept or reject it. If the individual accepts the technology, he or she implements it and, lastly, confirms this decision.
Rogers grouped users into five types:
- Innovators (2.5%) are educated and have access to multiple sources of information. They are not afraid to take risks and appreciate new innovations. They understand that a new technology may have problems at first and are willing to work toward solving these problems.
- Early adopters (13.5%) are also educated and are social leaders. They are usually on the lookout for new technologies that will give them a competitive advantage in their industry. They do not mind paying a high price for a technology because they believe it will help their business. They like personalized solutions to their problems and prefer sales and support personnel who are highly qualified.
- Early majority adopters (34%) have many informal social contacts. They are motivated by change. They follow three principles when adopting a new technology:
- "When it is time to move, let's all move together."
- "When we pick a vendor to lead us to the new paradigm, let us all pick the same one."
- "Once the transition starts, the sooner we get it over with, the better."
- Late majority adopters (34%) are skeptical about new innovations and usually have a lower socioeconomic status. They are price-sensitive and want solutions that do not come with risk or initial problems. They may buy a technology just to stay even with the competition and often rely on a single trusted individual to help them make decisions.
- Laggards (16%) are very skeptical when it comes to accepting and adopting a new technology. They doubt whether a technology can enhance productivity and will even block the purchase of technology.
Rogers published his findings in 1962 in Diffusions of Innovation. The book provided a framework for communicating about technological innovations to help facilitate their acceptance. Rogers was only thirty years old when his groundbreaking text was published. He was working as an assistant professor of rural sociology at Ohio State University at the time.
Rogers continued to conduct research on diffusion for several decades while also receiving critical accolades for teaching and public speaking. He held faculty positions at Ohio State University from 1957 to 1963, Michigan State University from 1964 to 1973, and the University of Michigan from 1973 to 1975. He was the Janet M. Peck Professor of International Communication at Stanford University from 1975 to 1985 and the Walter H. Annenberg Professor and Associate Dean for Doctoral Studies in Communications at the University of Southern California from 1985 to 1993.
A Fulbright lecturer, Rogers also taught in Europe, Latin America, and the Far East. In 1993, he began teaching at the University of New Mexico as the chair of the journalism department, a position he held until he retired in 1997 because of kidney cancer.
Impact
Rogers earned academic fame for his book Diffusion of Innovations, first published in 1962. Five editions of the book have since been released, the last in 2003. The fifth edition of the text includes a discussion of the development of the internet and how it has transformed the way people communicate. In the mid-2000s, Diffusion of Innovations was the second-most-cited book in the social sciences. Rogers received many awards during his lifetime. Near the time of his death, he was named to Who's Who of Social Sciences Higher Education as an "influential expert" in his field. In 2002, he was selected as the University of New Mexico's forty-seventh Annual Research Lecturer, the highest honor the institution bestows on its faculty.
Personal Life
Rogers died on October 31, 2004, after a two-year battle with kidney cancer. At the time of his death, he was married to Dr. Corinne Shefner-Rogers, a professor at the University of Mexico, and had two sons: David Rogers and Everett King.
Principal Works: Books
- Social Change in Rural Society: A Textbook in Rural Sociology, 1960
- Diffusion of Innovations, 1962
- Modernization among Peasants: The Impact of Communication, 1969
- Social Change in Rural Societies: A Textbook in Rural Sociology, 1972
- Communication Strategies for Family Planning, 1973
- Communication and Development: Critical Perspectives, 1976
- Communication Networks: Toward a New Paradigm for Research, 1981
- Silicon Valley Fever: Growth of High-Technology Culture, 1984
- The Media Revolution in America and Western Europe, 1985
- Communication Technology: The New Media in Society, 1986
- A History of Communication Study: A Biographical Approach, 1994
Bibliography
"Diffusion of Innovations." ProvenModels, www.provenmodels.com/page/about. Accessed 23 Feb. 2018.
"Everett Rogers." ToolsHero, www.toolshero.com/toolsheroes/everett-rogers/. Accessed 23 Feb. 2018.
Goeppinger, Jean. "Interview: Everett M. Rogers, PhD, Jack Rothman, PhD." Family and Community Health, vol. 9, no. 1, May 1986, pp. 78–81.
Melkote, Srinivas, R. "Everett M. Rogers and His Contributions to the Field of Communication and Social Change in Developing Countries." Journal of Creative Communication, vol. 1, no. 1, Mar. 2006, pp. 111–21.
"Obituary Everett Rogers." The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal, 2005, www.innovation.cc/editorial-board/obituary-e-rogers.pdf. Accessed 23 Feb. 2018.
Singhal, Arvind. "Contributions of Everett M. Rogers to Development Communication and Social Change." Journal of Development Communication, vol. 27, no. 1, Jan. 2016, pp. 57–68.
Singhal, Arvind. "Everett M. Rogers, an Intercultural Life: From Iowa Farm Boy to Global Intellectual." International Journal of Intercultural Relations, vol. 36, no. 6, Nov. 2012, pp. 848–56.